Josh Berry and Noah Gragson crashed minutes apart in Cup practice at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, sending Berry to a backup car for Sunday.
Neither driver has been reported injured, but two apparent tire failures in one session leave crews wondering how much air pressure they can run before Sunday’s green flag.
The wrecks happened in the final half of the session, which started at 4:30 p.m. ET on truTV, with qualifying set for 5:35 p.m. ET. The South Point 400 is not tonight. It goes green Sunday, Oct. 4, at 5:30 p.m. ET on USA Network, according to NASCAR.com‘s official schedule.
Josh Berry Crash Forces Wood Brothers Racing Into Backup Car
Berry spun through Turns 1 and 2 about 31 minutes into practice, around 2:02 p.m. PDT, then took a hard driver’s-side hit on the outside wall in Turn 2, according to Jonathan Fjeld on X.
Bob Pockrass and Jeff Gluck both described a hard hit. Berry climbed from the car under his own power, according to reporter Jeff Gluck.
The cause was a tire failure. Berry thought it was the left-rear, though he was not certain, and said the car loaded up into Turn 1 before a few vibrations gave way to a tire that was suddenly gone, with no warning that would have sent him to pit road, according to PRN reporter Wendy Venturini.
Damage to the No. 21 Ford looked heavy enough to force a backup car, according to Jordan Bianchi on X, and Berry later confirmed the switch.
“I guess it means we need to put some air in ’em,” Berry said, according to Steven Taranto on X. He was responding to a question about the string of tire issues and whether it changes his approach for Sunday.
Noah Gragson Wall Hit Leaves Front Row Motorsports Waiting
Gragson crashed about 15 minutes after Berry, roughly 46 minutes into practice, in nearly the same area of Turn 2. He backed the No. 4 Ford into the wall, according to Matt Weaver on X.
The second wreck came in the closing minutes of the session, with Turn 2 again the trouble spot.
Reporters pointed to the right-rear tire. Gragson smoked it before the spin and has right-rear damage, according to Jonathan Fjeld on X. Steven Taranto and Jordan Bianchi both saw a right-rear going down.
Whether the tire failed before or after the wall was not yet clear, according to Toby Christie on X.
Wall damage to the No. 4 car was confirmed, according to Bob Pockrass on X. As of 2:19 p.m. PDT, no team or reporter had announced a backup, so Front Row Motorsports has yet to say whether it will repair the primary or unload another car. No injuries have been reported.
Both incidents sit inside a wider run of tire trouble in the session. Several issues were logged before the Gragson hit, and crews now must decide whether they can add enough pressure ahead of the race, according to Toby Christie. A backup car typically means less track time for Berry, and qualifying is still ahead at 5:35 p.m. ET.
What Just Happened in NASCAR Las Vegas Practice? How 2 Wild Crashes Affect Race