Josh Berry to replace Noah Gragson in Legacy Motor Club No. 42 Chevy at Daytona
Once again, Josh Berry will take the wheel of the No. 42 Sunseeker Resort Chevy Camaro for the upcoming Daytona 400. Following Noah Gragson’s departure from the NASCAR team earlier this season.
Gragson “liked” a meme on Instagram that mocked the death of George Floyd and after a suspension from his team and NASCAR, the driver asked out of his contract. Since Gragson’s suspension, Josh Berry and Mike Rockenfeller have filled in for LEGACY.
Berry didn’t have a great time replacing Gragson at Michigan. Then again, he was given just hours of notice to prepare for another Cup Series start as a substitute driver. This will be Berry’s first Cup start at Daytona in his career.
“I can’t thank everyone at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB enough for giving me the opportunity to drive the No. 42 again next weekend at Daytona,” Berry said in a statement. “I haven’t driven these cars on a superspeedway yet, but I’ve got great teammates in Erik Jones and Jimmie Johnson that I can lean on throughout the week to be up to speed for Saturday night.”
Last week and this week for the road course duo at Indy and Watkins Glen, Rockenfeller took over the 42-car. LEGACY feels like they are just trying to get through the end of this season as best they can so they can reset in 2024 with Toyota.
Legacy Motor Club thanks JR Motorsports for Josh Berry
Of course, Josh Berry has a lot going on this season. He’s in his final Xfinity Series season with JR Motorsports. He has yet to win this year but is in the hunt for the championship. He’s replaced Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman this season, now Noah Gragson.
However, there is also the part where Berry is headed for the Cup Series next year. Not in a Chevy like he drives now, but in a Ford Mustang at Stewart-Haas Racing. LEGACY is very happy to have Berry on board and for his team’s cooperation.
“We appreciate the cooperation of JR Motorsports and look forward to Josh driving the No. 42 Chevy at Daytona,” said VP of Race Operations Joey Cohen. “Josh stepped in at Michigan and fit in great with the team. He understands the need to work together at superspeedways as a teammate and can help LEGACY M.C. have a solid points day and contest for the win.”
So, Josh Berry is preparing for 400 miles at Daytona. By the time this season is over, he might have double-digit starts in the Cup Series. Then, he gets to start his rookie campaign in 2024 for SHR.