Josh Berry has been tapped to once again drive LMC’s No. 42 Chevrolet, this time in next Saturday night’s Cup series regular season finale at Daytona.
The 32-year-old Xfinity Series regular who competes for JR Motorsports also drove the No. 42 at Michigan two weeks ago.
“I haven’t driven these cars on a superspeedway yet, but I’ve got great teammates in Erik Jones and Jimmie Johnson that I can lean on throughout the week to be up to speed for (Daytona),” Berry said.
The team’s original driver, Noah Gragson, was indefinitely suspended by NASCAR on Aug. 5 and has since asked for and received his release from the organization.
Mike Rockenfeller, the 2010 overall winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, drove the No. 42 last weekend at the Indy Road Course and will do so again this Sunday at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.
LMC has not settled on a driver lineup for the No. 42 past Daytona.
It’s been a difficult season to navigate for Luke Lambert, crew chief for the No. 42. In addition to Gragson’s unexpected departure and a wave of fill-in drivers, the organization is preparing for a move to the Toyota camp beginning in 2024.
“Things have changed a lot since the start of the year, obviously,” Lambert told Motorsport.com. “We’ve just been trying to make the best out of the situation we’ve got with changing circumstances.
“It’s changed rather frequently throughout the year but we’re working through it using everything that we’ve got. It’s certainly been challenging.”
Even before Gragson’s suspension, the team had Truck Series regular Grant Enfinger drive one race while Gragson was recovering from concussion-like symptoms.
Working with Rockenfeller
Berry – with whom Lambert worked last season at JRM – stepped in at Michigan when Gragson was suspended and will do so again at Daytona. The team has had a taste of consistency of late with Rockenfeller taking the wheel at back-to-back road course events.
“Working with ‘Rocky’ has been a really neat opportunity. He comes with a wealth of knowledge from driving all sorts of stuff and he’s very dedicated to his craft and works really hard at it,” Lambert said.
“It’s been a little bit of an adjustment for him learning the specifics of this car, but he’s done a good job getting up to speed. He’s really good in the simulator and provides very good feedback.”
Rockenfeller had a solid outing at the Indy Road Course last weekend, gaining 13 positions and finishing 24th, which included having to overcome a pit road speeding penalty in a race that ended with a 77-lap green flag run.
“I’m really glad we get to do these two races back-to-back with Rocky so we get to build off the things we learned last week and go to the Glen with them,” Lambert said. “Having that week of experience of racing together will help.”
With Lambert working previously with Gragson at JRM, he is well-acquainted with Berry, whose NASCAR career has blossomed with that organization.
Berry will move full-time to the Cup series next year with Stewart-Haas Racing and remains in contention to win a Xfinity title this year. He has also been working as a “super-sub,” filling in for Cup drivers at Hendrick Motorports and LMC this season.
“Josh and I have had a good relationship prior to working together this year, so I think that’s been an easy adjustment in a lot of ways,” Lambert said. “The situation at Michigan (Gragson’s suspension) was sprung on us very rapidly and a little more difficult.
“I know Josh; he’s proven that he’s a very competitive driver that does a good job of putting himself in position to get good finishes.”
Despite the difficult circumstances this year, Lambert remains upbeat about the remainder of the 2024 season.
“Any situation you’re in – whether it’s in life or in racing – it’s an opportunity to get stronger,” he said. “That’s my first key message. With the No. 42 team this year we have to take it week by week.
“As we learn who our drivers are, we need to come up with the best approach to work together and get the most out of the opportunities. Keeping that mindset is key for us to get better as a race team.
“We also need to learn things the remainder of this season that will help us going into next season. We’re still trying to build up a lot of our areas here to be a sharper competitor when we show up at the race track.”
