On Wednesday, Berry was introduced as the brand new everlasting driver of the long-lasting No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford, starting in 2025.
Berry, 33, will replace Harrison Burton, the 23-year-old son of former NASCAR star Jeff Burton. The younger Burton joined the Wood Brothers in 2021 and has one top-five and five top-10 finishes in 92 profession starts.
“When you think about NASCAR’s history and legacy, it’s hard not to think about the Wood Brothers and the incredible impact they had on the sport,” Berry said in a team statement. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be a small part of continuing that legacy. The opportunity to add my name to the list of drivers who have driven the iconic No. 21 car is something I don’t take lightly.”
Berry became available after SHR co-owners Tony Stewart and Gene Haas announced plans in May to shutter the four-team Cup organization at the tip of the 2024 season.
Haas later decided to retain certainly one of its Cup teams and two Xfinity teams and operate them under the Haas Factory Team banner for 2025.
Josh Berry, Stewart-Haas Racing, Overstock.com Ford Mustang
Photo: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsports images
After a successful Xfinity Series profession with JR Motorsports, Berry joined Stewart-Haas Racing because the everlasting driver of the No. 4 Ford team this season. After a slow start, Berry sits nineteenth within the series standings, with all 4 of his top 10 finishes coming within the last seven races.
Berry, who has five Xfinity race wins with JRM, also made 10 Cup starts across the 2021 and 2023 seasons, most notably as a fill-in driver for Hendrick Motorsports when drivers Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman were injured.
His best Cup finish of second got here in 2023 at Richmond, Virginia, when he replaced Elliot within the No. 9 Chevrolet.
Legendary racing team
The Wood Brothers organization was founded in 1950 by family patriarch Glen Wood, who raced on the beach at Daytona, won 4 races within the later Cup Series and was named certainly one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers.
A complete of 20 of NASCAR's top drivers have driven for Wood Brothers Racing, including Curtis Turner, Fireball Roberts, Dale Jarrett, AJ Foyt, Glen Wood, Buddy Baker, Junior Johnson, Cale Yarborough, Ned Jarrett, David Pearson, Ralph Earnhardt, Neil Bonnett, Ricky Rudd, Mark Martin and Bill Elliott.
The Wood Brothers team earned its 98th Daytona 500 victory in 2011 with rookie Trevor Bayne, and its 99th win at Pocono in 2017 with Ryan Blaney, who currently drives for Team Penske.
“We have had the privilege of working with many successful drivers over the years, and the opportunity to add Josh Berry to that list is a significant milestone for our team,” said Jon Wood, President of Wood Brothers Racing. “Josh brings a wealth of talent and determination that is evident in his success at every level of competition, from NASCAR to today. He aligns with our team values, and we believe that with Josh behind the wheel, we will achieve great things together on the track.”
Beginning in 2015, the Wood Brothers entered right into a technical partnership with Penske that features driver development and the usage of Penske personnel within the No. 21 team.
