What happened
With Ryan Blaney running 8th late in Stage 2 at Martinsville, Josh Berry brake-checked him after Blaney bumped his rear bumper. Blaney hit Berry again, sustained heavy nose damage and spun, bringing out the caution on lap 254.
Blaney described the opening bump as slight and accidental, and accused Berry of deliberately braking to end his race; he also said the initial contact had not moved Berry far enough up the track for him to gain position. Berry disputed Blaney’s account, saying the contact knocked him out of the groove and that he was trying to regain control when they collided again. Blaney said he had been passing cars and closing on the front group before the incident.
What it cost
Blaney went to the garage with radiator damage on lap 255. He lost 57 laps during repairs, and Team Penske put his return to the track at lap 310. The crew repaired the car sufficiently for him to continue to the checkered flag.
His 35th-place finish represented a loss of 27 positions from the 8th place he occupied before the incident. He finished 59 laps down after the nose damage and repairs.
NASCAR penalized the brake check on November 3, fining Berry $50,000 and deducting 25 driver points under Section 4.4a, covering actions detrimental to stock car racing.
What could have been done differently
Berry should have continued through the corner without brake-checking Blaney after the bump.