‘I’m NASCAR star who went to high school with | Sports News

After successful his first NASCAR Cup Series race within the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Josh Berry of Wood Brothers Racing has been flooded with interviews.

However, relatively than fully concentrate on a race that NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. discovered laborious to watch, a lot of the questions have been about Taylor Swift. Berry had an unconventional route into motorsports, beforehand working as a bank teller earlier than being found by Earnhardt Jr. in 2008 when competing in an online sim racing league known as DMP Online Racing. Berry was 18 on the time, however is now a full-time driver within the NASCAR Cup Series.

The 34-year-old was handed a full-time function by Stewart-Haas Racing final season, however after the workforce introduced it might close, Berry was signed by WBR. Now, Berry has his first win, which got here after a top-five end in Phoenix, however Swift continues to be a common matter regardless of not talking to the popstar since high school.

Ahead of the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Berry was requested whether or not he is questioned more about his earlier profession, or Swift. “Definitely Taylor Swift,” Berry informed FOX Sports. “That one has worn me thin a little bit, I think.

“She wasn’t a classmate, I believe she was a grade above me. It’s one of these belongings you point out one time and you do not understand how large of a deal it is going to be. It’s like, ‘Hey, inform us one thing fascinating about your self,’ and then you definitely point out it and it turns into a manner larger deal than you anticipate.”

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Berry was born in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and attended Hendersonville High School. Swift ended up enrolling at his high school after her family relocated from Pennsylvania, as she was pursuing her dreams of being a singer-songwriter.

Swift had just been given an artist development deal by RCA Records aged 13, so her family moved to help her break into the country music scene. Berry is a year younger than Swift, but everyone at the school knew who she was after she started competing in their talent shows.

Berry has previously admitted that he wasn’t close to Swift, but did see her around the school. During Daytona 500 Media Day ahead of the 2024 NASCAR season, Berry explained: “I would like to say that I used to be a freshman and he or she was perhaps a sophomore or junior. I’d have to go back and look via the yearbooks. I’m sure my dad has them someplace.

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“One thing that stands out, I do remember her singing during the talent show, and we were like, ‘Hey, she’s alright,’ you know what I mean,” Berry added. “A talent show, sometimes they are alright or hit or miss, but Taylor was like, ‘Hey, she’s really good.’”

Swift was gaining severe curiosity from file labels, and only one yr after becoming a member of Hendersonville High School she grew to become the youngest artist signed by Sony on the age of 14. “That was like right before the summer break where she made it,” Berry added.

“A couple of friends knew her but I didn’t know her personally, but we did go to the same school. Sometimes it gets made out like we’re buddies, which is definitely not the case. We were in the same school and it’s kind of interesting, a small world, I guess.”