335 – Josh Berry: It Changed My Life

Josh Berry won his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway! Dale Earnhardt Jr. dedicates the entire show to reliving this emotional and heartfelt victory for JR Motorsports. Before Josh joins the show, Dale Jr. and co-host Mike Davis share what seeing Berry win meant to them and the company. Dale talks about Josh’s rise through the racing ranks, his success with the JRM late model program, and how the opportunity to put him in an Xfinity Series car came to fruition. Dale gets deep talking about the pressure to perform and how he handled it during his career. He shares what he learned from seeing Chase Elliott 'enjoy the opportunity' and how he thinks Berry is currently handling it. After the No. 8 car crossed the finish line on Sunday, Dale openly admits to crying tears of joy. He talks through the reasons for those emotions overflowing and makes a revelation we didn’t see coming. Then Josh joins the show and the crew hears what it has been like since capturing the biggest win of his racing career. Dale relives how he discovered Berry as a driver in a very unconventional way. Berry shares his origin story, discussing how losing his mom at a young age completely changed his life. Then how he and his dad racing helped them overcome the tragic loss. Josh shares how he ascended from racing at the local level to getting bigger opportunities. Plus, he explains how his path to this victory involved a decade of work in the shop. Find out why the 30-year-old almost gave up on his chances of making it in NASCAR last year while wrestling with big life and career decisions. Then hear how everything changed a day after coming to that realization. Six races into his Xfinity Series stint in 2021, Josh talks about feeling like a highlight reel and why he was down on himself after his crash in the grass at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Hear what he did over the off-weekends to reset and prepare for Martinsville Speedway. Mike asks Josh to breakdown the finish of the race. Hear what was going through Berry’s mind as he got passed by Ty Gibbs and how he got back around him. Then Dale tells us why he’d give the free pass to someone using the chrome horn in that situation. Dale Jr. admits that he couldn’t watch the finish to the race and talks through the emotions he was wrestling with as the checkered flag neared. Josh reminisces about his feelings in the final laps and what the victory felt like afterward. Josh sticks around for Ask Jr. Presented by Xfinity. Fans inquire about the post-race phone call between Dale and Josh, who would win in a head-to-head late model race and Dale explains his comments about JR Motorsports’ Cup Series interest.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices