Josh Berry says hello to a likely second consecutive NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoffs berth. (Photo: Mike Moore | The Podium Finish)
BROOKLYN, Mich. – While the mercury is still rising across the country, JR Motorsports’ Josh Berry continues to bring his A game in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.
Despite the big goose egg in the “W” column, the 32-year-old Hendersonville, Tennessee native has been showcasing great speed and power from his No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet entry. Although the results have been a mixed bag in the past four races, the mild mannered racer is on the precipice of scoring his first win of the 2023 season.
Prior to Friday’s hauler unloading, Berry had a good feeling about his chances with Saturday’s Cabo Wabo 250 at Michigan International Speedway. In a word, the savvy racer may have felt a hunch.
“There’s something about the 2-mile tracks for me,” Berry said in a team press release. “We seem to run really well on those, and this No. 8 team is hitting its stride. After a good run at Road America, I feel like the momentum is trending toward the positive.
“I look forward to getting on track at Michigan. I know Taylor (Moyer, crew chief) and this team is working hard to give us a LubeZone Chevrolet capable of going to Victory Lane.”
Thus far, it seems a shot at Victory Lane is looking as wondrous as the lakes adjacent to the Lenawee County superspeedway. After posting the eighth fastest time in practice, the Volunteer State native tallied his second pole of the year and third overall of his career.
Berry’s confidence seems to be genuine and backed up by his quick pace and stellar track record. In Berry’s past two starts, he placed fourth in 2021 and sixth last year.
Like the OEM bigwigs attending this weekend’s Michigan race weekend, Berry has licked his chops about racing at this storied venue.
There is no doubt that Berry dropped the hammer on Friday afternoon at Michigan. (Photo: Wayne Riegle | The Podium Finish)
“I feel like this has been a pretty good track for me,” Berry said. “We had a really, really good run a couple of years ago subbing for Michael Annett that we were in contention to win there in the end. This is a place that I’ve had circled for a while that I feel is a great opportunity every time we come here.”
Additionally, Berry tipped his cap to the diligent women and men who have stepped up to the plate with his No. 1 team’s efforts and equipment in recent weeks.
“JR Motorsports has done a lot of great work on the racecars and getting them faster,” he said. “Hendrick Motorsports has brought some great power under the hood. We were able to continue to put everything together. Hopefully, we can check one off (on Saturday).”
Prior to last Saturday’s Henry 180 at Road America, JR Motorsports’ winless spell was often discussed. Had the team and its drivers lacked a bit of excitement in their steps compared to last year’s torrid winning ways?
As Berry observes, in the words of a 2010 OneRepublic song, with the way things have been lately, this has got to be the good life.
Without a doubt, Berry is confident about his chances to win the Cabo Wabo 250. (Photo: Wayne Riegle | The Podium Finish)
“Things come in waves, I feel like, in racing,” he said. “We’re kind of on the cusps of a lot of positive momentum for us as a company. All of our cars have been really strong. Sam finally getting the first win was really cool.
“For us, I feel like we’ve made gains. That’s really important this time of the year. Ultimately, you really only have to be good for a few weeks to have a chance to win the championship.”
Rather than panicking and acquiescing with the critics, Berry and his JR Motorsports stablemates stayed true to their convictions. Perhaps this steely eyed focus and determination may pay off with a win once all is said and done in Saturday’s 125-lap race.
“We feel confident about what we’re doing,” Berry said. “We brought a great racecar a couple weeks ago to Pocono. We didn’t get the win. But we all sat down after that one and said, ‘We’re not changing anything. We aren’t going to race any different or do anything different. We’re just going to keep pushing and racing hard.’
“That’s what we’re going to do. If these guys keep bringing cars this fast, then we’re going to be in good shape.”
