Josh Berry is certainly one of the most talented drivers in NASCAR Xfinity Series. With 5 wins, 42 finishes inside the top 10, and currently sitting at 4th in Xfinity point standings, he’s certainly a pretty good driver. However, for some reason, he never managed to get opportunities at the Cup level, until this year when he was called by Hendrick Motorsports to replace Chase Elliott.
The #9 driver suffered an accident that led to a surgery and a lengthy recovery process which then led to the JR Motorsports driver filling up for him.
But then Elliott returned and Berry was back to Xfinity until recently, when Alex Bowman got injured and he was called to duty again, this time for the #48 car. Of course, these are opportunities for Berry to showcase his talent and do well enough so that he can land a full-time Cup seat next year.
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Yet it’s the circumstances with which Berry isn’t comfortable with.
via Imago LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 04: Josh Berry 9 Hendrick Motorsports NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet addresses the media before practice for the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube on March 4, 2023, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire AUTO: MAR 04 NASCAR Cup Series Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube Icon116230304003
Josh Berry hates the circumstances of his Cup opportunity
Ahead of the Xfinity race at Dover, Josh Berry was asked how he’s feeling about his second opportunity in the Cup after Alex Bowman’s injury ruled him out of Dover’s Cup race.
“Obviously, I hate the circumstances once again. Alex has been a friend to me. Like I said, it’s a difficult situation to step in again. I hate that for Alex. He’s been a friend to me over the last couple of years. You never want to see anyone injured like that,” he replied.
“The reality of it is I feel a little bit more comfortable than where we were sitting in at Las Vegas; having a relationship with everyone at HMS and working through a handful of races with the No. 9.”
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Chase Elliott had one main priority in his recovery
As he was recovering and eyeing a return to his normal way of life, Chase Elliott had a few things on his mind. After all, he went from taking one week off in a year to suddenly taking several weeks off from the racing.
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But during his recovery process, the biggest focus for Elliott was to get back to NASCAR.
“My main priority was getting back in the car and being able to perform as I feel l normally would. I was able to get back in the car [in Martinsville] and that was great,” he said as per Muscle and Fitness.
via Imago NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Busch Light Clash Feb 4, 2023 Los Angeles, California, USA NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Elliott 9 during media availabilities at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum California USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xGaryxA.xVasquezx 20230204_gav_sv5_009
Having said that, Elliott admitted he still has some ground to cover in terms of building back his strength, his mobility, and his range of motion.