Santino Ferrucci was on the receiving end of a double bird from Josh Berry in the March 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Phoenix Raceway. It was Ferrucci’s third career start in Xfinity competition, and he got under the skin of one of the series’ best drivers. Now more than four years later since their […]
Santino Ferrucci was on the receiving end of a double bird from Josh Berry in the March 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Phoenix Raceway. It was Ferrucci’s third career start in Xfinity competition, and he got under the skin of one of the series’ best drivers.
Now more than four years later since their run-in at Phoenix, Ferruci reflected on what went wrong that day. Speaking with Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the “Dale Jr. Download,” Ferrucci admitted fault for forcing Berry into the wall late in the race.
Ah yes, that time Santino got the double birds from Josh Berry.
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) August 7, 2025@DaleJr | @SantinoFerruccipic.twitter.com/WqCAAl95zq
“So, I hadn’t realized what I had done. When I was racing and passing these guys, I didn’t realize if you commit underneath, you got to run the bottom. So, in IndyCar, if you’re passing someone you just take the preferred line. I totally passed him and took the PJ1 on the top on the preferred line and put him out in the marbles. I had no idea what I did. I had no idea that was wrong and not correct etiquette, especially that early in the race.
“When I came around — Chris Lambert was my spotter who spots the 11 [Denny Hamlin] — he said, ‘It looks like he’s going to come give you the one-finger salute,’ and I got the double bird. I was like, ‘Wait, that was for me? What did I do?’ And he just goes ‘Don’t worry about it, he wrecked himself.’ Yeah, I take some blame for that.”
Behind that blur is Josh Berry.
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) March 14, 2021
He is not a Santino Ferrucci fan today.pic.twitter.com/6vSsjiDnwn
Santino Ferrucci, Josh Berry both succeeding in 2025
Ferrucci, 27, has made just six Xfinity starts since that race, his last coming in July 2022 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. Today, he runs full-time in the IndyCar Series piloting the No. 14 Chevrolet for A.J. Foyt Enterprises. Ferrucci currently sits 13th in the championship standings with three races remaining in the season. He is still looking for his first career IndyCar victory.
Berry, meanwhile, is in his second full-time season in the Cup Series. He took the checkered flag earlier this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, clinching him a spot in the playoffs. Berry has struggled since Las Vegas, picking up just one additional top 10.
Category: General Sports
