CONCORD, N.C. — Josh Berry will join Wood Brothers Racing next season, becoming the second Stewart-Haas Racing driver to announce a new ride for 2025.
Berry will drive the No. 21. He replaces Harrison Burton, who is in his third season with the organization. The team announced that it had a multi-year agreement with Berry.
“Josh was by far and away the top prospect,” Jon Wood, president of Wood Brothers Racing, said Wednesday. " ... His results speak for themselves.”
Said Berry: “It’s a great opportunity for me. I feel ready to provide results.”
The crew chief for Berry has not yet been determined, Jon Wood said.
“The crew chief hasn’t been worked out yet,” Jon Wood said. “There’s a lot of good people at Team Penske.”
Wood Brothers Racing is aligned with Team Penske and uses some of its personnel.
Full sponsorship also will be announced at a later date. The team will continue to receive support from Ford Motorcraft/Quick Lane.
Berry, a Cup rookie this season who took over the No. 4 for Kevin Harvick after he retired, was forced to look for a ride when Stewart-Haas Racing announced May 28 that it would cease operations after this season. Teammate Chase Briscoe will move to Joe Gibbs Racing next season and take over the No. 19 car with Martin Truex Jr. stepping away from full-time racing after this season.
Berry’s SHR teammates Noah Gragson and Ryan Preece have yet to announce their plans for next year.
The 33-year-old Berry has had four top-10 finishes in the last seven races. He’s only had three finishes outside the top 20 in the last 10 points races.
“I feel like (the Wood Brothers) are getting somebody that is not going to quit,” Berry said. “I’ve worked way too hard at this and I’ve done it for so long that you can’t beat somebody that gets up, and I’ve had to grind it out for years to get to this point. I feel like I’ve proven myself over and over again. I feel like I’m ready for this challenge.”
The Wood Brothers continue to seek their 100th career Cup win. They scored their 99th Cup victory with Ryan Blaney on June 11, 2017, at Pocono Raceway.