Obaika Racing Plans on Full-Time NASCAR Cup Series Entry for 2019
Tanner Berryhill will become a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver next season, courtesy of Obaika Racing.
Obaika Racing plans to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series full-time next season, marking the first time in the team's history. The organization announced on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Monday that Tanner Berryhill will be the driver of the team’s No. 97.
“Tanner is a very intelligent and motivated young man, and I am very excited to what he can accomplish during his rookie season,” Obaika Racing owner Victor Obaika said in a press release from the team. “The Obaika Racing team is working hard through the winter to put fast cars on track next year, and I have every confidence that Tanner is going to work hard to improve every race and get the most out of our equipment. 2019 is going to be a great year for this team.”
The 2019 race season also will be Berryhill’s first as a full-time Cup Series driver. He competed this year at ISM Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway for Obaika, with his best finish of 31st coming at ISM.
“I am very thankful for the opportunities that Victor Obaika, the whole race team, and our partners are giving me, and I’m looking forward to making the most of it,” Berryhill said. “It’s a dream come true to be racing full-time again, and I’m excited to see this program continue to grow. Thank you to everyone who made this possible, and I’ll see you in Daytona.”
Obaika Racing also first took on NASCAR Cup Series competition during the 2018 season, making its series debut with David Starr behind the wheel at Texas Motor Speedway and running the final three races of the season.
Berryhill advances from Xfinity to Cup
Tanner Berryhill races a Berryhill family-owned No. 17 Dodge in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2014.
Berryhill has 40 additional races of NASCAR national series experience, coming in the Xfinity Series between 2012 and 2014. He raced a car owned by his family in all of those races and posted a career-best finish of 17th at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2017.
Obaika Racing also has Xfinity Series experience with 78 race starts to its credit between 2015 and 2017. Peyton Sellers has competed in the most races for the team, driving the Obaika entry for 16 races in 2015.