NASCAR Xfinity Series: Meet the 2021 rookie class
By Mark Kristl
2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series rookies: Josh Berry
At 30 years old, Josh Berry has finally earned an opportunity to race in the Xfinity Series. He will split the driving duties of the #8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet with team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., Miguel Paludo and Sam Mayer.
Berry won the 2017 CARS Late Model Stock Tour championship, and he has driven late models for Earnhardt for several years. He has made seven Xfinity Series starts and one Truck Series start.
In Berry’s seven Xfinity Series starts, he has two top 10 finishes, including a career-high seventh place finish with JR Motorsports in 2015 at Richmond Raceway. In that race, he bested current Cup Series drivers Austin Dillon, Chris Buescher, Daniel Suarez, Bubba Wallace and Joey Gase.
As a talented short track wheelman, Berry will lean on his JR Motorsports teammates in his first trip to Daytona International Speedway. Although he is a rookie, Berry logged some laps there in an ARCA Menards Series test. He was 18th fastest, though he drove in the same sessions as fellow Xfinity Series rookies Ty Gibbs and Sam Mayer as well as reigning ARCA champion Bret Holmes.