NASCAR like any other major sport has its share of superstitions. The most famous one has to be the peanuts and their complete ban on the racetrack as they were considered bad luck. Then there is no shaving on race day, all of these beliefs stem from that doing things in a manner would lead to good or bad outcomes. Believe it or not, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is also big on superstition and he certainly put his tricks to use to ensure Josh Berry won the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Now, Berry and Dale Jr. share a deep connection. Before he started racing competitively, Berry stayed with Jr.’s mom and his family before he could find an apartment. Having signed on for the Late Model program and then moving into the Xfinity Series, Dale Jr. always wanted the best for his driver. “I felt like I had watched my own son or brother win a race,” said Jr. after watching Berry win his first Xfinity Series race at Martinsville, back in 2017.
These were the kinds of emotions the veteran driver was battling after the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing car ran the final few laps in Vegas. Having nurtured him through his early racing career in the late models to now watching him trade blows against the best racers on Sunday, the moment was overwhelming for Jr., so much so that he had to resort to his superstition tricks in the hope of helping Berry cross the finish line.
A Victory Too Big to Watch
Piloting the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing, Berry outdueled a field of seasoned drivers to claim a career-defining moment. Meanwhile, Earnhardt, a two-time Daytona 500 champion and co-owner of JR Motorsports, watched from home, his emotions swinging wildly. Now a broadcaster and team owner, his influence stretches beyond his racing days, and this victory, by a driver he’d championed since 2010, felt as much his as it did Berry’s.
The final laps became a duel with Daniel Suárez in the No. 99 Chevrolet. With five laps left, Berry trailed by 0.8 seconds, but a perfect restart on Lap 263 propelled him forward. He overtook Suárez on the outside in Turn 3, holding the lead through the white flag and finishing 1.3 seconds ahead on Lap 267. However, Jr. wasn’t around to watch and was rather relying on superstition to see his friends emerge victorious.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. couldn’t handle the suspense. As Berry surged, the tension notched up for the JRM owner. “I was sitting there in my house. I text Amy. You were five laps to go, and Amy texted me something about the kids, and I just text her back, ‘Josh.’ And she was like, ‘Josh what? Josh what?’ And I’m like, ‘He’s about to.’ And she goes, ‘Is he about to win?’ I said, ‘White flag.’ I was like, I couldn’t even talk, right? I couldn’t even think. I got up and went and took the trash out with five laps to go. I couldn’t watch.” Jr. revealed on his podcast Dale Jr. Download.
His nerves only settled after he was on Facetime with Berry from the victory lane, “I’m thankful for the Facetime call that meant so much, for all the people you wanted to connect in that moment, you reached out to me.”
“Dude, I was talking to Tony Gibson, and when Alan Kulwicki won the ’92 [Hooters 500] championship, he was like, he was a gas man. He’s like, I didn’t watch the last two laps. I just huddled down against the pit wall,” he recalled. The 1992 Hooters 500 was a nail-biter, with Kulwicki needing to outlast Bill Elliott to clinch the title by a mere 10 points, one of the closest championship finishes in NASCAR history.
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – APRIL 11: Josh Berry, driver of the #8 Chevrolet Accessories Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Cook Out 250 at Martinsville Speedway on April 11, 2021 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Gibson’s retreat mirrored Dale’s own escape to household chores, a shared thread of nerves among those tethered to racing’s high stakes. “Man, when you get in those moments, like if you’re not doing it, if you’re not out in the car, you’ll experience that probably someday where you’re like, ‘I can’t even watch.’ And I bet there’s a lot of people just like me that are in your world that were the same way, that are just so over the moon for this to happen.” As Suárez pushed Berry through Turns 1 and 2 on the final lap, Dale’s absence from the screen echoed the anxiety of those who’d followed Berry’s rise, crew, family, and fans alike.
His pride spilt out: “And I’m sorry I don’t want to make it about me, but ‘man, I was so proud of you. I was so happy for you.’” The win secured Berry’s spot in the 2025 playoffs, but for Dale, the FaceTime call from victory lane was the real prize, a nod from Berry that hit him deep.
A Bond Forged in Racing’s Heart
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Josh Berry’s story kicked off in 2010 when Berry, a scrappy short-track racer from Hendersonville, Tennessee, joined JR Motorsports’ late model program. Dale, a NASCAR legend with a knack for spotting talent, first saw Berry’s potential on the iRacing simulator before watching him shine on real asphalt. Berry’s early years were a grind; he lived with Dale’s family in North Carolina, doubled as a mechanic to make ends meet, and raced part-time while hunting for sponsors.
Dale opened the door wider in 2014, handing Berry his Xfinity Series debut at Iowa Speedway with JR Motorsports. That faith bore fruit in 2021 when Berry clinched his first Xfinity win at Martinsville Speedway, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet. “I’m proud of Josh,” Dale told that day, his voice heavy with emotion, a preview of the pride he’d feel years later in Las Vegas.
Berry’s road to the Cup Series had its twists. After honing his craft with JR Motorsports, he moved to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2023, only to see the team fold at the end of 2024. Through every detour, Dale stayed in his corner, offering advice, lining up opportunities, and cheering from the sidelines, efforts that helped land Berry with Wood Brothers Racing for 2025. After Berry’s Pennzoil 400 victory on March 16, 2025, he reflected on their connection, telling Kevin Harvick in a post-race interview, “He’s just become a great friend. He’s not against just calling me up and asking me how I’m doing.” That win in Las Vegas wasn’t just Berry’s win; it was a shared milestone, a testament to a relationship that had weathered years of ups and downs. From short-track struggles to Cup Series glory.
Their partnership runs deep, blending mentorship with mutual respect. For Dale, Berry’s Las Vegas success was like watching a long bet pay off, echoing the thrill Bill France Jr. felt when NASCAR’s grassroots talents broke through. He’d invested over a decade in Berry, from virtual races to pushing his name in NASCAR’s inner circles and seeing him outduel Daniel Suárez for that Cup win validated every step.
For Berry, it was proof that hard work, paired with a mentor’s steady hand, could lift him from Tennessee’s dusty tracks to the sport’s biggest stage. The victory, locking Berry into the 2025 playoffs, wasn’t just a personal peak; it was a moment that carried the weight of their journey together. A testament to a bond forged in racing’s heart.
The post “I Couldn’t Even Talk”- Dale Earnhardt Jr. Comes Clean on Raw Emotions Amid Former JRM Star’s Unusual Gesture appeared first on EssentiallySports.
