Dale Earnhardt Jr likens underrated NASCAR star to – Sports News
NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. has an eye for expertise; Look no additional than his O’Reilly’s Auto Parts Series Team JR Motorsports’ 4 driver championships as proof of that.
The present NASCAR discipline incorporates a plethora of expertise of all ages and backgrounds, some of whom are arguably underappreciated by followers and maybe even the paddock alike. Some may additionally be overrated, however that’s a totally different story fully.
Quizzed on the present discipline, and which drivers he believes don’t get the popularity they deserve, Earnhardt Jr singled out a veteran of the game, who had to wait till he was nicely into his 30s to get his shot within the Cup Series. It got here after Earnhardt Jr shared a grim prediction for a star who ‘overachieved’ in 2025.
Former JRM driver and present Wood Brothers Racing star, Josh Berry, has solely pushed full-time within the Cup Series for 2 seasons, with the primary being with the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing. Prior to 2024, he had solely made 12 appearances for Hendrick Motorsports, Legacy Motor Club, and Spire Motorsports between 2021 and 2023.
This previous season, Berry set a new benchmark for himself, reaching the Playoffs and successful his first race, the Pennzoil 400, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, whereas additionally cracking the highest 5 two additional occasions and the highest 10 on one other 5 events.
“I don’t know how people feel about Josh Berry now. I still feel like his talent is not as appreciated as I think [it should be],” Earnhardt mentioned on his ‘Dale Jr. Download‘ podcast. “He’s won now. He’s driving for the Wood Brothers. He’s established. He’s good to go, right. But I still feel that people don’t really know how good he is.”
The 51-year-old went on to notice that he feels the identical about Berrry as he did back within the day about Martin Truex Jr. Earnhardt recalled how early in Truex’s profession, which noticed him drive for his late dad’s crew, Dale Earnhardt, Inc., adopted by Michael Waltrip Racing, he approached his then boss, Rick Hendrick, and instructed Hendrick Motorsports “consider Truex.”
“And they were like, ‘Really?’ And that’s as far as it went,” Earnhardt recalled. “And then he got in the [Furniture Row Racing] 78 car and won a championship in a bunch of races with (crew chief) Cole [Pearn]. But I knew Truex had that ability, and he was super talented. Just a really great race car. I feel the same way about Josh. I think Josh is incredibly good.”
Truex finally ran full-time between 2006 and 2024, selecting up 34 wins, 291 prime 10 finishes, and the 2017 Cup Series crown with FRR.
Whether or not there may be nonetheless time in Berry’s profession to clinch that first Cup Series title and a “bunch” more wins stays to be seen. That being mentioned, set to return behind the wheel of the No. 21 WBR Ford subsequent season, he’ll on the very least be trying to improve upon his Sixteenth-place driver standings end when the new season begins in a matter of months, beginning with the Daytona 500.
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