Denny Hamlin 'confused' by controversial NASCAR decision regarding Josh Berry at Kansas

Josh Berry and his No. 4 team had a short, yet eventful day during the Round of 12 opener at Kansas on Sunday.

NASCAR parked Josh Berry for the remainder of the race after he was involved in the Lap 1 accident. Berry, who had multiple flat tires after the multi-car wreck, was unable to drive his car back to pit road. In accordance with the rulebook, NASCAR deemed his race over since his car sustained further damage from the accident. That confused the entirety of the No. 4 team, as well as Denny Hamlin, who said on Monday’s “Actions Detrimental” podcast “there’s no reason why” Berry shouldn’t have been able to continue.

“I was confused. I asked you guys, I said, ‘Well, why didn’t they just tow them to the pit box?'” Hamlin said. “Because that’s what NASCAR said they would do if you just had flat tires. But apparently, they deemed him to have damage… So, because he had contact with another car, they said he had damage. And so therefore they’re not towing it back to the pit box.”

The sanctioning body further reiterated the rule to Jeff Gluck of The Athletic.

“NASCAR reiterates the rule is if a car is involved in a wreck and has flat tires and can’t drive it back, they’re out,” Gluck wrote on X. “Can only get towed back for new tires if it’s a spin without contact.”

Rodney Childers furious with NASCAR over Josh Berry getting parked

Hamlin predicted a rule change as a result of the confusion over the Berry incident.

“I predict they’ll change that rule,” Hamlin said. “They’ll be enough uproar, and they’ll respond to social media stuff, and they’ll allow that. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t have been able to continue. So, where in the loophole of rulebooks can you come up with a way to change this to make it to where he’s able to put four tires on it?”

Berry’s crew chief, Rodney Childers, was heated at NASCAR for ending their race early, and let out his frustrations in a heated post on X.

“I’ve seen a lot of things over my 25 years in the Cup Series, but that’s the most screwed up thing I’ve ever seen or been involved with. All we needed was tires with air in them,” Childers wrote. “And how many times have we drug cars to the pit stall to put tires on them. Why today?!?”

Unfortunately for Berry, he didn’t get the chance to go racing much at Kansas. In his first full-time season in the Cup Series, Berry sits 26th in the points standings. He has finished 22nd or worse in now seven consecutive races.