Josh Berry To Leave Wood Brothers Racing After 2026 NASCAR Season

Berry Breaks His Own News

The stunning news comes days before Berry is set to make his 100^th start in the NASCAR Cup series in the Wood Brothers famous No. 21 Ford. The news was also a shock to the media as well. That’s because Berry himself revealed his departure during what is normally a weekly routine: Ford media session. When asked to reflect on his career at the 100^th start milestone, Berry said it’s been an amazing ride full of ups and downs. Sadly, his future now appears to be one of those downs.

“I’ll just go ahead and put it out there that I will not be back in the 21 car next year,” he said. “I’m obviously disappointed about that. They’ve been amazing to work with. They’re amazing people and it’s been such a great opportunity.”

That pronouncement set off a flurry of activity that saw reporters scrambling to post to social media channels, while still trying to listen to what Berry had to say.

Moments later the team posted a statement to its own social media channels:

“Wood Brothers Racing, the longest-running active team competing in NASCAR, confirmed today that it will not exercise its option with driver Josh Berry for the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season. Currently in his second year with the team, Berry will continue to race the No. 21 Ford Mustang Dark Horse through the balance of the 2026 season. Wood Brothers Racing will announce the new driver of the No. 21 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for the 2027 Cup Series season in the near future.”

“We thank Josh Berry for all he’s done for Wood Brothers Racing and our partners over the last two seasons. Josh has been a great teammate, and we look forward to a strong finish to this season. We wish Josh all the best moving forward. We will announce who will be driving the No. 21 Ford Mustang Dark Horse in 2027 soon and we are excited for what lies ahead for Wood Brothers Racing.”

From Bank Teller To Cup Series Driver

Berry’s path to the Cup Series was anything but conventional.

The Tennessee native was racing Legends cars at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, attending community college, and working as a bank teller when he caught the attention of Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2008. The two competed against each other in an online racing league, and Earnhardt liked what he saw.

Two years later, Earnhardt hired Berry to race Late Models for JR Motorsports. Over the next decade, Berry became the winningest driver in CARS Tour history while adding ARCA and NASCAR Truck Series starts to his résumé. He eventually moved into the NASCAR Xfinity (now O’Reilly Auto Parts) Series, first part-time and then full-time with JR Motorsports in 2022 and 2023, collecting five victories in just 97 starts.

Along the way, Berry developed a reputation as one of stock car racing’s most dependable substitute drivers.

His Cup Series debut came in 2021 when Covid-19 sidelined Spire Motorsports driver Justin Haley. An even bigger opportunity arrived in 2023 when Chase Elliott suffered a broken leg in a snowboarding accident and Hendrick Motorsports needed a replacement. Through the relationship between Hendrick Motorsports and JR Motorsports, Berry got the call.

A Dream Opportunity, Then Another Detour

The news for Berry and his growing fanbase only got better that same year when he became the replacement driver for Kevin Harvick, who retired at the end of 2023. And so, Berry began his first full Cup season with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2024.

Unfortunately, the timing couldn’t be worse.

Early in Berry’s rookie Cup season, Stewart-Haas Racing announced it would shut down at the end of 2024, forcing him back into the driver market almost as soon as he arrived.

Thus began his tenure with NASCAR’s oldest active team. One that has fielded cars for legendary drivers such as Curtis Turner, Junior Johnson, Cale Yarborough and David Pearson.

Early on the pairing seemed to be perfect. In just his third start for the team, Berry scored his first NASCAR Cup series win in March at Las Vegas. The win helped propel the team into the playoffs, although three DNFs ultimately ended their postseason run.

Since then, it almost seems as though a dark cloud has been hovering over Berry and the Wood Brothers. In the first 15 races this season the No. 21 car has crashed out 4 times. And while Berry has scored 2 top 10 finishes, the honeymoon, it seems, is over, and Berry will need to find a new home next season.

The Question Facing Josh Berry

The obvious question becomes who takes over one of NASCAR’s most recognizable rides.

Nothing is certain at this point, but speculation seems to center on Jesse Love. Whether the 21-year-old, reigning O’Reilly Auto Parts champion, will be the Chosen One, or who might be is far from certain. Finding a new driver for one of the most famous cars in the history of NASCAR, however, shouldn’t be an issue.

That leaves the bigger question: what does the future in NASCAR hold for Josh Berry? He has a loyal fan base and has already demonstrated he can win at NASCAR’s highest level.

But there’s a problem, an elephant in the room sized one.

Josh Berry will be 36 in October this year. In a sport where youth is often valued almost as highly as talent, and with relatively few Cup Series openings expected for 2027, Berry will join a long list of drivers searching for opportunities. Unlike many of the others in that line, however, he won’t be able to sell teams on long-term potential.

For now, Berry still has a season to run, races he could still win, and the hopeful optimism that can only come with age.

“I still feel like I’m the same guy that won Las Vegas,” Berry said during that media session Wednesday. “I’m still the same guy that nearly won at New Hampshire in the playoffs.

“The sun came up today regardless of how bad it might have felt yesterday. It might have felt like it might not, but the sun came up this morning and it’s a new day. You land on your feet and go to work and that’s all you can do.”