MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Aug. 16, 2021) — JR Motorsports today named Josh Berry to drive full time in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition beginning in 2022. The 30-year-old Berry will pilot the No. 8 Chevrolet in pursuit of the NXS championship.
NEWS: @joshberry to enter full time @NASCAR_Xfinity Series competition in 2022.
Full story ➡️ https://t.co/KHaYZFz0tk pic.twitter.com/jOEeC2uvcN
— JR Motorsports (@JRMotorsports) August 16, 2021
“This moment is something we’ve been working toward for a long time,” said 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.”
A native of Hendersonville, Tenn., 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. Berry wheeled it to an eighth-place finish.
“It’s difficult to put into words what this means,” said 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.
Additional details regarding partners for Berry and the No. 8 team will be announced in the coming weeks.