by Zach Evans / Racing America
When the NASCAR Cup Series goes to Nashville in June, at least one competitor plans to make a stop at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway – and a series champion might join him.
Mike Organ of the Nashville Tennessean reported Josh Berry will return to his roots at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway by competing in a Late Model race scheduled for Thursday, June 27 on the weekend of the Cup Series’ visit to Nashville Superspeedway. It is possible that Chase Elliott will join him in the event as well.
Berry responded to the report saying that the event is very much on his radar, but that he is still working on finalizing the plans to run.
For Berry, it would be a bucket-list race for the Henderson, Tennessee native. Berry cut his teeth racing Legends Cars on the quarter-mile infield bullring located on the Fairgrounds Speedway property. However, he has never competed on the high-banked .596-mile oval that offers the main attractions on race nights at the Fairgrounds.
“Racing on the big track at the Fairgrounds has been on my bucket list for a long time,” Berry told the Tennessean.
“Every year I always would look at the races at the Fairgrounds and there was only nine or 10 nights and they always conflicted with other races I had going on or something. It just seemed to never work out. When I saw that race on the Fairgrounds schedule this year and that we would be at the Superspeedway for the Cup race I saw it as finally the opportunity that I’d be able to put something together and be in that race. It should be a lot of fun.”
Elliott has also expressed in running the event, but admits a final decision will be made closer to the event, depending on how his season is playing out.
“I’d like to. I love racing there,” said Elliott. “I love the track, I love everything about the Fairgrounds. I’d love to be a part of it and we’ll see if it makes sense for us.”
Elliott has wins at both the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and the Nashville Superspeedway to his credit. In 2013, Elliott won the All American 400, the biggest race each year at the Nashville Fairgrounds drawing top Late Model competition from across the nation.
In 2021, he and his father Bill Elliott competed with the Superstar Racing Experience at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. Chase Elliott won that race, while Bill finished third.
Elliott won the NASCAR Cup Series event at Nashville Superspeedway in 2022, and finished fourth one year ago in the race.
The Thursday night race will afford drivers already in Nashville for the NASCAR weekend across all three of the top series the opportunity to race at the Fairgrounds.
Racing at Nashville Superspeedway begins on Friday, June 28 with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The NASCAR Xfinity Series races on Saturday, June 29, with the NASCAR Cup Series rounding out the weekend on Sunday, June 30.
Fans can watch racing from the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway all season long on RacingAmerica.tv. Subscribe today to watch the June 27 Late Model Special as well as the rest of the year’s events at the track.
