Josh Berry has now confirmed that he will not be returning as a driver of the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford in 2027. This decision comes against the backdrop of the racing group choosing not to move forward with the erstwhile driver.

The news didn't come as a surprise to Berry, who knew he doesn’t hold a contract beyond this season. With his future suddenly uncertain, Berry made it clear that his focus had already shifted toward finding the next opportunity.

“Certainly open to really anything,” he said, before adding, “Obviously, hit the ground running here, working hard to try and find out what’s out there, and certainly open and optimistic to any opportunities that come my way.”

Addressing and breaking the news, Berry said, “I’ll just go ahead and put it out there; I will not be back in the No. 21 next year. Obviously disappointed about that. They’ve been amazing to work with, amazing people, and it’s been such a great opportunity.

"Obviously, going to Victory Lane for the first time, winning my first race with them will always be special, but yeah, I’m not going to be back in the No. 21 next year.”

Despite being a Cup Series race winner, Josh Berry has been unfortunate to face crashes and DNFs at key moments, which has ultimately affected the team.

However, the driver added that this outcome was not completely unexpected, and the chances were “probably 50-50” on whether he expected to return. He also explained, “I'm less than 24 hours from figuring this out. What I didn't want to do was sit here and feed you guys a line, and then it gets announced in 30 minutes and look ignorant.”

Now the news has also arrived that Wood Brothers is already preparing to announce a replacement. Let’s take a look at who the possible prospects could be.

Who replaces Josh Berry?

Wood Brothers Racing already seems to be gunning for a potential replacement for the iconic No. 21 Ford. One candidate who is rumored to fill the place and is garnering a lot of attention online is Jesse Love.

The 2025 Xfinity Series champion has already stated how he wants to compete in the Cup Series full-time in 2027. Love’s status as one of the top young prospects in the garage only fuels such rumors.

Another option arrives in the form of Carson Kvapil, who has also been mentioned as a long-term option. However, many speculate that he needs more time in a car before being allowed this opportunity.

The next name arising from the shadows remains Chandler Smith, given his national series success and Ford connections.

Now, you must have noticed that all driver options here are pretty young and inexperienced. This is because of Wood Brothers' close alliance with Team Penske, leading many to expect that the choice of a new driver would come from Ford's development system rather than from an established veteran.

Until we get an official announcement from Wood Brothers Racing on the matter, this vacancy will be closely watched in the garage.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Uday Jakhar

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason