On June 10, 2026, Josh Berry shut down the circulating rumors around his return to Wood Brothers Racing next season with a simple statement: “Just to go ahead and put it out there, I will not be back in the 21 car next year.” Wood Brothers later confirmed, stating it won’t exercise the option with the 35-year-old, but that leaves Berry in a precarious situation, as he still does not have a ride for the 2027 season. Although Dale Earnhardt Jr. thinks he might drop to the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (NOAPS), he came up with an interesting Noah Gragson theory that could save Berry a seat.

“I don’t even know that this is being contemplated, but Noah Gragson to the 33 because of the Bass Pro Shops connection. If that relationship is still as strong today with Bass Pro Shops and Noah,” Dale Jr. said, speaking on the Dale Jr. Download podcast. “But I don’t know that RCR wants this. That would open up the 4, where there’s a potential that Josh goes there. There’s no real opportunity.”

With limited options available, Dale Jr.’s suggestion makes sense. Gragson’s Bass Pro Shops partnership could attract Richard Childress Racing (RCR), where Dale Jr. suggests he move to the #33.

Austin Hill has piloted the #33 (previously #8) since Kyle Busch‘s passing. However, he has a much stronger grip in the NOAPS, and there have been no signs of him making a full-time debut. Further, moving to a well-established team like RCR would have its perks for Gragson.

At Front Row Motorsports (FRM) since 2025, Gragson hasn’t found competitive results. RCR, though not elite, is stronger—and an experienced #33 crew would help. Further, the team could benefit from Bass Pro Shops.

This would leave an open spot at FRM’s #4 team, where Berry could find a home.

With Wood Brothers Racing, apart from his victory last year, Berry hasn’t been able to find much success. In fact, his performance closely aligns with Gragson’s: both have had average finishes this season, ranging between 26 and 27. So, if Gragson were to find better performance with RCR, he might as well make the move. As for Berry, the move to the NOAPS would seem to be the only way to protect his racing seat in the Cup Series.

NASCAR spotter drops a hint about Noah Gragson’s replacement

Freddie Kraft, spotter for Bubba Wallace’s #23 in the Cup Series field, recently made a sly comment while speaking on the Door, Bumper Clear podcast, hinting towards the new replacement that Wood Brothers Racing has signed for the 2027 season.

“I think everybody’s going to love the new driver,” he said.

While this certainly sounds interesting, it leaves the entire pack under massive speculation. We can make a few guesses, and Jesse Love appears to be a strong prospect. He was earlier expected to replace Kyle Busch at RCR, but with Busch’s sudden demise and Hill becoming the immediate replacement (even if it is for now), Love might look for some other opportunities in the Cup Series, and considering how the silly season has been going so far, he could also be the pick for Wood Brothers.

However, drawing any speculation at this time would be difficult, especially considering the sponsorship situation for many drivers.