When Wood Brothers Racing announced in June that Josh Berry would leave the No. 21 team after 2026, there was little outrage. Berry was not having his best season at the time. But after a recent surge in form, some in the garage are now calling his departure an “unjust” sacking of the Ford star. Jesse Love, who is set to replace Berry, has found himself caught in the crossfire. However, he does not seem too bothered by it.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“I know that Josh is doing a really good job right now, and good for him. But it doesn’t affect me at all,” Love said in an interview per NASCAR journalist Steven Taranto.
Love’s full-time opportunity in the Cup Series doesn’t really come out of the blue. He was one of the most sought-after drivers in the sport, winner of the 2023 ARCA Menards Series with 10 races, 2024 Rookie of the Year, and 2025 O’Reilly Champion, edging Trackhouse Racing’s Connor Zilisch. Wood Brothers, by getting Love, have a true gem on their hands.
Berry, on the other hand, had a rather underwhelming Cup Series campaign up until the Brickyard 400. He had just two top-10 finishes (Daytona and Martinsville) when Wood Brothers decided they needed a change. But insiders, like former crew chief Rodney Childers, insisted that the problem was the No. 21 Ford and not Berry himself.
“You can’t drive a slow car fast”: Childers used this famous Kevin Harvick quote to defend Berry. And to be fair to the veteran, he did start performing when the Fords of Team Penske and Wood Brothers saw life breathed into them.
Berry finished 7th in Indianapolis, 4th in Iowa, 8th in Richmond, 3rd in New Hampshire, and 9th in Daytona last weekend to close out the regular season. Plus, he’s one of the more experienced faces in the garage, a former Cup Series race winner who directly helped the team get better throughout the course of the 2026 season, as pointed out by Harvick on his Happy Hour podcast.
Love, in his interview with Taranto, made it clear that he doesn’t diminish what Berry has done in 2026. He even admitted to “thinking really high” of the 35-year-old. That said, he wholeheartedly feels that he deserves the No. 21 seat.
“Having said that, his performance or what the Twitter guys say doesn’t have any effect on my mental being. It’s really great to see how good he’s running, because obviously that gives me a lot of hope for next year that we’re gonna have a shot to win races,” Love said.
Berry has looked increasingly deflated about losing his place on the team in recent weeks. With his performances improving, he has been hoping for calls from other teams. Now, according to recent reports, a stunning silly-season twist could open another door for Berry in the Cup Series.
Cup Series team reportedly bailing Berry out
Earlier in the season, there were reports that Richard Childress Racing would appoint Berry as its driver for the No. 33 team. Austin Hill, after all, didn’t really make a big mark on the Cup Series after being asked to fill in for Kyle Busch in May following his death. But the team, to the surprise of quite a few, decided to go ahead with Hill.
That closed the last remaining door for Berry. Or at least, that’s what the community thought. Because when NASCAR reporter Jordan Bianchi reported earlier this week that Legacy Motor Club would part ways with John Hunter Nemechek next year, it came as a huge shock and a welcome surprise for Berry’s backers.
In May 2026, LMC confirmed that Nemechek had signed a deal to remain with the team for 2027, with plans for his upcoming paint schemes already being discussed. However, the team was also looking to become more competitive and could now have an opportunity to bring in one of the sport’s hottest drivers. With Berry searching for a seat, he could be exactly the kind of addition LMC needs.
Nothing is official yet, but Bianchi reports that Berry is the frontrunner for the No. 42 seat next year. Love’s future, meanwhile, is already settled, allowing him to focus on the O’Reilly Series, where he entered the playoffs as the No. 4 seed.
Berry, on the other hand, finished 28th in the Cup Series despite his late-season surge, with five DNFs earlier in the year ultimately hurting his championship position.