JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — Two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series race winner Josh Berry will make his Goodyear All American Speedway debut Sunday afternoon in the Solid Rock Carriers Battle of the Stars.
Berry, 31, is one of the most accomplished drivers in late model stock car racing history with a list of accolades that includes marquee wins and multiple different championships.
Berry, who will race for the NASCAR Xfinity Series title with JR Motorsports next year, is looking forward to the challenge of racing at a new track.
“I’m excited to go somewhere new,” Berry said. “I think that’s what’s a little bit enticing for me. I’ve raced basically everywhere and this is somewhere I haven’t been. They’re trying to rebrand and rebuild. It’s exciting to go somewhere new and try to help them grow. It’s going to be really fun, and we’re excited to get there.”
Berry is a former NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion, Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour champion, and has won titles at Hickory (N.C.) Motor and Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va.
Berry has also won the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia, the same track he scored his first of two NASCAR Xfinity Series win at earlier this year.
“It’s been crazy,” Berry remarked. “Just, it’s unbelievable how much my life’s changed in the last year. I’m excited for the next year, but I really feel like racing late model stocks prepared me for those moments. It’s been really special. Martinsville was really cool, Vegas was just as cool being a mile-and-a-half, totally different scenario and team. Each one of those wins was really special.”
While he has had a limited schedule in late model stocks this year, he has made the most of it, picking up victories in the Old North State Nationals at Orange County Speedway, the Hampton Heat 200 at Langley (Va.) Speedway and the Throwback 276 at Hickory.
“Yeah, we’ve had really good runs,” Berry stated. “Obviously, Orange County that race, the Throwback race, the Hampton Heat was a fun one. I guess I haven’t raced that much but if you look at those accomplishments, that’s still a pretty good year.”
Over the past decade, he has been one of the most dominant forces in late model stock car racing, being a threat for the win every time he shows up to the track — and Sunday is expected to be no different.
“I think we’ll definitely be good and be in contention,” Berry commented. “I haven’t raced Late Model a lot this year, so I’ll have to do some readjusting there. I think we’ll have a shot at it and that’s all you can ask for.”
Berry is one of 30 drivers who have signed up to compete in the $10,000-to-win Solid Rock Carriers Battle of the Stars, which has quickly become the most anticipated race of the year in Coastal North Carolina.
Practice will take place on Saturday, while qualifying and the feature race will take place on Sunday, November 14. The green flag will fly at 3 p.m. on the Battle Prelims and then the 150-lap Solid Rock Carriers Battle of the Stars will commence as the nightcap.