Cup Series rookie Josh Berry 'excited' to work with Rodney Childers this season
This is a big season for Josh Berry. He will be a Cup Series rookie, taking over the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing car from Kevin Harvick. Being a rookie itself is hard enough in NASCAR, taking over for a legend of the sport is a whole other ordeal.
In his limited starts last season as a replacement driver for Hendrick Motorsports and Legacy Motor Club, Josh Berry impressed many. He highlighted his time in the Cup Series with a P2 finish at Richmond.
This season, he has his own car. He has his own team. While he has his own crew chief, Rodney Childers comes with some mileage from his decade with Kevin Harvick. But that isn’t a bad thing, and it could help lead the rookie to great heights in his first season.
Josh Berry spoke with Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports about the upcoming season. He is more than ready to get to work with Childers on the pit box.
“Rodney and I, I just feel like we gel really well,” Berry said. “We have really similar backgrounds, obviously with the Late Model side of things. I’m just really excited to have him leading our team. I think he’s just such a phenomenal crew chief and the success speaks for itself, so to have him on board my rookie season, definitely makes me feel confident.”
In 10 Cup Series races last year, Josh Berry finished with three top-10s, including a top-5 finish. He showed that he could fit into a less-than-ideal situation and make the most of it. That is a major asset as this Stewart-Haas organization undergoes a transition period, a rebuilding of sorts.
Josh Berry could be Rookie of the Year
I think if the odds came out right now, the favorite for Rookie of the Year would be Berry. He is nine years older than Zane Smith and 12 years older than Carson Hocevar. While those other two have had a fast track to NASCAR, Berry earned it the hard way.
As far as short-track racers go, there are few that are as good as Berry. He has made a career out of his prowess on the small tracks, both in Late Models and in NASCAR. Out of all of the drivers at SHR, I think he fits the mold the best, in my opinion.
I think that we could see a tightly contested battle for Rookie of the Year. Berry, will be the most consistent of the three newcomers. However, I think Hocevar and Smith will have a better chance of winning a race if that makes sense.
This is a very talented group and the talent in the Cup Series overall is very high right now. A lot can happen between now and November, but I think we will see Josh Berry claim the ROY trophy in 2024.