It’s not unknown to anyone now that Josh Berry’s NASCAR Cup Series future is uncertain. Wood Brothers Racing confirmed in June that Jesse Love will take over the iconic No. 21 Ford next season. Yet amid that uncertainty, the 35-year-old has delivered strong performances.
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And once again, Berry gave his best and crossed the finish line third at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, leading 73 laps and closing with a competitive finish alongside winner Ryan Blaney and runner-up Bubba Wallace.
But still, in a post-race interview with Frontstretch, Berry stayed humble and dismissed personal credit with his 4-word verdict, “The cars are better.”
“The last two years we’ve had really good cars, and I’ve said this the last year – we’re on four top tens in a row. It should be five. I’m not doing anything different. I’m not racing any different. The cars are better.”
In New Hampshire, a late caution and subsequent pit stop proved a bit costly for Berry. He also noted that the team had been strong from start to finish, led substantial laps and remained in control until the caution happened. However, this streak marks the first time a Wood Brothers Racing driver has secured four straight top-10 finishes since Morgan Shepherd did in 1994.
This itself explains how well Berry has led this team despite representing a single-car team. Unfortunately, he sits outside the Chase run. Despite the strong run at Loudon, he is placed 29th, and mathematically out of the contention to break into top 16.
Berry also addressed that he initially felt the No.12 stronger and worked to hold position before the cars levelled out. After a pit stop left him less competitive on the short run, he yielded and focused on adjustments that later brought the No.21 back into contention.
When asked about what message he had for the NASCAR community, Berry said, “I don’t know. I’ve said the last few weeks I’m not doing anything different. Maybe I was a little rougher today than normal. I don’t really like, I don’t necessarily like racing like that, but these guys know what I’m up against right now. I think they and most of them have a lot of respect for me, so I think they understand, and it’s not something – knock everybody out of the way as soon as you get to them.”
Berry’s uncertain NASCAR future has drawn significant attention. Veteran driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. also expressed his disappointment over the ongoing situation. He expressed that he’ll be “pretty disappointed” if, in February, he doesn’t see Berry with a full-time gig in one of the three national series. He also said he just feels odd that he’s not able to find a full-time deal.
Josh Berry also revealed he was asked a million dollars to secure a full-time seat
In a very bizarre incident, Berry revealed during an interview that he was asked by a NASCAR team to pay three million dollars to secure a Cup seat for 2027.
“We had ones that we sat down, and they asked for three million dollars, so it’s been a little bit of a challenge working through all of that. To be honest, I’m kind of to the point now where I can’t do much else other than just try to focus on Sundays and try to have days like we’ve had the last couple of weeks.” Berry said in the interview.
Berry also explained that this harsh financial and sponsorship reality is not limited to the Cup Series; it’s the same in the O’Reilly Series and Truck Series. This makes it really hard for drivers without any significant personal funding to even secure a seat.
This incident raised several questions over the ongoing market reality of NASCAR, such as what if the best drivers will never get a chance because they don’t come from an influential family or don’t have enough funding.
For a driver who has already delivered a Cup victory and is now producing the kind of consistency that once earned him a full-time ride, the $3 million demand underscores how narrow the path has become. Irrespective of that, Berry has shown commitment and is still doing all he can to raise his stock and secure a ride for 2027.