Josh Berry announced that he will not continue in the Ford number 21 of Wood Brothers Racing at the end of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, after the organisation informed him that they would not renew his contract. The news sets in motion the first confirmed driver market change for 2027 and puts the focus on a seat that Ford and Team Penske will resolve in the coming months.

Photo By Carlos Castillo

Since Ryan Blaney drove it, Wood Brothers has competed with specifications almost identical to those of Penske, access to its development resources, and a regular exchange of technical personnel. It does not function as a second factory team, but it operates as an affiliated programme whose next occupant is usually aligned with the structure of Ford's driver development programme, and Berry's replacement will hardly be the exception.

Photo By Carlos Castillo

Berry landed in the No. 21 car in 2025 and that same season won his first Cup Series race at Las Vegas, a result that got him into the playoffs. Three accidents in the opening round quickly knocked him out of contention, and he finished the year in 16th place. In the current campaign, eleven races before the Chase cut‑off, he sits 30th in the championship with few chances of returning to the postseason.