Alex Bowman’s latest compliment towards Josh Berry has instantly caught media headlines around the country. The reason, well, it sounded more like a warning than a compliment.

It all started when, in the midst of a conversation about Berry’s driving style, Bowman bluntly dropped the line that the Wood Brothers Racing driver “races like an a******”. This line just exploded across the garage, forcing everyone to tune in to this possible new beef.

The incident featured in a now-deleted X post from Prime Video's NASCAR promo ahead of the Coca-Cola 600. But what adds to this spice is the history that the two drivers enjoy.

Berry cannot be said to be an underdog anymore. The Tennessee boy has already won in Las Vegas and is now shaping up to be one of Ford’s more aggressive drivers. In the 2025 season, if we recall, he finished 16th, which was a career best for him.

But quite ironically, Berry’s rise comes from Bowman himself. Way back in 2023, it was Berry who had replaced Bowman at Hendrick Motorsports when Bowman left due to an injury. Now, both drivers are akin competitors, often struggling for the same position on the field.

Bowman’s wording, even though sarcastic, seemed to directly criticize Berry. But even then, the appreciation for how Berry has evolved to control the vehicle inside the traffic could not stay hidden. NASCAR fans instantly recognized this hidden intent, and that in itself became a reason for this quote to become viral.

However, it would be wise for us to note that this frustration from Bowman may actually be a reflection of a much larger issue that is slowly building up across the NASCAR garage.

Why veterans think NASCAR’s new generation rewards chaos

The way that modern NASCAR racing works is turning out to be very frustrating for the veteran drivers. The reason initially stems from how this new Next Gen car heavily rewards clean air and track position.

Let’s say a driver were to fall back into dirty air, then in this machine, it becomes nearly impossible for him to pass.

This, in turn, has led to hyper-aggressive restarts where drivers throw late blocks, divebomb corner entries, and risky three-wide moves just to avoid losing spots.

Even if we were to look at the 2026 season, such restarts have caused severe chaos and builds whether at Chicago, Martinsville, or even Texas.

Since the modern car rewards more aggression and the newer generation is finding it easier to adapt to this style, the disagreement among veteran Cup drivers is now growing.

Even Kyle Larson recently admitted after Las Vegas that “clean air must’ve meant a lot.”

Such growing tension in the garage adds a whole new angle to this Alex Bowman jab on Josh Berry, and it is for that exact reason that resonates with these new-age fans a lot as well.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Uday Jakhar

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason