The announcement of Stewart-Haas Racing’s closure at the end of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season has undoubtedly sent shockwaves through the racing community, leaving their four current drivers scrambling to secure new rides for 2025. Among them is rookie Josh Berry, who, after taking over Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 Ford this year, has now found a new opportunity with Wood Brothers Racing. Berry is set to replace Harrison Burton in the No. 21 Ford for the upcoming season.
Wood Brothers Racing, one of the most storied teams in NASCAR history, has been on a quest for their 100th Cup Series victory for over seven years. Their last win dates back to June 2017, when Ryan Blaney took them to victory lane at Pocono Raceway, marking their 99th win. Since then, despite the efforts of Blaney, Paul Menard, Matt DiBenedetto, and Burton, the team has been unable to clinch that elusive milestone victory in the 259 races that have followed.
Berry was recently asked about the possibility of being the driver to secure the 100th win for Wood Brothers Racing next year. In response, he emphasized that Burton still has 15 chances left in the current season. “Yeah, I think…” Berry began before pausing briefly. “Really simply – at this point, obviously, they have racing to do this year as well, so we can’t discount that.”
Despite Burton’s struggles in the Cup Series, finishing 27th in points as a rookie in 2022 and dropping to 31st last year, Berry is not dismissing the potential for an unexpected win. Burton, currently 33rd in the standings through 21 races this year, has shown flashes of competitiveness, particularly at superspeedways, where three of the final 15 races are set to be held.
Berry’s respect for Burton’s remaining opportunities speaks volumes about his character and perspective as he prepares to join Wood Brothers Racing. He recognizes that the team’s long-standing desire to achieve their 100th win aligns perfectly with his own goal of securing a victory in the Cup Series. “They’ve been on 99 wins since 2017, and they’re making an investment and want to get better, want to get more competitive, and they want to win that 100th race,” Berry stated.
Berry also acknowledged that while the opportunity to deliver the 100th win is not guaranteed, it would be a significant achievement. “That pretty much is the goal at this point,” he said. “The Wood Brothers have been around, next year will be their 75th year, and they want to check that box pretty badly. That’s definitely the biggest goal, and obviously for me, that aligns with my goal because I want to win in the Cup Series, and if we were able to do that together, that would be really special.”
As Berry prepares for his transition, he remains focused on finishing the current season strong with Stewart-Haas Racing. “I’m definitely really proud of the effort that we put together over the last couple of months amidst everything going on around us, to bang out a lot of really good finishes over the course of that,” he said. “We’ve been getting better, week in and week out. It’s been up and down, but ultimately this is my first full season racing Cup cars, so with a new team, I think that those kinds of things are going to take time to establish consistency.”
Having his plans for 2025 confirmed has also eased some of the pressure Berry faced earlier in the year as rumors about Stewart-Haas Racing’s shutdown circulated. “I think it does help a little bit,” he admitted. “I feel like over the last couple of months, obviously, we were really, all of us as a group, were racing kind of for our jobs, in a way. So to have some of that stuff figured out eases that just a little bit. I think you can go back to focusing on your preparation and your racing and the race car and race team a little bit more than some of the stuff on the outside.”
Berry understands that performing well for his current team and sponsors remains a priority, regardless of his future plans. “But ultimately when you’re racing at the Cup level, it’s like all sports. You always have the pressure to perform well for your race team and for the partners on your car. So really nothing’s changed in that aspect, but it is kind of nice to have our plans figured out.”
Looking ahead, Berry knows he likely needs a win in the regular season to qualify for the playoffs, but he remains optimistic about his chances. “I think this weekend is going to be interesting for sure, going to Indianapolis,” he said. “I haven’t raced on the oval in Indianapolis, I’ve only run the road course the last couple of years, so it’s going to be a little bit more of a challenge. Looking at [the schedule], after our break, we go to Richmond. I feel like that’s probably one of my best tracks. I think it’s a really strong track for the No. 4 car. We ran there in the spring and finished 11th but spent a lot of time in the top three, top five, so I think that that’s one that we definitely have circled. That could be a great opportunity for us.”
Even if he doesn’t make the playoffs, Berry is determined to secure his first career win, even as a non-playoff driver. “Yeah, for sure,” he said. “I think that would be a huge deal, and we’ve seen that over the years happen from time to time, that guys outside the playoffs can obviously still win in the playoffs and are still very much in contention throughout that process.”
Berry remains realistic about the competition and the challenges ahead. “The reality of it is there are a lot of good teams and experienced drivers who are kind of right on that edge or outside of the playoff cutoff right now, so overall, I’m not too overly disappointed with where we’re at, with that being my first season. I think that we still have a lot of opportunities coming up, and it’s most definitely going to take a win from our side. But I feel like we’ve been in contention several races, and I think we can do it.”
In summary, the end of Stewart-Haas Racing marks a significant shift in the NASCAR landscape, but it also opens new doors for drivers like Josh Berry. His move to Wood Brothers Racing carries the weight of history and the promise of future success, with the tantalizing goal of delivering their 100th win. Berry’s respectful and focused approach, combined with his determination to finish the current season strong, sets the stage for an exciting and potentially historic 2025 season.
