Nashville Natives Josh Berry, Jade Buford Gear Up For Hometown Race

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Jade Buford and Josh Berry. Photos: Courtesy of Big Machine Racing and Jr. Motorsports

For the first time in 11 years, Nashville natives will get a chance to race in front of friends and family at a hometown race this weekend as NASCAR races a triple-header. Two local drivers who are looking forward to the Nashville Superspeedway race are Brentwood’s Jade Buford and Hendersonville’s Josh Berry who will both will driving in the Xfinity Series race on Saturday night.

The two drivers have different stories and paths that brought them to the track with Buford spending almost all of his racing career in sports cars, specifically Porsches in the Porsche Club of America Racing.

“From 2009 to2020 I raced all sports cars. It’s what I knew,” says Buford. “I always wanted to race NASCAR, but I didn’t know how to get there until last year when I got the opportunity to run the road courses in the Xfinity series.”

This is his first full season in an Xfinity car and he’s driving for the team Big Machine Racing team, owned by Big Machine Record Group founder Scott Borchetta. Borchetta is an avid racing fan and races himself currently in the Trans Am Class 2 Series. The two met while at the Circuit of the America’s in Texas and hit it off.

“Scott and I met at COTA a couple of year ago. I had the opportunity to work with him, show him around the track, and help him develop his skills as a sports car driver,” says Buford. 

However, Berry’s story is a little different. He started racing all over middle Tennessee in go-carts at 8-years-old and slowly moved up the ranks as a driver. “My dad raced go carts a little here and there. We watched the races on a TV and it was something I wanted to do, but it took us a little while to put it together,” says Berry.

It wasn’t until in 2008 when Berry met NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. at an iRacing event at the Nashville Fairground Speedway, that it was made sense. There was an instant connection between the two, and in 2010 Berry moved to North Carolina to work for Jr. Motorsports.

“At that point in my life, I was 18 or 19 years old and didn’t have a set future by any means when it came to racing,” says Berry. “It started very small. I got a couple of opportunities and shortly after that I moved to N.C. and began working for Jr. Motorsports. Now, the rest is history.”

Both drivers have been looking forward to this weekend’s Tennessee Lottery 250 on Saturday, June 19, because they both have something to prove. For Berry, this is his last race in the Xfinity Series No. 8 car for Jr. Motorsports. This season, he won the race at Martinsville while also picking up a handful of top ten and top five finishes.

“Its bitter-sweet feeling for me this week,” shares Berry. “I’m excited to compete in Nashville and get an opportunity to bring my wife, daughter, and family there. At the same time, this is the last opportunity in the No. 8 car this year so it’s a bitter-sweet moment.”

Buford, on the other hand, is confident that the Big Machine racing team will start inching closer to a top 10 finish as the team keeps building. He has eight top 20 finishes, two top 15’s, and has finished in the top 17 in each of the last four races.

“I know we’ll eventually get there, but we’re going through some new team stuff. I think what we have done this year is actually incredible. We are four months old and we are consistently in the top 20,” says Buford. “When we go to the road courses, I think we’ll be a top 10 at minimum, but we should be racing for top five’s since that is my background.”

NASCAR hasn’t raced at the Nashville Superspeedway in 11 years, so many of this weekend’s drivers have never raced there before or haven’t done so in quite a long time. Buford hopes this gives him an advantage as he is still getting used to his Chevy Camaro stock car. “Nashville is a place that many of the drivers I’m competing against have never been to. It’s going to be a more level-playing field,” Buford says. “Many can’t rely on years of experience.”

Berry also thinks it will be a level playing field, but he says big tracks are his achilles heel. However, he knows that the lack of experience most of the Xfinity drivers have on this track will bring him some level of an advantage. Berry is excited to see the stands packed with local racing fans and to see motorsports return to a city that has changed so much since growing up in Hendersonville.

“Nashville is growing a lot and it’s amazing seeing motorsports becoming a part of that,” says Berry. “You want to continue to see that get fans get excited about racing. Hopefully some of the fans that come out for the triple-header this weekend can make their way to the fairgrounds for some short track racing too.”

Buford still lives in Nashville so he is witness to the ongoing changes and growth everyday. He moved with his family in 1997 from Houston at the same time the Titans–then the Houston Oilers–made the same move to Tennessee.

“Nashville is growing at an uncontrollable rate, but it’s growing for the better,” says Buford. “It’s amazing to see how this town evolved, especially with the Nashville Predators. We have the new soccer stadium going in right by the fairgrounds, and I think every sport we have here has been positive at bringing more to Nashville.”

The drivers will have a full weekend of practices and qualifying. Buford still has a lot to prove as a first year NASCAR driver with a new team, but sees success in the near future especially when he heads to road courses like Watkin’s Glen.  Meanwhile, Berry will also race in the Camping World Truck Series race on Friday, June 18 for local team Rackley W.A.R racing team. With the opportunity he received from Jr. Motorsports this season, he hopes to keep building off of it for next year.

“This was a great opportunity for to get 12 races at the beginning of the season and hopefully to prove myself that I can do it. I think we accomplished that,” says Berry. “All in all, its been positive and exciting for Jr. Motorsports as a whole and hopefully down the road we can continue.”

Race Guide: What To Know Before Sunday’s Ally 400 At Nashville Superspeedway

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After months of anticipation, promotion, and additional sponsorships, the Ally 400 at the Nashville Superspeedway will finally be here this Sunday, June 20.

Many of this weekend’s drivers have never raced at the Lebanon track, and those who have, haven’t done so since 2010. On top of that, Nashville Superspeedway is one of only four tracks that are concrete instead of asphalt. The other concrete tracks are Dover, Bristol, and Martinsville, and so far this season those three races have been some of the most exciting ones fans have been able to see.

So what should fans expect from a race where most of the drivers have never practiced on the track?

102.5 The Game’s Chase McCabe thinks fans should look out for Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman, and former Nashville Superspeedway winner Kyle Busch.

“I expect to see Kyle Larson up front with the run he’s having,” says McCabe. “You can’t rule Hendrick Motorsports out.”

McCabe, a Nashville native and lifelong NASCAR fan, co-hosts 102.5 the Game’s midday show with Darren McFarland and Bally Sports’ Willy Daunic. He also hosts a NASCAR podcast called Chasing Checkers which has recently featured many superstar drivers leading up to this weekend’s race. McCabe has seen the city’s sports industry grow so much over the past two decades, which includes seeing NASCAR come to the Superspeedway, leave Nashville altogether, then ultimately come back for this highly anticipated reunion.

“I’ve been a fan since I was a kid, so to see it come back in full form in the cup series is really awesome,” says McCabe. “I grew up going to races, whether it was at the fairgrounds or at the Superspeedway when it opened in 2001.”

McCabe sees Larson as the driver to watch this weekend as he’s shown some impressive driving so far this season. Larson has already notched four wins this year, winning three of the last four races. However, even with some steam behind him, the Nashville track won’t be a cake walk. Larson will have to fight off his Hendrick Motorsports teammates, like 2020 champion Chase Elliot and 2021 Dover winner Alex Bowman.

Martin Truex Jr. has experience at the track along with Joey Logano and Kyle Busch, which could give the trio a small advantage. Busch has raced in 10 Xfinity races at the Nashville Superspeedway with one win and two truck series races, winning both.

“I’m thinking [Busch] is a beast that is ready to wake up and really start to win some things,” comments McCabe. 

Since NASCAR’s departure from Nashville in 2011, McCabe says the city has been hungry for motorsports and is not surprised over the Ally 400 impressive sellout. During NASCAR’s former residency at the Superspeedway, the track only hosted the truck series and the Xfinity Series (then Busch Series), meaning that the city hasn’t seen Cup Series racing since 1984.

“I have seen a thirst and hunger for it. If you look at the roots of NASCAR, Nashville is a part of it,” says McCabe. “People around here missed it and they were disappointed that the fairgrounds got into the shape it was in–run down and not taken care of–and lost the Cup Series races.”

NASCAR won’t be the only motorsports shown in town this summer with the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix IndyCar race in Nashville in August and the new Superstar Racing Experience in July featuring legendary drivers like Tony Stewart, Michael Waltrip, and four-time Indy 500 winner Hélio Castroneves at the Fairgrounds Racetrack. With racing starting to make its move back to Nashville, McCabe credits the work and success that the Titans and Predators have had to NASCAR’s prodigal return.

“I think as people looked at how the city was growing with the success of the Titans, the Predators bringing other events, and the Music City Center growing, it started to make more sense to have NASCAR come back here,” McCabe says. “They wanted to be here.”

The weekend is set for three full days of events and racing, including practices and qualifiers for each of the three races. As mentioned before, many of these drivers have either never raced at the Nashville Superspeedway or haven’t done so in quite a while. In that sense, it nearly evens the playing field and will make for an entertaining race weekend. The race in Nashville will mark the first of the final 10 races of the regular season, so fans can expect to see things start to heat up among drivers and teams fighting for a playoff spot.

“I think you could expect a little bit of the unexpected,” says McCabe. “You see the evolution of the race cars, I think its going to be different. I expect it to be fast and exciting. With the package they’re going to run, I hope to see side by side racing.”

Tim Dugger Added To Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Saturday Night Lineup

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Tim Dugger. Photo: Courtesy of Curb Records

Country singer and racing fan Tim Dugger has been added to the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix lineup for Saturday, August 7, the night before the inaugural IndyCar race.

“It’s going to be the party of the summer and you ain’t gonna want to miss it,” says Dugger via Instagram. The “Signs of a Good Time” singer is set to bring his country rock-fueled sound to the main stage at 5 p.m. on Saturday night.

 

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“This event is something that I am excited to be a part of as an owner,” says Dale Earnhardt Jr. “So to add a friend like Tim Dugger can only make it better. Tim is a great entertainer and will add to the party. I’m really looking forward to watching him play in his hometown of Nashville this August.”

Dugger joins previously announced artists for the weekend including Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Tyler Farr, Vince Neil, Danielle Bradbery, Justin Moore, Callista Clark, Riley Green, and Jamey Johnson. More exciting announcements about additions to the lineup will be rolling out over the coming weeks.

The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix will be a three-day international festival running Aug. 6-8. It will be staged on a temporary 2.17-mile grand prix circuit in Nashville and around the Nissan Stadium campus. The course will cross the Cumberland River via the Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge, making the Music City Grand Prix the only current event in motorsports to cross over a major body of water. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing Partner For Nashville Race

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Daniel Suarez’s No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevy Camaro in the Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge design for the June 20 Ally 400.

Legendary honky tonk Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge will be sponsoring Daniel Suarez‘s No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro for Sunday’s Ally 400 Nascar Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway.

Trackhouse Entertainment Group founder Justin Marks chose Nashville as the headquarters for his burgeoning sports and entertainment enterprise to marry the cultures of music and motorsports. Marks called it an honor to represent a country music institution that is world famous for launching hundreds of musician’s careers.

“Nothing is more quintessential Nashville than Tootsie’s,” he shares. “When I saw Nashville on the Cup Series schedule last year, my first thought was to find a way to represent this amazing city in a big way. It is very important to me that Trackhouse become a recognized part of the Nashville community, as a professional sports team, as good citizens, and as vocal ambassadors for the region.”

Tootsie’s has operated across the alley from the Ryman Auditorium almost continuously since 1960. Its proprietor from 1960 to 1978, Hattie Louise “Tootsie” Bess, bought the lounge called “Mom’s” and named it for herself. It is now owned by Steve Smith who was very excited for this partnership with Marks.

“We love a big party and having Nascar in Nashville is worth celebrating,” says Smith. “Country music fans and racing fans are one and the same. We are very excited to host these passionate fans and be a part of such a historic event.”

Suarez’s No. 99 car will be painted in the iconic pink and orchid purple with the flower on both the side of the car as well as the hood. Suárez, a native of Monterrey, Mexico, won the Xfinity Series title in 2016, becoming the only foreign-born national series champion in Nascar history. With the first-year Trackhouse team, Suárez has posted two top-10’s and led 74 laps overall in 2021.

“I know much more about country music in Mexico than I do about country music in the United States, but my crew chief, Travis Mack and I are going to Nashville early in the week to experience Tootsie’s for ourselves,” says Suárez whose driver uniform will incorporate Tootsie’s logos.“Tootsie’s has meant so much to so many young artists and I am so very thankful Tootsie’s is supporting our young team, as well.”

The sold-out Ally 400 is set for Sunday, June 20) at 2:30 p.m. CST and will air on NBCSN. This will be the first Nascar cup series race to take place in Nashville in 37 years.

BlueJeans Named Official Video Conferencing Partner Of Nashville Superspeedway

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BlueJeans by Verizon, a leading provider of video meetings, events, and telehealth solutions, has been named the Official Video Conferencing partner of Nashville Superspeedway.

“As we all have seen in the last year and a half, video conferencing is here to stay and it’s critical to have a reliable product to use at a moment’s notice,” says Erik Moses, Nashville Superspeedway’s president. “We’re excited to add BlueJeans to our team of partners and look forward to utilizing their services before, during and after our June 18-20 race weekend.”

The BlueJeans video conferencing and events platform empowers organizations of all sizes to transform their virtual communication strategies to deliver real business value for everything from smaller meetings and gatherings to large-scale events, webinars, and more to support today’s hybrid work environment.

“Whether to bring fans into the heart of the action virtually or to help diagnose and troubleshoot a mechanical error at a moment’s notice, we’re proud that we can provide a video communication platform that supports multiple use cases for this iconic track and are excited to be a part of this weekend’s race activities,” says Eric Spadafora, VP and general manager, BlueJeans by Verizon. “As the official video conferencing partner of the Nashville Superspeedway, we look forward to working with this team of automotive experts to showcase the many immersive visual experiences that can be unleashed by combining BlueJeans with Verizon’s network innovations.”

The announcement comes as Nashville Superspeedway prepares to host America’s best drivers across three races over Father’s Day Weekend, June 18-20, including the inaugural, sold-out Ally 400 Nascar Cup Series race on Sunday, June 20.

Richard Petty Motorsports Join The Lonely Entrepreneur To Promote Black Entrepreneurs

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Richard Petty Motorsports and The Lonely Entrepreneur (TLE), a New York-based non-profit that empowers individuals with entrepreneurial skills and support, are honoring Juneteenth by providing Black entrepreneurs free access to the knowledge, tools, and ongoing support they need to succeed through its Black Entrepreneur Initiative.

Petty Motorsports driver Erik Jones will take part in a Meet & Greet on Juneteenth (June 19) at Town Square Social Restaurant and Bar in Lebanon with 2020 Candidate for TN State House of Representatives and Talk Show Host Diane Canada. CEO Michael Dermer of the Lonely Entrepreneur, Senator Mark Pody, and other distinguished guests will also be at the event to help promote Black entrepreneurs and businesses.

“Talent is everywhere in the Black community,” says Dermer. “We will unlock that talent by providing Black entrepreneurs the tools they need to succeed as entrepreneurs. We want to thank Richard Petty Motorsports for its vision in bringing these tools to Black men and women to unlock those talents.”

Through this partnership, TLE will make its entrepreneurial platform available to Black entrepreneurs from the Nashville-based organization. This offer is part of the goal of the Black Entrepreneur Initiative to empower 100,000 current and aspiring Black entrepreneurs across the country. Black entrepreneurs can register online on The Lonely Entrepreneurs website.

“We are proud to partner with The Lonely Entrepreneur and their Black Entrepreneur Initiative as we collectively celebrate Juneteenth,” says Brian Moffitt, CEO for Richard Petty Motorsports. “Entrepreneurism can be a lonely path, so the resources and support structure provided by the Black Entrepreneur Initiative will provide the tools to assist Nashville Black entrepreneurs in their quest to be successful business leaders. To provide these business tools at no expense is a tremendous opportunity to the entrepreneur. We are humbled to play our part in strengthening the Black business community in Nashville.”

TLE and the Black Entrepreneur Initiative will be the primary partner of the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro, piloted by Jones in the NASCAR Cup Series at the Nashville Superspeedway on June 20. The Ally 400 at the Nashville Superspeedway will be broadcast live on NBCSN on Sunday, June 20 at 2:30 p.m. CST.

Luke Combs, Priscilla Block, CeCe Winans Added To Nascar Weekend In Nashville

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Nascar’s triple-header weekend at the Nashville Superspeedway has added Platinum-selling country artist Luke Combs, Gospel legend CeCe Winans, and up and coming singer Priscilla Block to an already star-packed lineup.

Winans, a twelve-time Grammy winning singer who has sold over 5 million records, will be offering the invocation at Sunday’s (June 20) sold-out Ally 400 race representing Life Church Nashville. Meanwhile, Combs will get to say the most famous words in motorsports as the grand marshal for the Ally 400. Block, a 25-year-old Universal Music Group Nashville recording artist, will sing the national anthem for Sunday’s race.

As previously announced, Grand Ole Opry member Chris Janson will be performing the pre-race concert on Sunday, and will be joined by country music legend John Anderson. Country singer and Tennessee native Brandon Lay will perform the national anthem prior to Saturday’s (June 19) Tennessee Lottery 250 Xfinity Series races. Local singer and winner of the fan voted “NASHCAR Superstar” Sweepstakes, Brenna Bone will also perform the national anthem before the Rackley Roofing 200 Nascar Camping World Truck Series race on Friday night (June 18).

The race weekend will also feature local sports figures on top of the country music talent. Nine-year NFL veteran and former member of the Tennessee Titans from 2013-14, Brendan Pollard, will wave the green flag as the Honorary Starter for the Ally 400 on Sunday. Shea Ralph, a seven-time national champion and current Vanderbilt University head women’s basketball coach, will serve as the Honorary Starter for the Tennessee Lottery 250 on Saturday.

Make-A-Wish Middle TN, Nashville Superspeedway Grant Young Racing Fans’ Wish

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Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee, the Nashville Superspeedway, and Rackley Roofing Company are giving Braeson and Tyree, two young race car fans, a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the speedway on Wednesday, June 16.

Braeson and Tyree are both four-years-old who are also avid racing fans. Their dreams will come true at the Nashville Superspeedway as they get custom racing suits, get to meet drivers Josh Berry and Kyle Neveau, and will drive around the pace-car with track president Erik Moses.

“We are honored to help these kids make their wish come true,” says Curtis Sutton, CEO of Rackley Roofing & Rackley W.A.R. “This was a perfect opportunity with our new partnership with Nashville Superspeedway and our newly formed race team. We are excited to spend some time with Braseon and Tyree.”

Both Braeson and Tyree are fighting different forms of cancer and, when asked what they wanted their wish to be, both wished to be race car drivers. Both of their families will also receive tickets to the Tennesee Lottery 250 Xfinity Series race which will take place on Saturday, June 19.

“We are thrilled to see two wish kids come up with such a creative wish that gives us the opportunity to work with these great organizations in our community,” says Beth Torres, President & CEO of Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee. “We are so grateful to Nashville Superspeedway and Rackley Roofing for helping make Braeson and Tyree’s wishes come true.”

This dream come true for Braeson and Tyree comes at the heels of Nascar weekend in Nashville including the first Cup Series races in 37 years. The two young racing fans will be in the thick of the racing activities prior to the historic racing weekend.

“We are thrilled that our inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race weekend provides us with the opportunity to help grant these wishes for two very special little boys,” says Erik Moses, Nashville Superspeedway’s president. “The incredible work Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee does in creating hope through providing memorable experiences is as important for the families as it is for the children. We look forward to hosting Braeson and Tyree at the track during our Nascar triple-header weekend.”