Josh Berry to replace Harrison Burton in Wood Brothers No. 21 car in 2025

NEWTON, IOWA - JUNE 15: Josh Berry, driver of the #4 Overstock.com Ford, stands on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway on June 15, 2024 in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) — Josh Berry is staying in the NASCAR Cup Series as he will drive the No. 21 car in 2025. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Josh Berry is moving from one Ford to another.

Wood Brothers Racing announced Wednesday that Berry would drive the No. 21 car in 2025. Berry replaces Harrison Burton following the closure of Stewart-Haas Racing.

Berry was tabbed as Kevin Harvick’s replacement at SHR following the announcement of Harvick’s retirement at the end of the 2023 season. However, his time with the team will last just one season after SHR announced earlier this year that it would cease operations at the end of the season.

Berry, 33, is currently 19th in the points standings with two top fives and four top 10s through the first 19 races of the season. He joined SHR after five wins in three Xfinity Series seasons at JR Motorsports. Berry finished fourth in the Xfinity standings in 2022 with a career-high three wins.

He’s the second driver from SHR to already have a ride announced for next season. Chase Briscoe was previously revealed as the replacement for the retiring Martin Truex Jr. in 2025. Berry’s announcement leaves Ryan Preece and Noah Gragson as the two SHR drivers without known plans for next season.

Berry’s arrival should boost a Wood Brothers team that has an alliance with Team Penske. After winning four races for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2020 and finishing eighth in the Xfinity Series standings in back-to-back seasons, Burton signed with the team ahead of the 2022 season. He finished 27th in the standings during his rookie season and his performance has declined since.

Burton was 31st with just two top-10 finishes a season ago and is 33rd in the standings this season. Burton’s average finish has dropped from 22.8 his rookie season to 26.7 this season, and Zane Smith is the only full-time Cup Series driver who is behind Burton in the points standings.

Burton’s struggles have come as Team Penske’s drivers have excelled. Thanks to Joey Logano’s win at Nashville, all three Penske drivers have a victory in 2024 and Ryan Blaney won the title in 2023 following Logano’s title in 2022.

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