The Wooden Brothers knowledgeable Josh Berry that they might be shifting in a unique path on the finish of this season, that means the winner of the Las Vegas spring race final season joins a crowded listing of impending free brokers.
The 35-year-old, and long-time brief tracker turned NASCAR success story over this decade, has competed within the Cup Sequence since 2024 following a four-year stint within the O’Reilly Auto Elements Sequence with JR Motorsports.
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Earlier than taking on the famed No. 21, Berry changed Kevin Harvick within the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4. Berry can also be represented by Harvick’s sports activities company.
“The Wooden Brothers piece, I’ll simply go forward and put it on the market that I cannot be again within the 21 automotive subsequent 12 months,” Berry mentioned throughout a Tuesday Ford Efficiency convention name. “I’m clearly disenchanted about that. They’ve been wonderful to work with. They’re wonderful folks and it’s been such an amazing alternative. Clearly, going to Victory Lane for the primary time and successful your first race with them will all the time be actually particular, however I’m not going to be again within the 21 subsequent 12 months.
“I’m going to hit the bottom operating and dealing arduous to attempt to discover out what’s on the market and I’m definitely open and optimistic about any alternatives that come my means. However, before everything, we’re going to do our greatest to complete this season robust and depart in a great place.”
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Berry gained his means into the Cup Sequence playoffs final 12 months, and confirmed loads of pace in that first spherical however was undone by excessive misfortune. He was twenty first within the common season standings earlier than the reset.
In the meantime, this season has been a wrestle for everybody at Group Penske, which provides tools for the Wooden Brothers, aside from Ryan Blaney. Berry is thirtieth within the championship standings with solely two top-10s at Daytona and Martinsville.
“I nonetheless really feel like I am the identical man that gained Las Vegas,” Berry mentioned. “I’m nonetheless the identical man that almost gained at New Hampshire within the playoffs. It’s been a troublesome 12 months, like I mentioned, however we’ll work by it and attempt to discover out what’s on the market. The solar got here up right this moment no matter how dangerous it may need felt yesterday. It may need felt prefer it may not, however the solar got here up this morning and it’s a brand new day. You land in your ft and go to work and that’s all you are able to do.
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“It’s an amazing alternative for me to indicate my children methods to deal with adversity and methods to work by issues when life doesn’t go your means and, like I mentioned, we’ll choose up the items and transfer on.”
Berry mentioned he’s beginning to work by the free company course of with Kevin Harvick Inc. vp Josh Jones.
“You by no means know what sort of alternatives come about and the place it goes from right here. It’s powerful to have occur, however on the identical time I’ve been extraordinarily lucky to get the alternatives that I’ve had and been extraordinarily lucky to drive for the Wooden Brothers and this staff,” Berry mentioned. “Sadly, it’s stepping into a unique path, however you by no means know what doorways may open up and we’re going to work arduous to attempt to land on our ft and discover one thing. I don’t actually have any expectations or plans for what that is perhaps. I’m definitely open to actually something.”
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Whereas Berry looks like not every little thing this season has been beneath his management, this revelation didn’t shock him. He’s seen and heard the rumors linking Jesse Like to the No. 21 automotive.
“From my aspect of issues, I didn’t precisely really feel nice about it,” Berry mentioned. “I most likely would have mentioned myself I used to be most likely 50-50 on what was occurring. It’s like I mentioned, it’s been a troublesome 12 months. That’s the fact of it. Clearly, I don’t need it to work this manner, however it’s been a troublesome 12 months and when you have got a number of the issues we’ve had occur and the outcomes that we’ve had occur, whatever the particulars of it, you begin to query that and that’s truthful on the finish of the day.
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“If we had run higher, we most likely wouldn’t be having this dialog, however we didn’t, so now we’ve bought an x-number of races all through the remainder of the 12 months to show that again round and alter the narrative and get again nearer to the entrance. It’s been a wrestle for lots of the Fords and loads of the fellows this 12 months and we’ve simply bought to show that round and go to the following race.
“On the finish of the day, whether or not you win otherwise you wreck or no matter you go to work on Monday and go to the following race and that’s what we’re going to do from right here on out and see the way it all shakes out.”
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