 Berry after his runner up finish at Richmond. Image: Twitter, original unknown Short track superstar Josh Berry runs full time in the Xfinity Series for Junior Motorsports and that gave him the unique opportunity to do something not many have done before. Berry got a fill in spot for the biggest race team in NASCAR.
2020 Cup Series Champion Chase Elliott broke his leg in a skiing accident before the Las Vegas race a few weeks back and Josh has been in that seat for all but 1 race ever since. Before Vegas, Berry had only run 2 Cup Series races for Spire Motorsports and finished Top-30 in both events. But since Berry has taken over the #9 NAPA Camaro for Elliott, he has scored a 10th place finish at Phoenix and then backed that up with a vengeance at Richmond. Pit strategy left Berry out late in the race where he led his first 10 laps in the Cup Series only for the caution to fall at just the right time. The #9 team performed perfectly on pit road to get out second and give Berry the opportunity he needed. Berry tried to get even with eventual winner and temporary teammate Kyle Larson but just couldn't do it. Berry still held out for a runner up finish in only his 4th start in the #9 Chevrolet. Berry is the first driver since 2004 and Kasey Kahne to finish second outside of a superspeedway in their first 6 race in the Cup Series. Berry will return to the 9 this weekend at Bristol to run on the dirt. By: Tom Luttermoser
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 By: Tom Luttermoser Image Via: JRM Wednesday marked yet another major sponsor announcement for Josh Berry! LubeZone will cover the #8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet for 2 races in 2023, Michigan and Las Vegas2. "LubeZone, Inc., the fastest growing network of preventative maintenance centers for heavy and medium duty trucks in the United States, will be the primary partner for Josh Berry" per the JRM announcement. Berry has some history with LubeZone, dating back to Josh's late model days and the company also supports Kelly Earhardt-Miller's son in the grassroots level. They will support Wyatt Miller in the Outlaw Kart and Micro Sprint levels, for the third consecutive year. "It's great to be able to work with Mark (Clark) again and to welcome LubeZone to this No. 8 team," said Berry. "Mark and I had much success together in Late Models, and it's really cool to see our paths cross again and that we get to continue this journey into the NASCAR Xfinity Series together. It will make our first race in Michigan that much more special." 
By: Tom Luttermoser
This NASCAR season has been insane no matter the Series. Broken records, dominations, first winners, first in a long timers. This NASCAR season has also been rejuvenation for others, 3 names stick out to me for drivers who have rebuilt themselves or their careers. Ty Majeski in the Truck Series, Josh Berry in the Xfinity Series and Ross Chastain in the Cup Series. All 3 drivers have had spectacular seasons in 2022 all transforming their lives around the race track. I went to the open house for the defending Camping World Truck Series Champion Ben Rhodes last season at the ThorSport shop in Sandusky, OH. Sitting in the machine shop was Ty Majeski, I recognized him but even the friend I went with did not. Very few of the attendees seemed to know who he was back in December of 2021 and he became arguably the Championship favorite. Although it didn't pan out as he came 4th in the standings, it was still a career season for Majeski with 2 wins and 15 Top-10s. It was total redemption. Before racing brought in enough income, JRM's short track star Josh Berry was a bank teller. Berry Made 5 Xfinity Series starts for the boss Dale Jr from 2014-2016 and a small handful of of starts for other teams in the mean time scoring 2 Top-10s with a best finish of 7th. Berry got his shot though in 2021 racing the #8 and #1 Camaros for Jr scoring his massively popular first win at Martinsville and a second at the late Las Vegas race he wasn't even scheduled to run. Then 2022 marked his first full time season in an Xfinity car where he once again impressed with a Final 4 appearance, 3 wins, 11 top-5s and 20 Top-10s showing that he Is here to stay. Prior to 2022 Ross Chastain has run in the NASCAR Cup Series 114 times only finishing 20th or better 7 times. Ross is a racer, he loves the sport and has proven he can push his equipment to get that checkered flag. But it took years before he could finally bust that first watermelon, and he did it in 2019 at Kansas in the Truck Series. Fast forward a few years to 2021, Ross got his first real shot with a Cup team signing on with Chip Ganassi Racing to drive the 42 car and halfway through an 8 Top-10 season and CGR announced a deal to sell to Rookie team TrackHouse Racing. We never expected to see that team explode onto the scene like they did. Ross managed to bring himself and the Sophomore team to their first ever Cup win at Circuit of the Americas in Texas, then again at the spring race at Talladega. Ross's season was a season of consistency, irritating his fellow drivers and what very well could have been a championship had the chips fallen his way at Phoenix. Let's not forget the "Hail Melon" move at Martinsville in a move that (although it didn't need to happen) locked him into the Final 4 for the first time over season rival Denny Hamlin. With 2 wins, and series leading 15 Top-5s and 21 Top-10s Ross Chastain has reignited his career at just the right time! |
