Josh Berry has been introduced as the brand new driver for NASCAR’s longest working Cup organisation, taking up as the brand new full-time driver within the Wooden Brothers #21 Ford subsequent season.
The 33-year-old will substitute second-generation NASCAR driver Harrison Burton, who joined the Wooden Brothers in 2021 and has one top-five and 5 top-10 finishes in 92 profession begins.
Berry grew to become obtainable after SHR co-owners Tony Stewart and Gene Haas introduced in Could their plans to shutter the four-team Cup operation on the finish of the 2024 season.
Haas later determined to retain one of the Cup teams and two Xfinity teams and run it beneath the Haas Manufacturing unit Crew banner in 2025, though it stays unclear who will drive for the Formulation 1 group boss.
Berry’s present SHR team-mate Chase Briscoe has already been announced because the alternative for the retiring Martin Truex Jr at Joe Gibbs Racing, whereas it additionally has Noah Gragson and Ryan Preece on its roster.
After a profitable profession within the Xfinity Collection with JR Motorsports that included 5 wins, Berry stepped as much as the Cup Collection full-time in 2024 following Kevin Harvick’s retirement.
He was a substitute driver at Hendrick Motorsports final 12 months when drivers Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman suffered accidents, taking his career-best runner-up end in Cup filling in for Elliott at Richmond, and in addition stepped in at Legacy Motor Membership for the suspended Gragson.
Josh Berry, Stewart-Haas Racing, Overstock.com Ford Mustang
Photograph by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Images
At present nineteenth within the Cup standings, with all 4 of his top-10 finishes coming within the final seven races, Berry will be a part of a group that was began in 1950 by household patriarch Glen Wooden.
The group founder raced on the seaside in Daytona, gained 4 races in what would grow to be the Cup sequence and was named one among NASCAR’s 50 Best Drivers.
A number of of NASCAR’s Best Drivers have pushed for Wood Brothers Racing, which recorded its 99th and most up-to-date victory at Pocono in 2017 with present Cup Collection champion Ryan Blaney.
Since in 2015, the Wooden Brothers has benefitted from a technical alliance with Team Penkse, which incorporates driver improvement and utilisation of Penske personnel.
It’s unclear what the longer term holds for Burton, whose father Jeff gained 21 races in Cup between 1997 and 2008.
“Through the years, we’ve had the privilege of working with a mess of profitable drivers, and now having the chance so as to add Josh Berry to that checklist is a major milestone for our group,” mentioned Wooden Brothers Racing president Jon Wooden.
“Josh brings a wealth of expertise and willpower, evident thorough his success in each stage of competitors, from grassroots NASCAR to current day. He suits the values of our group, and we imagine that with Josh behind the wheel, we are going to obtain nice issues collectively on the observe.”