Getty Josh Berry prepares for a Truck Series race at Watkins Glen.
JR Motorsports announced on Monday, Aug. 16, that Josh Berry would return to the team for a full-time campaign in 2022. One day later, one of his sponsors jumped back on board. JR Motorsports revealed that Tire Pros will sponsor Berry for a portion of the 2022 season.
According to a team release, the company will sponsor the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro for nine of the 33 races in 2022. Berry and Tire Pros previously joined forces for six races in 2021, including two of his strongest performances. He took second behind Justin Allgaier during a Throwback Weekend race at Darlington Raceway on May 8 and then finished second at Dover International Speedway on May 15.
“Tire Pros has been great, they’ve been big supporters of mine, and everything just clicked,” Berry said in the press release. “They were a huge part of me getting the 12-race opportunity this year. It all fit together. They’re a fantastic company that I’m proud to represent, so I am really thankful for them stepping up and making this happen.”
Berry Previously Teased the Return of Tire Pros
Having Tire Pros on board the No. 8 JRM Chevrolet Camaro for nine races confirms that Berry will have extra support as he takes on his first full-time Xfinity Series schedule. However, the move should not come as a surprise to NASCAR fans.
Berry previously teased a collaboration with Tire Pros well after his JR Motorsports tenure came to an end. He posted a photo that showed him and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the shop standing next to the Tire Pros Chevrolet Camaro. Berry did not add any context to the photo, but he simply chose to create some intrigue with some special emojis, including a video camera.
The prevailing wisdom at the time was that Berry and Earnhardt were filming a commercial for Tire Pros, but the inclusion of the No. 8 created questions considering that rookie Sam Mayer was serving as the current driver of the stock car. More than one month later, the pair finally provided further information by confirming that Berry and Tire Pros will reunite in 2022.
Berry Will Now Finish Out a Unique 2021 Schedule
With a guaranteed seat for 2022, as well as a sponsor for nine races, Berry is one step closer to finalizing all of his plans. There is still more work to do, and JR Motorsports has confirmed that the team will provide more information about Berry’s other partners in the coming weeks.
For now, the 30-year-old will finish off a unique schedule that has featured starts in three separate NASCAR series. He has suited up for Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series races while representing several teams and has no plans of stopping. Specifically, Berry wants to continue competing behind the wheel of the No. 25 Rackley W.A.R. Chevrolet Silverado.
“I want to — and hopefully this announcement does not change that — I want to continue to race that Rackley W.A.R. truck for the remainder of the Truck Series season,” Berry told Fox Sports reporter Bob Pockrass on Tuesday, Aug. 17. “I feel like there’s a good chance of that happening. They are building their program, and they hope that I can be a part of that for next year. It doesn’t look like that’s going to work out with their intentions of… they want a driver that can claim the Truck points.”
Berry has made six Truck Series starts so far, five for Rackley W.A.R. He controlled the No. 25 Chevrolet for races at Texas Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, Pocono Raceway, Knoxville Raceway (Iowa), and Watkins Glen International. Berry did not reach Victory Lane, but he posted a top-10 finish at Texas.
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