By Reid Scearce
Josh Berry’s strong summer leads to another opportunity with Legacy Motor Club in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027.
For Josh Berry, the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season appeared headed for an awkward finish long before the checkered flag waved at Daytona International Speedway.
Wood Brothers Racing
Berry began the 2026 season driving the no. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford after a 2025 campaign that included both the biggest achievement of his Cup career and one of the toughest stretches of it. In his fifth race with the Wood Brothers, Berry won the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Speedway, earning his first Cup Series win and the organization’s 101st.
The win meant Berry advanced to the NASCAR playoffs, but his campaign is unlikely to get any worse. Berry crashed in the opening two races of the Round of 16 before a brake problem at Bristol Motor Speedway cost him three consecutive last-place finishes. He immediately dropped out of contention and eventually finished 16th in the championship standings.
Berry finished 2025 with eight top-tens, three top-fives and one win. NASCAR’s season review noted that Berry bounced back from playoff absences, including a runner-up finish at New Hampshire and a seventh-place finish at Phoenix.
Unfortunately for Berry, his 2026 season started on a low note.
Berry finished ninth in the Daytona 500, but his season quickly unraveled. He finished 26th or worse in 11 of his next 15 races and recorded four DNFs. Martinsville was Berry’s only top ten finisher during that span. By June, the Wood brothers had seen enough.
The uncertainty of 2027 leads to a reversal in 2026
On June 10, Berry announced that he would not return to No. 21 in 2027. Wood Brothers Racing later confirmed they would not take up the 35-year-old driver’s option. A week later, Wood Brothers Racing appointed Jesse Love as Berry’s replacement. Suddenly, Berry found himself in a similar situation with many drivers ahead of him. Despite proving he could win a Cup Series, he didn’t have a ride for the following season or the sponsorship money to secure a competitive season.
Shortly after that news broke, however, the tide began to turn for Berry. Beginning in late July at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Berry put together one of the best runs of his NASCAR career. The No. 21 Ford posted top-ten finishes in six straight races and most recently in the postseason opener. His average in those six races was a staggering 6.3, with Berry recording the top two finishes and never finishing worse than ninth.
Indianapolis – 7th
Iowa – 4th
Richmond – 8th
New Hampshire – 3rd
Daytona – 9th
Darlington – 7th
Legacy Motor Club
Fortunately for Berry, teams like Legacy Motor Club were watching closely. Once he made his lineup, another trip to the Cup Series opened up. On Sept. 1, The Athletic reported that Legacy Motor Club will part ways with John Hunter Nemechek at the end of the 2026 season. Motorsport America reported that Berry was immediately considered the leading candidate to fill the vacant position.
Legacy officially confirmed on September 2 that Nemechek will not be returning. Nemechek had just one top-five finish and two top-ten finishes during the 2026 season, while finishing 27th in points after Daytona. On September 8, a week after the news of Nemechek’s departure, the Legacy Motor Club announced that Josh Berry would pilot the No. 42 Toyota in 2027.
In an official Legacy Motor Club press release, co-owner Jimmie Johnson praised Berry’s credentials, citing “his experience, perspective and wisdom.”
Berry’s results not only improved his chances in the Cup Series, but his results came at the right time. After spending most of the summer of 2027 without a ride, Berry proved to Jimmie Johnson and the Legacy Motor Club that he still belongs in the Cup Series.
Six straight top ten finishes transformed Berry from a driver looking for a ride to one of the NASCAR Cup Series’ most popular free agents. Berry will now begin his fourth consecutive full-time Cup Series season with Legacy Motor Club. Ironically, Wood Brothers Racing’s decision to move on from Berry may have arguably provided the push Berry needed to produce the part of the race that ultimately saved his career.
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