Dale Earnhardt Jr. stands up for Josh Berry amid his departure from JR Motorsports
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will defend Josh Berry wherever he goes, even if it takes him to Reddit.
Earlier this season, Berry inked a deal to drive the No. 4 for Stewart-Haas, beginning in 2024. However, as NASCAR’s silly-season has hit full-swing, some have wondered whether the team made a mistake by committing to Berry with such quickness.
“Did Stewart-Haas make a mistake by signing Josh Berry so early this year?,” questioned Reddit user Chrisw265. “From what we’ve seen out of Josh Berry since his early cup hype, he hasn’t been impressive at all. You have to think if SHR waited they could have had a chance at a guy like [Carson] Hocevar, who looked good in cup, they could have taken a chance on some other guys like Zane Smith, or Sam Mayer who looks incredibly promising.
“It just feels like Berry benefitted from Hendrick being so good early in cup this year, and SHR immediately bit on that, but there’s definitely no Josh Berry hype now.”
Usually, questions like these would fall into the void. Not this time. Earnhardt Jr. decided to respond, and defend his soon-to-be-former driver, providing an interesting answer in the comments.
“It’s my fault. I didn’t give him what he needed this year,” Earnhardt responded. “He’s good enough for the cup opportunity. The lack of wins/success this year was not a JBerry issue.”
It’s not often you see an owner of a team taking accountability like in this situation, especially not someone of Earnhardt’s stature. Still, he went to bat for Berry, and that’s certainly something he’ll appreciate.
One thing is for sure, Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes Josh Berry is ready for the NASCAR Cup Series, as the latter prepares for the biggest opportunity of his rollercoaster career in 2024.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. returning to NASCAR Xfinity Series at Homestead-Miami
Meanwhile, this weekend is going to be extra special in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. suiting back up. Homestead-Miami Speedway is a track that Earnhardt loves to race at. The last time he came to the track, he finished in the top-5.
Earlier this season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. raced at Bristol. That race was awesome. He was able to qualify very well, lead laps, and compete for the win. If it wasn’t for a fire in his car late in the race, Earnhardt likely would have won.
Instead, his driver, Justin Allgaier picked up the pieces and took the victory. So, Dale still got to go to victory lane.
Ahead of this weekend, Dale Jr. has brought Bass Pro Shops on board his No. 88 Chevy Camaro. He’s excited to get back in the car and compete for a win again.
“It feels good to get back behind the wheel in the Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports again this weekend,” the team owner said, via JR Motorsports. “We had a good run going at Bristol, and we’re heading to another track I’ve always loved racing at, Homestead. I’m excited to have my buddy Johnny [Morris] and Bass Pro Shops on the car.”
In the 1999 season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was able to finish P2 on his way to his second Xfinity Series championship in a row.
On3’s Jonathan Howard contributed to this article.