It was a vintage Josh Berry kind of performance.
The JR Motorsports veteran waited until the final restart with 56 laps to go and pounced over a dominant Deac McCaskill to win his second CARS Late Model Stock Tour race of the season.
Berry had lost out to McCaskill on a Lap 52 restart but would not be denied twice, ducking under and completing the pass on Lap 92.
“I felt like that we were so equal that it was going to be super hard to get by Deac,” Berry said. “The top was wet, so I just sailed it up in there and made it work.”
The first 12 laps were run under green-white conditions but McCaskill took the lead once the race went green. He led up until the Lap 92 pass.
JR Motorsports has now won three consecutive CARS Tour races with Berry winning Hickory and Orange County; and Sam Mayer winning at Wake County.
“We’re hitting our stride right now,” Berry said. “This is the time of the year where you want to be at your best. There are some big races coming up and I want a grandfather clock.”
While past two series champions battled for the win, Bobby McCarty and Lee Pulliam may have settled this season’s championship during the penultimate race.
McCarty finished fifth with an engine that was expiring, while Pulliam could muster only an eighth-place finish. McCarty takes a 20-point lead into November’s championship race at South Boston Speedway.
Pulliam was left dejected.
“Well that sucked,” Pulliam posted on his Facebook. “Talk about free. Just want to thank all my guys for busting there butts and working so hard. Not what we came to do. Green track after the rain wasn’t in our favor.”
The complete results can be found below.
1. 88 Josh Berry
2. 22 Deac McCaskill
3. 1m Craig Moore
4. 27 Tommy Lemons Jr.
5. 22m Bobby McCarty
6. 9 Sam Mayer
7. 2p Brandon Pierce
8. 5p Lee Pulliam
9. 9w Charlie Watson
10. 2 Chris Denny
11. 01 Camden Gullie -1
12. 74 Ronald Hill OUT
13. 07 Bradley McCaskill OUT
14. 99 Layne Riggs OUT
15. 57 Justin Johnson OUT
16. 18 Ty Gibbs OUT
17. 44 Mike Chambers OUT
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