Getty NASCAR driver Josh Berry celebrates a win at Martinsville.
Xfinity Series driver Josh Berry capped off his portion of the JR Motorsports schedule on Saturday, June 19. He competed in the Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville Superspeedway and turned in a wildly impressive performance. Berry recovered from some late-race bad luck and then captured a fourth-place finish while Kyle Busch notched win No. 100.
Berry started the day 22nd after the morning’s qualifying session, placing him in a deep deficit. However, Berry did not remain at the back of the pack for very long. He raced to 13th after only 10 laps and continued to make moves throughout the first stage. The veteran driver ultimately reached ninth by the end of Stage 1, racking up points in the process.
Despite dealing with a tight race car during Stage 2, Berry remained in the top 10. He fought for position alongside his teammates Noah Gragson, Justin Allgaier, and Michael Annett. He finished the stage sixth overall and set himself up for a late run to the checkered flag.
Berry Nearly Saw His Promising Afternoon Come to an End
GettyJosh Berry races at Nashville Superspeedway.
The JR Motorsports driver remained in position for a top position for the majority of the third and final stage. He reached third overall before heading to pit road for four Goodyear tires and some fuel. Unfortunately for Berry, he and the No. 8 team chose a poor time to conduct the pit stop.
NASCAR threw the caution flag when Berry was on pit road. According to the Tennessean, Brandon Brown had a tire go down on the No. 68 Chevrolet Camaro, leaving debris on the track. The driver of the No. 8 fell a lap down with just over 40 remaining, making it appear that he would end his final JRM race of the season outside of the top 10.
The cautions continued to pile up as the end of the race approached, knocking several drivers out of contention for the win. Defending Xfinity Series champion Austin Cindric collided with the wall and saw his day come to an early end. Another incident involved Joe Graf Jr. and Jade Buford.
While these cautions continued to pile up, Berry steadily made his way through the field while other drivers headed to pit road. He lined up for the final two-lap dash to the finish line and fought for position while racing around the 1.33-mile concrete oval, taking fourth as the checkered flag waved in front of his home crowd.
Berry Ends His JRM Portion of the Season With Several Top-10 Finishes
What a day! Came through the field a few times and ended up 4th. So thankful for everyone who made this possible, but especially this guy. We made each other winners. The group he built is top notch and I’m so thankful for @taylorcmoyer.
With the sun setting on Nashville, Berry’s portion of the 2021 season with JRM comes to an end. He made 12 starts for the Xfinity Series team, posting six top-10 finishes, four top-five finishes, and one victory. Berry captured the checkered flag at Martinsville, the first of his Xfinity Series career.
In addition to taking a trip to Victory Lane, Berry also ended his portion of the season with a $100,000 bonus. He won a stage at Dover International Speedway en route to a second-place finish, winning the fourth and final Dash 4 Cash bonus after Gragson captured the first three.
While he may not have any more Xfinity Series starts with JR Motorsports in 2021, Berry will continue to compete at NASCAR tracks. He has one more Truck Series race on his schedule with Rackley W.A.R. Berry will get behind the wheel of the No. 25 Rackley Roofing Chevrolet Silverado at Pocono Raceway on June 26, capping off a three-race run with the team.
Berry could potentially return to the Xfinity Series in 2021, albeit with a different team. He competed at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on June 5 while driving for Jordan Anderson Racing. Berry finished eighth and later told Jayski that he and JAR would “maybe put some stuff together.”
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Josh Berry Caps Off JRM Schedule With Impressive Performance