Josh Berry seeks 2027 Cup ride amid funding hurdles
NXTbets Pro | Published On: August 12, 2026
Berry’s 2027 plans
Josh Berry is still searching for a 2027 NASCAR Cup Series ride, and he does not have a contract for that season. He is in the second and final year of his current deal with Wood Brothers Racing, and his next step already has changed. Berry learned earlier this season that he will not return to the team next year after Wood Brothers Racing declined to pick up his option and hired Jesse Love. Berry said he has had multiple conversations with teams about his future ride, but none of them has led to a deal. He said some of those talks have been promising, while others have become complicated by requests for as much as $3 million. That leaves him in a holding pattern with the market still open and his 2027 plans still unsettled. For Berry, the search is about landing the right opportunity before the season runs out and the next chapter has to be set.
Sponsorship funding
Berry said sponsorship funding is a major factor in driver opportunities, and he does not bring significant funding. That reality sits at the center of his search. He said his priority is to stay in one of NASCAR’s top three series, which keeps the focus on finding a competitive seat at the highest levels of the sport. If he cannot stay in a top-three NASCAR series, Berry said he may consider other racing options. He also said his family’s future is part of his thinking when he weighs those alternatives. That adds a practical layer to the decision, because the next ride has to make sense on and off the track. Berry is looking for stability, but the available seats often depend on money as much as performance. He knows that part of the process is beyond his control. He also knows that his options remain tied to how teams balance speed, sponsorship and long-term commitment.
Recent results
Berry’s recent results have given his search a stronger case. He finished seventh at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and fourth at Iowa Speedway in back-to-back starts, and the Iowa result was his season best. Those finishes came after a difficult stretch, when he finished outside the top 25 in 16 of his first 23 races this season. Berry said the No. 21 team has “turned a little bit of a corner,” especially on short tracks, and the recent run supports that view. The improvement matters because Berry still has a resume that teams can evaluate. He is a former Cup Series winner at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and he won four NASCAR O’Reilly Series races with JR Motorsports from 2021 to 2023. That mix of recent progress and past success gives him a real foothold as he looks ahead. Berry’s future remains unresolved, but he has shown enough speed to keep himself in the conversation while he waits for the right deal to come together.
