Josh Berry, driver of the No. 21 from Wood Brothers Racing, has been showing exceptional performance lately, taking advantage of the ally that Team Penske represents. Despite the success, Berry finds himself in a delicate situation, as his continuity with the team is in doubt after the announcement that he will be replaced by Jesse Love starting in 2027.
Berry is unaware of what opportunity he has for next year, but his recent performance surge could be decisive in attracting the attention of NASCAR team owners. In recent races, he has adopted a more aggressive style, a change that is understandable given the circumstances.
“I’m not doing anything different,” Berry commented on his effort to prove he deserves to be racing. “I may have been a bit harder than usual.”
Although Berry does not prefer such an aggressive driving style, he acknowledges that his fellow competitors understand his current situation. “It’s not sustainable colliding with everyone during a Cup season, but this is fighting for everything you can,” he added.
In his last race at New Hampshire, Berry led 73 laps, a record number for him in a Cup race. He finished third, after an outstanding performance where he started second and achieved four consecutive top tens, a feat not reached by Wood Brothers Racing drivers since Morgan Shepherd in 1994.
After an eighth place at Richmond, a fourth at Iowa, and a seventh at Brickyard 400, Berry approaches the season with optimism. “We’ve had better cars and, honestly, better luck. It’s nice to be able to take advantage of it,” he concluded.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
