NASCAR | Regardless of a “disappointing” begin to 2024, Barry shares Bristol’s entrance row.

Hendersonville, Tenn. The 33-year-old, native of , stepped into Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 4 Ford this yr following the retirement of star Kevin Harvick and subsequent transfer to the Fox Sports activities NASCAR TV sales space.

It has been a tough experience for Barry by way of the primary 4 races of the 2024 season, with no begins higher than 14th (Atlanta) and no finishes higher than twentieth (Las Vegas). Las Vegas can be the one one Barry has managed to complete on a lead lap to this point.

At Bristol on Saturday, nonetheless, Barry confirmed his abilities on the primary go to of the sequence to a observe shorter than a mile.

“It has been slightly disappointing,” Berry mentioned of his 2024 season. “Even after I began final summer time, folks requested me on a regular basis what my expectations had been, and I all the time mentioned I anticipated it to be powerful and it was powerful. The Cup race. It is tough.

“So, with that side of it, I feel we now have various things in every race which will or could not damage our end, however I really feel like once we put every part collectively and the automobile Dealing with like I need and we act, we now have pace, we develop, we’re quicker.

“For me, I’ve made some errors in the previous couple of weeks. Spinning out in qualifying in Phoenix put us a good distance behind all these guys. To have a mistake like that actually units you again and your day. It really seems worse.

Barry was solely twenty sixth quickest in Saturday’s follow however his No.4 Ford was too quick when it got here to qualifying.

He completed fifth quickest in Group B on the first spherical earlier than falling to second behind pole-winner Ryan Blaney within the closing spherical, making his greatest begin to the yr.

Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing, HighPoint.com Ford Mustang, Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing, Moose Fraternity Chevrolet Camaro1 and Josh Berry, Stewart-Haas Racing, Harrison’s Ford Mustang wreck

Photograph by: Nigel Conrad / NKP / Motorsport Pictures

As a rookie, Barry mentioned considered one of his most vital jobs is constructing a powerful relationship along with his group. Because it develops, he believes efficiency will enhance.

“That is the place I feel I have to step up slightly bit. Final yr (working a partial schedule), you are on borrowed time for each race,” he mentioned. “We did not know in the event that they had been going to return again and we type of ran.

“We did not actually take into consideration any of that and now everytime you’re making an attempt to construct, you construct one thing larger piece by piece.

“It is an vital time for all of us to study one another and perform a little higher of it, and I feel that can include time.”

Saturday was a powerful begin in the proper course.