Berry: ‘I Feel Like I Deserve a Spot Racing on Sundays’

By David Morgan, Associate Editor

LEBANON, Tenn. – Josh Berry has lived his career behind the wheel in the unknown and heading into 2025, he’s back in that mode again after the announcement that Stewart-Haas Racing as we know it will be shuttered at season’s end.

Having scratched and clawed for his entire career to finally get to the NASCAR Cup Series full-time with SHR this season, Berry isn’t ready to let the dream of racing in NASCAR’s premier division go. To make sure he’s around for years to come, the Henderson, Tenn. native is doing the talking with his results on track to help him secure a ride for 2025 and beyond.

Halfway through the 2024 campaign, Berry and his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing team have turned it on as of late, posting top-10 finishes in three of the last six races, including a pair of third-place results at Darlington and New Hampshire.

Sitting 73 points back of the cut-off line with eight races remaining in the regular season, Berry remains confident that his team can parlay that momentum into a shot at making the Playoffs.

“We’ve had good pace the last couple of weeks, but really the last couple of months have been a big step in the right direction,” said Berry. “Even earlier in the year we saw potential in several races, but we weren’t able to put the whole piece together. I feel confident in our group. I think our cars are handling well. I think they’re faster. 

“I’m getting more comfortable and getting more used to Cup racing in general. I feel like as we go through this summer stretch this should be another good opportunity for us to run well and there are several other tracks coming up too that I feel good about.”

Berry added that if he and his team keep putting themselves in position to win, odds are that they may just be able to break through with a crucial visit to Victory Lane between now and the regular season finale at Darlington.

“I’m not saying that I feel like we’re expected to or should win, but I think we can. I think our cars are getting competitive enough. It might take the right sequence of events, I guess, but we keep finding ourselves in this position, sooner or later something is gonna happen.”

In the midst of his fight to make the Playoffs, it’s a war on two fronts for Berry, who is also fighting for his place to stay in the Cup Series next season. While there have been discussions with other teams, nothing has been inked as of yet, but confidence is high for Berry that he’ll have a seat when the 2025 season rolls around.

“I feel good about having a spot in the Cup Series next year,” Berry said. “I feel like our results have been really strong the last couple of months. I don’t really know other than winning a race at this point is the only thing left that I can do. We’ve finished in the top five. We’ve ran up front. We’ve led laps. We’ve showed the potential that we can do, so I think that’s been a big confidence boost for me. 

“I really think that whole situation, at least for myself and our team, you find a lot about yourself when your back is against the wall and everybody is performing at a really high level, the highest probably we ever have, and we’re fighting together and I feel like opportunities will come.”

Berry added that when he signed with SHR last season to replace Kevin Harvick in the No. 4 car, he couldn’t have envisioned being back on the job hunt less than half a season into his first full-time Cup Series season, but is taking it all in stride.

“I can’t say that I thought we would be in this situation again when I signed to drive the 4 car right at about a year ago,” Berry said. “I think that I’m at my best when my back is against the wall and I have to go out and perform. I think we’ve seen that time and time again, and I welcome that and accept that. I feel like I deserve a spot racing on Sundays. I think I’ve proved that, and I think that most definitely my journey to get here for sure prepared me for that moment and I’m ready for what’s next.”

Also on the hunt for a place to land in 2025 is Berry’s crew chief Rodney Childers, who has called the two a “package deal” and wants the pairing to stick together no matter where Berry may be driving next season. Whether that can come to fruition still remains to be seen, with both driver and crew chief noting the chances of that happening continue to fluctuate on a near weekly basis.

“Some days you feel like it’s more possible than others,” Berry said. “I would love to stay with Rodney. I know he feels the same way, but I really can’t say for sure. I think time will tell. There’s been some opportunities out there where maybe that’s possible. There are some other opportunities where we’re not as sure if that’s possible, but we’re gonna keep trying to provide results on the track like we have been the last couple of months. 

“Having races like we had at Iowa and last week at New Hampshire, I mean, that’s the biggest audition there is. We’re working together well and the way I look at it, it’s no risk. It’s turn key. You plug us in there and put the right people around us, we’re gonna run like we do now.”

Of all of the options for Berry’s destination for 2025, remaining at SHR in the rebranded Haas Factory Team with owner Gene Haas does not seem to be a possibility for him going forward.

“I mean, I read it on the internet, so I assume that I’m not a candidate for that ride and I’ve had no communication there,” Berry said. “I’m happy that Gene is staying in the sport and continuing that on, and I’m really thankful for the opportunity that I got to come race at Stewart-Haas, but obviously there are things that have happened that they required to make a change and I respect them for that. 

“I’m thankful for the opportunity that I got and we’re gonna move forward in our own directions.”