CREW CHIEF: Mike Bumgarner
TEAM: JR Motorsports
POINTS: Fourth in Xfinity Series
WINS: Three (Dover, Charlotte, Las Vegas II)
LAPS LED: 356
TOP 5s: 11
TOP 10s: 20
QUALIFIED FIRST: Once (Loudon)
WHAT WENT RIGHT: Josh Berry solidified his spot as a mover and shaker in the Xfinity Series with a three-win season and a place in the Championship 4.
He led 55 laps on the way to scoring his first seasonal win in Race 10 at Dover and backed up that victory with a runaway win at Charlotte three races later, leading 89 laps and finishing first by 18 seconds.
His most impressive run came in a win at Las Vegas in the playoffs, a victory that earned a spot in the Championship 4 at Phoenix.
WHAT WENT WRONG: Berry failed to lead a lap in the championship race at Phoenix, finishing 13th and fourth among the championship contenders. He had finished third at Phoenix in the season’s first stop at the track.
Berry was in the victory mix at numerous tracks during the year but couldn’t close out wins. He finished second once, third three times and fourth three times.
He led 46 laps at Texas in the spring but finished seventh.
In a six-race stretch in the second half of the season he had six consecutive top-10 finishes but failed to lead a lap in all six races.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2023: JR Motorsports has high expectations, and Berry will be expected to race deep into the playoffs again next season. He will start the year with a new crew chief, Taylor Moyer, as Mike Bumgarner leaves that role to become director of competition at JRM.