Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Josh Berry will continue his NASCAR Cup Series journey next season and beyond with Wood Brothers Racing in a multiyear agreement announced on Wednesday at the Ford Performance facility in Mooresville, North Carolina.
“It’s a multiyear deal as long as I run good, and I don’t plan on running bad,” Berry said during the announcement.
Berry, a 33-year-old Cup Series rookie, is currently driving for Stewart-Haas Racing but was displaced when the team announced that it would shutter at the end of the season. He will replace Harrison Burton at NASCAR’s oldest team next season but one that also has deep technical ties to Team Penske.
Burton has yet to win for the team in his third season driving the iconic No. 21. His first win with the team would also be the 100th for the organization, a responsibility that would land upon Berry if it doesn’t happen before his arrival.
“I think Josh was the obvious choice,” said team principal Jon Wood, who did speak to Chase Briscoe earlier in this process before Joe Gibbs Racing swooped in and made that deal.
Before joining Stewart-Haas, Berry won five races in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports, where he also spent a decade headlining its Late Model Stock program. Berry won 100 races for the company across the Mid-Atlantic as team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. advocated that his friend was a Cup Series driver in search of a Cup Series owner.
Berry also performed admirably in substitute driver roles for Hendrick Motorsports in 2023, further cementing his status as a Cup capable contender. Now, he has at least two additional years of security and likely a third with an option as long as, like he says, he performs.
He will not be joined at the team by SHR crew chief Rodney Childers as Team Penske will supply the crewing for the Wood Brothers No. 21 next season. Motorcraft and Quick Lane are expected to continue their long-standing relationship with Wood Brothers Racing in 2025 and Berry has his own partnerships expected to make its way over as well.
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.