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NASCAR Cup Series: Tanner Berryhill to drive for Obaika Racing in 2019

By Asher Fair

WATKINS GLEN, NY - AUGUST 09: Tanner Berryhill, driver of the #17 NationalCashLenders.com Dodge, walks on the grid prior to qualifying for the NASCAR Nationwide Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International on August 9, 2014 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
WATKINS GLEN, NY - AUGUST 09: Tanner Berryhill, driver of the #17 NationalCashLenders.com Dodge, walks on the grid prior to qualifying for the NASCAR Nationwide Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International on August 9, 2014 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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Obaika Racing are set to compete full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series for the first time in the 2019 season, and Tanner Berryhill is set to be their driver.

Tanner Berryhill competed in his first two career NASCAR Cup Series races this past season as the driver of the #97 Obaika Racing Toyota. He drove in the final two races of the season at ISM Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Now the 25-year-old Bixby, Oklahoma native is set to return to Obaika Racing, which only made their Cup Series debut one week before Berryhill’s first career start when David Starr drove the #97 Toyota in the race at Texas Motor Speedway, in the 2019 season, and he is set to do so as the team’s full-time driver of the #97 Toyota.

Here is what Berryhill had to say about the opportunity to drive full-time for Obaika Racing in the 2019 season, according to NBC Sports.

"“I couldn’t be more excited than to get the news that that was all going to come together. We’re going to be full guns ahead towards Daytona.”"

Here is what Obaika Racing team owner Victor Obaika had to say about Berryhill driving full-time for the team next season, according to NBC Sports.

"“Tanner is a very intelligent and motivated young man, and I am very excited to what he can accomplish during his rookie season. The Obaika Racing team is working hard through the winter to put fast cars on track next year, and I have every confidence that Tanner is going to work hard to improve every race and get the most out of our equipment. 2019 is going to be a great year for this team.”"

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Berryhill qualified in 36th place for the race at ISM Raceway, and he finished in 31st after he was involved in a wreck that took place with 29 of the race’s 312 laps remaining. For the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he qualified in 37th before going on to finish in 38th. He finished the 267-lap race a total of 13 laps off the lead lap.

Berryhill’s only season as a full-time driver in any NASCAR series so far is the 2014 season. He competed full-time in the Xfinity Series that season as the driver of the #17 Vision Racing Dodge, and he finished in 22nd place in the championship standings with a top finish of 17th in the race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He missed one of the 33 races on the schedule, and he failed to qualify for three of the other 32.

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How will Tanner Berryhill’s first season as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver for Obaika Racing go? This season, the 2019 season, is scheduled get underway with the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida on Sunday, February 17, 2019. Be sure not to miss this race or any of the other 35 races on next year’s schedule.

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