When Josh Berry took the stage at the Ford Performance Stage in Concord, the news of the day was that the Henderson, Tennessee, native will drive the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2025.
The smile on the 2024 Cup Series rookie driver’s face said it all.
“First and foremost is the history, the legacy and the family atmosphere that the Wood Brothers provide,” Berry said. “I really feel like they’re a great fit for me. I feel like I fit with their brand and who they are and how I got here and how they got here.”
“I have really enjoyed my relationship with Ford and continuing that is something that is important to me and I appreciate and am grateful to have this opportunity. It really means a lot to me to drive an iconic car like the 21 (Ford). I feel ready to deliver results and I think overall it will be a great relationship.”
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Jon Wood, president of Wood Brothers Racing, felt they had found the perfect driver to fill the iconic vehicle that has carried the names of so many great drivers in NASCAR history since the team was formed in 1950. Glenn Wood, the team’s founder, as well as Marvin Panch, AJ Foyt, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, Buddy Baker and Neil Bonnett, to name just a few, all had their names on the roofs of their Fords over many decades.
Berry is excited to be a part of Wood Brothers Racing as part of a multi-year deal that will keep him in position to win in the Cup Series for years to come.
“I think Josh was the obvious choice,” Jon said. “We had to look at Chase (Briscoe) first because of the relationship we had with Ford and he had with Ford, but when it became apparent that wasn’t going to work out, Josh was by far the top prospect.
“When he replaced Hendrick (Motorsports), it was an eye-opening experience. These cars are monsters and to not have experience in a Next Gen car or a Cup car and to get in that car and race like him on different types of tracks, it made us all think and at the time we didn’t know that. It’s not something you’re privy to. You don’t think, ‘Well, this could be our next driver,’ but you look back on it and it stood out.”
Len Wood, COO and long-time team member, believes they made the right decision.
“We started hearing Josh’s name, who won at Hickory? Josh Berry. Who won at Tri-County? Josh Berry. That’s been stuck in our heads for years,” Len said. “I think when he came in and drove for Chase Elliott when he had his leg issue, he did really well. He adapted quickly. I think it was at Darlington, where he didn’t have a good qualifying lap and started at the back, but finished third. That gets your attention. And then the last few weeks, he’s been pretty far up front at the end of every race, so that’s what we’re looking for.”
Eddie Wood, CEO of Wood Brothers Racing, believes team unity is the key to the success of any NASCAR Cup Series team, from the driver, crew chief, race day crew to engineers and every person associated with the team.
“A race team isn’t much different than a football team or a baseball team, it’s probably more like a soccer team,” Eddie said. “You can have the best people in the world and it just doesn’t work out. You can’t understand why. I used to make fun of people when they would say, ‘Well, the chemistry isn’t working. You need this and that.’ Now I believe that, especially with this race car. This race car is very different than what we knew growing up and working and racing all our lives. It’s very different.”
Berry is happy to receive support for his new adventure with the Wood Brothers, especially with the new season on the horizon.
“Tony (Stewart) was very excited about this,” Berry said. “He spoke highly of the Wood Brothers and the people they are and he feels this is a great fit for me and I’m thankful to Tony and SHR co-owner Gene (Haas) and the opportunity I had at Stewart-Haas Racing. That brought me here and now I have a new opportunity ahead of me for next year, so I’m very excited.”
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