With Brendan Queen gaining hype after his ARCA championship campaign. It makes him the most recent late-model driver to suddenly rise from touring late model to the big time in NASCAR. Joining the likes of Josh Berry, Ryan Preece, and Carson Kvapil, plus more.

But what nobody is talking about is how rare this is. There have been drivers like Greg Biffle, who came into NASCAR in their 30s after being a hero in the short-track scene. Even then, he only got his shot because of Benny Parsons recommending him to Jack Roush. So, systemically, so many late-model drivers from their mid-20s to 30s are rising through NASCAR’s ranks. And it’s all thanks to JRM.

Josh Berry’s origin and rise!

It all started on iRacing. In 2008, when Josh Berry came home from racing legends cars, he didn’t unwind and stop racing; he only took it online. And with such skill, he impressed the brand-new Hendrick driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., when they raced each other in the DMP Online Racing league.

Josh Berry was a bank teller who was still studying at Volunteer State Community College while balancing his passion for racing. But despite all that, he worked hard to improve his racecraft and impressed Dale Jr. enough to sign him to the JRM late model team in 2010.

Using his connection with NASCAR’s most popular driver, he started to warm his way into NASCAR. Beginning with one or two races a year, with JRM starting in 2014, which he spun into part-time stints with backmarkers in the Xfinity and Truck series. But he wasn’t on any fan’s radar; instead, he was one of many anonymous backmarkers.

Then his big break came when Dale Jr. finally thought he was ready for a larger schedule, as it was announced that he’d run 12 races for JRM in 2021. Then came the race that changed his whole life for the better. When he won the 2021 Cook Out 250 at Martinsville.

From there on, he ran two full-time seasons with JRM in Xfinity while also running part-time in Cup, even filling in as a substitute driver for many races. Now he’s been full-time in the Cup Series since 2024. And even got his first career win at Las Vegas, which also clinched him his first-ever NASCAR postseason in 2025.

Those who have come before and after!

This sparked something in the NASCAR garage, as a few late-model veterans have made their way to the top of the Stock Car Racing world. Ryan Preece was even signed to RFK, one of the best Cup Series teams. He was a short-track/modified driver who broke through in NASCAR but could only find himself in midpack Cup Series teams, and even was out of the Cup Series for a year. Now, in 2025, he was one of the Cup Series most consistent drivers.

But no other team has embraced this new late-model revolution more than the team that inspired it: JRM. As shown when they gave Andrew Williams Pollard, or, as he’s better known, “Bubba” Pollard, a start in 2024, where he finished 6th. Then, while younger, Carson Kvapil had established himself in the late model scene with JRM. Was promoted to JRM in 2025 in the Xfinity Series.

Another young late-model driver who might never have gotten a look at NASCAR if it weren’t for the Josh Berry effect is Vicente Salas. Part of that is his 2023 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series championship. But it was a stage he could only reach through his late-model results and reputation.

Most notable among multiple-time Whelen Modified Series champions is Justin Bonsignore, who has been part-time in the Xfinity Series for Joe Gibbs Racing, multiple-time champions. And his Modified mate, Patrick Emerling, hasn’t only gone from regularly winning Modified races to racing part-time in Xfinity. But even co-owned Joey Gase’s team for a time.

While Connor Hall is a two-time NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Champion and a Virginia short track hero. Did a Truck Series one-off in 2024 with a top truck team in MHR. Where he finished 10th at his home track of Richmond.

One of the best examples of this effect is Nick Leitz. The Virginia short track driver who followed in his family’s footsteps and began late model racing. And like Josh Berry did some CARS Tour races before breaking into NASCAR in 2022, the same year Josh Berry was going full-time in Xfinity with JRM for the first time, and was substituting for Cup Series drivers and earning top tens in Hendrick cars.

Doing races for Reaume Brothers Racing in the Truck Series and now being a regular for midpack teams in Xfinity. Like RSS Racing and SS-Greenlight Racing! He’s competed in 12 races in 2025 and hopes to do more in 2026.

And of course, the latest and greatest example, Brenden Queen. The now 28-year-old Virginian wasn’t on any NASCAR team’s radar until he got a ride in the CARS Tour with Lee Pulliam. And in 2023, he’d beat multiple NASCAR drivers in North W

The CARS Tour Craze!

We’ve already covered a few, but there have also been plenty of drivers who have been in the CARS Tour as part of their development. Something JRM and Dale Jr are directly connected to. As Dale Jr. is a part owner of the Series, JRM races in the CARS Tour.

Such as the defending CARS Late Model Stock Tour champion, Landen Lewis, the 19-year-old who’s already done a few starts in the Truck Series in 2023 and 2024. And will be part-time in the 45 for Niece Motorsports in 2026. While Luke Fenhaus, despite winning the Slinger Nationals as a teen, then almost won in SRX. Didn’t break into NASCAR or ARCA until 2023 after he won the CARS Pro Late Model Tour title.

The likes of Connor Mosack and Connor Zilisch, who started in karts and decided to make a left turn into NASCAR. Both drove for JRM in the CARS Tour. Zilisch even won a couple of races for JRM in the CARS Tour before dominating with JRM in the Xfinity Series. And Mosack was even the 2020 CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour Rookie of the Year.

Plus, even others like Corey Heim, the 2024 record-breaking truck series champion, were part-time in the Cup Series, and his rivals, Ty Gibbs and Carson Hocevar, ran stints in the CARS Tour before working their way through the NASCAR ranks and becoming Cup Series drivers.

Meanwhile, drivers like Kyle Larson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Tyler Reddick, Austin Cindric, Ryan Reed, Ty Majeski, Chase Briscoe, and Cole Custer never did race in the CARS Tour, while Daniel Hemric only ever did a single race. Drivers like Christopher Bell and Shane Lee competed in the CARS Tour in 2015.

But it was Josh Berry who put the series on the map for most fans and team owners. And made it almost a requirement for younger drivers looking to break into NASCAR to run the series as a way to measure themselves against the best veteran drivers outside NASCAR. Even the likes of Larson and Briscoe have done one-offs in 2023, Larson with JRM. Because of the series’s soaring reputation.

With series like ARCA and Trucks having so many younger drivers. It makes a series like the CARS Tour more important than ever. It gives younger drivers veterans to watch and learn from, and tells them the dos and don’ts of racing. Something JRM sees as important, hence why they entered the series early.

Much of which is due to JRM and Dale Jr.’s investment. Plus, Josh Berry’s rise from the CARS Tour to being a winning Cup Series driver. Putting a spotlight on the series it didn’t have before and showing NASCAR its value for driver development. One savvy owner, like Dale Jr. with JRM, will invest in and take advantage of. Thanks a bunch for reading!

Image Credit: Patrick Vallely