Published 11/25/2022, 11:45 AM EST
For a long time, rumors surrounding JR Motorsports (JRM) making a debut in the Cup Series have been doing the rounds online. In fact, team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr too had expressed his aspirations for JRM in Cup Series. Although, due to a few holdups in acquiring charters and other plans, the team has not yet been able to take the step. However, this doesn’t mean that they are not ready.
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2022 was one of the most successful years for Dale Earnhardt Jr and JR Motorsports (JRM). With three of its drivers in the Top-4 round of the championship, JRM prevailed over most of its competitors in terms of consistency. Another statistic proves JRM’s supremacy in the Xfinity series.
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According to a post shared by NASCAR Xfinity on Twitter, JR Motorsports registered a total of 14 wins this season. Moreover, these wins accounted for around 42.4% wins of the entire season.
Although the team could not clinch the title, the team proved its mettle on the race track consistently. In fact, JRM’s Noah Gragson raced to the victory lane eight times this season. According to statistics shared by Racing Insights, Noah Gragson started the season with four consecutive top-three finishes.
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This made Gragson the third driver ever to achieve this feat. Apart from this, JRM’s Justin Allgaier registered eight stage wins. Whereas, Josh Berry ranked fourth in the league with a total of six stage wins to his name. After a successful Xfinity season, it is safe to assume that JRM’s prospective mission of running in the Cup Series is a wise and calculated next step for the team.
Josh Berry re-signs with Dale Earnhardt Jr’s JR Motorsports
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In the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series, Josh Berry became the first driver to secure a spot in the Championship round. After his win at the Las Vegas Super Speedway, it was more than obvious that JR Motorsports wants to keep him around for the next season as well. Moreover, his association with JRM since 2014 has also made him an integral part of the team.
JOLIET, IL – SEPTEMBER 16: Josh Berry, driver of the #71 American Club/RaceTrac Chevrolet, stands on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol E15 225 at Chicagoland Speedway on September 16, 2016 in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images)
Happy to sign with the team for the next season, Josh Berry said in October 2022; “JR Motorsports has always been my home as a racer, and I’m proud to return to JRM and the #8 team for 2023. When I came here, it was as a late model driver and mechanic, and when I got the opportunity to race full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, it was a dream come true.”
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Furthermore, he added that the whole journey has really been special. And with the Xfinity championship in November, he said; “We’ll race for a series championship next month, and that’s nearly full circle for me with the team.”