Following his first triumph on the tracks of Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Josh Berry, the driver from Wood Brother Racing, has been under the media spotlight. In a recent interaction, Berry confessed his disenchantment with the relentless media scrutiny. Surprisingly, it’s not the attention per se that’s irking him, but the recurring questions about his past association with pop star Taylor Swift.
Berry was a high school mate of Swift’s, a fact that the media refuses to let go of. What began as a mere coincidence has now evolved into a relentless media fixation, much to Berry’s annoyance. Even NASCAR couldn’t resist hopping onto the bandwagon, highlighting Berry’s connection with Swift in an Instagram reel following his victory.
In conversation with Spider from the Rubbin Is Racing podcast, Berry expressed his frustration about constantly being asked about Swift. He said, “It’s one of those things when you’re doing an interview one day and somebody’s like hey what’s a funny crazy story about you, right? And I’m like, Oh I went to school with Taylor Swift and you don’t think that’s that big of a deal but every time it never ends.”
The frequency of these questions escalated when Swift began dating NFL star, Travis Kelce. Berry expressed his irritation at being persistently asked about a matter he is not involved in. He feels that his remote connection to Swift is overshadowing his considerable achievements in NASCAR.
In an interesting twist, Berry also revealed that he shared a middle school with Team Penske driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, Josef Newgarden. Unlike his connection with Swift, Berry values his bond with Newgarden. The surprising aspect of their relationship is that neither knew about the other’s interest in racing during their school days.
Speaking about his win, Berry also shared his profound respect for Dale Jr., revealing details about their conversation in the victory lane.
Berry’s journey to NASCAR stardom has been a challenging one. From his early days of karting to his time as a bank teller to fund his racing aspirations, Berry’s path has been marked by struggle and tenacity. However, fate intervened when he met NASCAR legend, Dale Earnhardt Jr., during his stint at Volunteer State Community College.
This meeting marked the beginning of a transformative journey for Berry. Starting with sim racing, he was soon roped into Dale Jr.’s Late Model racing program. This association led to Berry signing with JR Motorsports in 2010, paving the way for his eventual Cup Series race victory.
Recalling his journey, Berry said, “I was in the right place at the right time…Dale [Earnhardt Jr.] gave me an opportunity to test the late model at Motor Mile Speedway in Virginia. That went well and turned into a couple of races and then I moved to North Carolina.”
Celebrating his victory, Berry facetimed Dale Jr. to thank him for his unwavering support. He said, “He’s a great friend and having his support, knowing how excited he’s been over the last couple of years with the success we’ve had and now winning a Cup race. He was just excited. He said he was enjoying it at the end and wanted it to stay green.”
As Berry continues his ascent in the racing world, his story stands as a testament to the power of hard work and perseverance.