Jimmie Johnson explains decision to bring Josh Berry to Legacy
· Yahoo Sports
The NASCAR postseason is set for the second race of the Chase on Sunday, where the 16 drivers still in contention for the championship will once again be battling with everything on the line.
Visit tr-sport.click for more information.
But while not every car on the track is still a contender for this year's title, that doesn't mean the rest of the field isn't already prepping to chase greatness in 2027.
Legacy Motor Club might not have a driver in the Chase this year, but the team has made big moves in the past few weeks that it hopes will raise its chances to be a factor next year. Legacy is set to expand to three full-time cars in 2027, with Riley Herbst joining the team in the No. 84 car.
But it's possible the bigger, or at least more surprising move Legacy made was a driver swap, with the team announcing that Josh Berry would be taking over the No. 42 car from John Hunter Nemechek.
These decisions are tough to make, but team owner Jimmie Johnson explained why he believed it was the right time to make that tough decision while speaking as a guest on the Dale Jr. Download. Johnson was asked what the reaction from the team was when it was announced that Berry would be taking the seat of the No. 42.
“Very, very strong reaction,” said Johnson. “The way we operate and how close we all are as a team. You know, not an easy decision with John Hunter, but we are where we are now, and where Josh can bring in a lot of experience in building maturity, know-how, these things that a 35-year-old can bring; it’s just different.
“And having two veterans, in a sense, and then Riley is the younger development driver coming along is the environment we wanted to create.”
Johnson added that Berry's quality as a driver was too much to pass up when there came an opportunity to add him to the team, even though Nemechek was positioned to return.
"Josh’s numbers stand out in so many categories, in the top three in many, top five in most; all performance-driven, on the execution side, has been that weaker spot and kind of explains what’s happened during that stretch this summer, as an example."
Berry has been racing for his job every since it was announced that he would not be returning to Wood Brothers Racing, with Jesse Love taking his seat. He has made a brilliant case for himself on the track, with six straight top-10 finishes heading into this weekend's race. In the six races preceding his current run, his top finish was 25th in Atlanta.
While the move by Legacy is a boon for Berry and a disappointment for Nemechek, racing is full of tough decisions, and given where Johnson and Legacy want to take the team over the next few years, Berry's production is apparently more aligned with their future plans.
To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.