Josh Berry Defending Title During Prestigious Offseason Race

NASCAR is in the midst of the offseason, and the majority of drivers are taking a much-needed break before February. Josh Berry, however, is preparing to defend his win in a prestigious race.

The JR Motorsports driver will head to Southern National Motorsports Park on November 25-27 for the 21st running of the Solid Rock Carriers Thanksgiving Classic, a race that previously featured Denny Hamlin winning. He will join a stacked field of short track stars that includes Charlie Watson, Layne Riggs, Brenden Queen, and Peyton Sellers among others as he pursues his second consecutive win.

Berry competed in the Thanksgiving Classic in 2021, and he used the race to check off an important career goal. He won the prestigious race for the first time after starting from the pole and overtaking both Queen and Deac McCaskill during the final segment. Now he will return to the Late Model Stock in pursuit of his second win.

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Berry Will Take Over the JR Motorsports Chevrolet

When Berry heads to Southern National Motorsports Park, he will take over an entry that just competed in South Carolina. He will drive the JR Motorsports Chevrolet that Dale Earnhardt Jr. controlled during the South Carolina 400 on November 19.

The Hall of Famer took part in the race at Florence Motor Speedway, and he drove the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet featuring a gold throwback scheme. He started outside of the top 20, but he put himself in contention for a possible win multiple times during the final segment while Berry guided him as his crew chief.

The race went awry for Earnhardt on two different occasions. He received penalties for contact that caused a caution, and he was sent to the back of the field two times. Though he worked his way back inside the top 10 on both occasions before ultimately finishing ninth.

Earnhardt had some minor fender damage after the South Carolina 400, so there will have to be some repairs before Berry takes over. Though it will be fairly minor considering that Earnhardt had to avoid multiple wrecks during the short track race.

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The Thanksgiving Classic Features a Sizable Prize Purse

The Thanksgiving Classic weekend, which will air on Racing America, will feature a stacked lineup of races. Friday will have Carolina Crate Modifieds, Limited Late Model Dash for Cash, Chargers, Legends, and Bandoleros.

Saturday’s schedule will feature Pro Late Models, Street Stocks, Southern Lightning Modifieds, Legends, Mini Stocks, Bombers, and Bandoleros. Sunday, the biggest day of them all, will feature Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, and a Drift exhibition.

To add to the mystique surrounding the weekend, the Thanksgiving Classic will have a major change. The prize will be more than $50,000. For comparison, Berry walked away with $9,000 after winning the 2021 iteration of the race.

“The Classic is just that; the Classic,” said track owner Michael Diaz, per the SNMP website. “This race is what keeps [Southern National] going from year to year and it really is one of the premier Late Model Stock events held. I’m just glad it is [still] at Southern National; the track that started holding this race years ago.”

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