NASCAR Cup Series 2019 rookie preview: Tanner Berryhill

The 2019 season will be the rookie season for four NASCAR Cup Series drivers, one of whom is Obaika Racing rookie Tanner Berryhill.

Oh, how it feels to be a rookie! Most of us will never experience yellow stripes on the bumper of a 3,400-pound stock car, but we’ve all been a rookie at something.

Whether it’s day one at a new job or your first day at school, being a rookie is something we all have in common.

In 2019, four new drivers will get to compete for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award in the NASCAR Cup Series! These four competitors are Tanner Berryhill, Ryan Preece, Matt Tifft and Daniel Hemric.

Today I will begin a new four-part mini-series titled “NASCAR Cup Series 2019 rookie preview”. In this series, I will take a look at how all four of these rookies made it to the Cup Series and what my expectations are for them in the 2019 season!

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I will only discuss the four drivers who have been confirmed as full-time drivers for the upcoming season. Now there’s nothing to it, but to do it! First driver up, Tanner Berryhill.

Tanner Berryhill was born in 1993 in Bixby, Oklahoma. Much of his beginnings in racing are unknown, but legends cars and midgets make up the majority of his experience prior to stock car racing.

Berryhill made his lone career start in the ARCA Racing Series in 2010 before jumping to the NASCAR K&N Pro East Series in 2011. He made seven starts in his father Adrian’s car during the 2011 season, resulting in an average finish of 25.0. After his short spurt in NASCAR’s touring division, he made his Xfinity Series debut in 2012, once again driving for his father.

Berryhill recorded an average finish of 31.2, with his best result being a 26th place finish which came in the race at Chicagoland Speedway. After making six more starts in the series in the 2013 season, he competed full-time for the first time in his NASCAR career in the 2014 season.

Berryhill competed in 29 of the 33 races on the 2014 Xfinity Series schedule, and he recorded an average finish of 31.4. After finishing 22nd place in the championship standings, he did not land a full-time ride for the 2015 season.

Though he was out of a ride, Berryhill competed in the 2015 Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway during All-Star weekend for Premium Motorsports. He started the race in 29th place and finished in 22nd.

After his start in the Sprint Showdown, Berryhill wasn’t heard of in NASCAR until late 2018 when Obaika Racing tapped him to competed in the Xfinity Series race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway roval. He didn’t qualify for this race, but he made his first two career Cup Series starts before the 2018 season ended. He finished in 31st place in the race at ISM Raceway and 38th in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

It was announced in early December that Berryhill would drive the #97 Toyota on a full-time basis for Obaika Racing in the 2019 season.

Heading in to the 2019 season, there was much criticism and doubt about the youngster’s resume. It became apparent that Berryhill’s job status was fueled more by money and sponsorship than his driving background.

Looking into the future, my expectations are rather low for Obaika Racing’s and Berryhill’s first season in the Cup Series. My predictions are that Berryhill will finish in the mid-30s each week and finish outside of the top 30 in the championship standings.

Personally, I was very shocked to see Berryhill get the nod so quickly, but Obaika Racing are also trying to get their feet wet in the Cup Series garage. I can never blame a team for making a jump to the Cup Series and giving a young guy an opportunity, but this one definitely created some head scratching.

Nonetheless, Berryhill is officially a full-time Cup Series driver and is set to compete for this year’s Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award!

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Thanks for reading, folks! I hope you learned a little more about one of the four NASCAR Cup Series rookies! Tune in over the next few weeks to learn about the other three drivers slapping on yellow stripes for the 2019 season!

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