Josh Berry has been very fast lately in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford, rising with the rest of Team Penske, whom they are closely aligned with.
But for Berry, it’s not just about ending his 2026 season on a high note. The 35-year-old is racing for his future in the sport, as the Wood Brothers will replace him with Jesse Love in 2027.
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Berry doesn’t know what he’ll be doing next year, but his recent hot streak could go a long way to getting him noticed by NASCAR team owners. He’s also racing with a bit more aggression, and understandably so.
“It’s like I’ve said the last few weeks, I’m not doing anything different,” Berry said in response to Motorsport.com when asked about proving he belongs. “I mean, maybe I was a little rougher today than normal.
“I don’t — I don’t necessarily like racing like that. But I mean, these guys know what I’m up against right now. I think they — most of them have a lot of respect for me. So, I think they understand and it’s not something — knocking everybody out of the way as soon as you get to them — it’s not something that’s sustainable over the course of a Cup season. But I think in this scenario, it’s just fighting for everything you can.”
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Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing
Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing
At one point, Berry put the bumper to Wallace in the battle for the race lead, who gave it right back as they battled for the top spot before the final round of pit stops. Berry led 73 laps at New Hampshire, which is the most he’s ever led in a single Cup race.
“Like I said, I’m not doing anything different,” Berry continued. “I’m not prepping any different. I’m not studying any different. I’m not doing the same things I’ve always done. And we’ve just had better cars and honestly better luck. And it feels nice to capitalize on it. I have four top tens in a row, really would be five if it wasn’t for getting wrecked at Wilkesboro.”
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Berry started second and finished third at New Hampshire, which follows an eighth-place finish at Richmond, fourth at Iowa, and seventh in the Brickyard 400.
He is also the first Wood Brothers Racing driver to string together four consecutive top ten finishes since Morgan Shepherd did it in 1994 — 32 years ago. That’s a stat Berry should he certainly add to his resume in his ongoing job search.
Watch: Josh Berry on final charge to P3: ‘That was everything I had’
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Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports
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Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing
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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing
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William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
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Joey Logano, Team Penske, Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing
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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
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Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports
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Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports
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Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing
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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
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Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing
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Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing
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Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing
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Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing
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Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing, Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing
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William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
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William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
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William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
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Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing
Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing
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Ryan Blaney, Team Penske
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Ryan Blaney, Team Penske
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Ryan Blaney, Team Penske
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Ryan Blaney, Team Penske
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Ryan Blaney, Team Penske
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Ryan Blaney, Team Penske
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