CONCORD, N.C. – Spire Motorsports officials announced Friday that reigning NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series champion and NASCAR Xfinity Series’ race winner Josh Berry will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut in the team’s No. 77 Diamond Creek High Alkaline Water Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in Sunday’s Drydene 400 at Dover Int’l Speedway.
Berry will fill in for Justin Haley, who was originally scheduled to drive the No. 77 on Sunday. Haley has been temporarily sidelined in accordance with team and NASCAR COVID-19 protocols and will be unable to participate this weekend.
The Hendersonville, Tenn., native competes regularly for JR Motorsports and picked up his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory last month in the Cook Out 250 at Martinsville Speedway. In 15 career starts on NASCAR’s junior circuit, Berry has earned one win, two top-five and six top-10 finishes.
“First off, I hope Justin is doing well and I can’t wait to compete with him in a few weeks at Charlotte in the Xfinity Series,” said Berry. “I can’t thank Spire Motorsports enough for giving me the opportunity to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series for the first time. This is a great opportunity for me, and I am going to do my best to give the team a solid finish Sunday afternoon.”
Berry has enjoyed a great deal of success on short tracks across the Southeast. He won the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in 2019 and the $30,000-to-win Old North State Nationals at South Carolina’s Greenville-Pickens Speedway in 2020 in addition to claiming the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series National championship last season.
This season, the 30-year-old short-track standout collecting his second consecutive $30,000 check by winning this year’s edition of the Old North State Nationals at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, N.C.
“We’re excited to provide Josh Berry with the opportunity to make his NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend at Dover Int’l Speedway,” said Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson. “It’s a little bittersweet because Justin Haley has to sit out this weekend, but at the same time, Josh has earned the opportunity to get a shot in the Cup Series. He’s a proven winner and raises the bar every time he gets in a race car. We know he’ll do a good job.”
“I couldn’t be more thrilled for Josh to get the call from Spire Motorsports to make his Cup racing debut,” added JR Motorsports owners Dale Earnhardt Jr. “It’ll be thrilling for Josh to experience Cup action and I’m confident he will do a great job for them. Big thanks to Spire for presenting Josh with such an awesome opportunity.”