Nashville’s Josh Berry Named Full-Time Driver For JR Motorsports

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Josh Berry

Nashville-native Josh Berry will drive full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports beginning in 2022. The 30-year-old driver will pilot the No. 8 Chevrolet in pursuit of the NXS championship. Berry gave up his seat to up and coming driver Sam Mayer after the Tennessee Lottery 250 at the Nashville Superspeedway.

“This moment is something we’ve been working toward for a long time,” says Dale Earnhardt Jr., JRM team owner. “Josh took full advantage of the opportunity he had this year in the No. 8 car. He went out, raced hard, and earned every bit of this. With all he’s accomplished on a limited schedule, I can’t wait to see what he can do in this series full time.”

Berry made a significant splash on the NXS circuit this season, earning a storybook victory in the No. 8 at Martinsville Speedway this past April. In 16 NXS starts (13 with JRM) in 2021, he’s padded his resume with four top-five and nine top-10 finishes. Most recently, Berry substituted for an injured Michael Annett in the team’s No. 1 entry at New Hampshire Motor Speedway where he wheeled it to an eighth-place finish.

“It’s difficult to put into words what this means,” says Berry, who has made 23 career NXS starts since 2014. “I’m just a local short track racer, so saying this is a dream come true seems like an understatement. I’m so grateful to Dale, Kelley, L.W. [Miller] and everyone at JR Motorsports. They have always believed in me. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I’m ready and focused on 2022.”

Berry is expanding on an 11-year tenure in JRM’s late model program where he lays claim to 89 wins, including the 2019 ValleyStar Credit Union race at Martinsville. Berry took home the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series championship in 2020, a CARS LMSC driver title in 2017, the CARS owner title in 2016 and the track championships at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway and Motor Mile (Radford, Va.) Speedway. He is the only driver in JRM history to have earned multiple championships for the organization.

Steven Boero
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