NASCAR: 3 possible landing spots for Josh Berry in 2023
By Randy Smith
Josh Berry has quickly become a staple in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and he has shown interest in moving to the Cup Series, making him a popular name to watch for 2023.
Josh Berry has quickly made his name known throughout NASCAR, specifically in the Xfinity Series. Driving the #8 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, Berry has already picked up two wins in his first season as a full-time driver.
In addition to his success in the Xfinity Series, Berry made his Cup Series debut last season at Dover Motor Speedway, driving the #77 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports.
At 31 years of age, Berry isn’t exactly the youngest driver to land his first full-time Xfinity Series ride. But the Hendersonville, Tennessee native has constantly improved from his late model days, and he has become a threat to win the Xfinity Series championship in 2022.
He is well aware of both his status and age, resulting in an interest to move to the Cup Series sooner rather than later.
Given the impressive start to his full-time NASCAR career, and his interest in moving up the ladder in stock car racing, here are three possible landing spots for Josh Berry in 2023.
Possible Josh Berry landing spots: No. 3 – Full-time Cup Series ride
Since Berry has shown his interest in competing in the Cup Series and does have two starts under his belt, he could elect to see what’s out there in terms of a full-time ride.
If Berry elects to pursue a Cup Series ride, Spire Motorsports ranks as the most logical option for him. In addition to his debut with Spire Motorsports in the #77 Chevrolet as the replacement for Justin Haley at Dover Motor Speedway, he later drove the team’s other car, the #7 Chevrolet, as the replacement for Corey LaJoie at Michigan International Speedway.
The Spire Motorsports connections run deep throughout NASCAR’s Chevrolet teams. They have worked with Hendrick Motorsports teammates Alex Bowman, William Bryon, and Chase Elliott as well as Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill for their Truck Series program this season.
To sign a JR Motorsports driver to pilot one their Cup cars full-time in 2023 would only further help develop these relationships.
However, the move remains doubtful, as Spire Motorsports have generally split the driving duties of the #77 Chevrolet. The team could elect to keep going down this route for 2023, leaving Berry with limited options for a full-time Cup Series ride.