Josh Berry, behind the wheel of the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse, is gearing up for his sophomore season with Wood Brothers Racing. The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season begins with the Clash event at Bowman Gray Stadium, where Berry will take to the track with hopes of building on last year’s momentum. Berry spoke with the media about his outlook for the season, sharing insights into the new race format and his team’s prospects.
Adapting to NASCAR’s Updated Race Format
Berry expressed interest in how NASCAR’s new format might influence racing strategies and behaviors. He highlighted the importance of consistency throughout the season in the changing landscape.
“I think it will be interesting to see if things change with how people race and how they think and how it evolves throughout the season. Obviously, consistency is going to be more important, which I don’t think is necessarily a bad thing. I’m excited. I think it makes each race mean that much more and that’s what they’re trying to accomplish, so it should be fun.” – Josh Berry, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Building on Progress With the Same Team
Entering his second year with Wood Brothers Racing, Berry feels optimistic about the trajectory of the team. He noted that last season had many strong performances that weren’t fully captured in final race results, motivating the team to improve factors that lead to better finishes.
“I’m excited for it. I agree that there were a lot of positives in our performance last year. There were plenty of races where the finish didn’t indicate the type of day we had, so that’s been our focus is looking through some of that stuff and trying to figure out what we could do better and put ourselves in better positions to get the finishes we deserve. You go back to the points format, that’s gonna be more important, but, overall, I feel good. This is really the first year since I’ve been in Cup or Xfinity that I’ve really had the same group two years in a row. That made the offseason feel different since I’ve already been working with these guys and knowing them, and not establishing that communication, so I think that should be a positive as well and we’re ready to get to the Clash.” – Josh Berry, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Feedback on the New Digital Dash Technology
Berry shared his experience with NASCAR’s updated digital dashboard, noting enhancements that boost responsiveness and visualization without complicating interface use.
“I didn’t notice too much of a change. It’s got some LED lights that could be used to shift lights if you wanted to, but, overall, I feel like it’s pretty similar. It seems like it works quicker, faster. It’s better quality, so, overall, I think it’s all good and really I haven’t experienced any issues. We ran pit road a couple times (at the NWS test) just practicing that and felt good about everything. Overall, I feel like it’s ready to go.” – Josh Berry, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Weather Concerns Ahead of the Clash at Bowman Gray
With snow forecasts looming for race weekend, Berry acknowledged uncertainty about possible schedule changes but emphasized the team’s readiness to compete if the event proceeds as planned.
“No, I haven’t. I think we’re all kind of in the same scenario, just waiting to see what they’re thinking going forward. I would say that’s probably a possibility in looking at the forecast. I think they’re just probably waiting for it to get a little closer and get a better idea of what the weather is looking like before they make a decision. For us, we’re planning on racing.” – Josh Berry, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Limited Interaction With NASCAR Leadership
When asked about his interactions with NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell and his leadership style, Berry responded that he has had minimal personal contact and no firm opinions on it.
“I haven’t honestly had a lot of dealings with him. I’ve obviously been part of some of those meetings when he’s been around, but I really don’t have an opinion one way or another, honestly.” – Josh Berry, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Identifying Areas for Improvement From Last Season
Reflecting on his previous season, Berry pointed to mistakes such as pit road speeding penalties and mechanical issues as areas needing attention. The focus will be on better decision-making and limiting errors to secure stronger finishes.
“I think we sat down early in the offseason and kind of broke it down and looked at each race. It’s a number of things. It’s issues on pit road. There were a couple of speeding penalties over the course of the year. Obviously, that stuff you have to clean up. Issues on pit road with penalties. Mechanical problems. We had a couple of those along the way. I think the biggest thing is just looking at the decision-making towards getting to these races maybe is the biggest thing. I think you’re better off to take a top 10 than maybe put yourself in a bad spot that could result in it, but, honestly, the key to that is not something that I don’t think any of us really know. Obviously, you’ve got to go out and race hard and fight for every spot, and just kind of learning with experience and trying to make sure we get the finishes we deserve. But the biggest thing, I think, is just limiting your mistakes. Like I said, we had a handful of those over the course of the year and hopefully we can clean those up and get the finishes we should.” – Josh Berry, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Improved Confidence with Stable Team Dynamics
Berry underscored the benefits of continuity, explaining that maintaining the same crew chief, engineers, and team members from the previous year fosters better chemistry and preparation.
“Yeah, I think so. I think it helps put us in a better spot. Obviously, the last couple of years in the Cup Series have been with two different organizations, and now going back to this and having the same group, the same crew chief, the same engineers, really the same everybody, so it just kind of builds more fluidity. It doesn’t feel like you’re starting over and learning each other as much. It’s made the offseason maybe go a little bit longer, maybe a little bit more refreshing because you’re not doing as much random things that you have to check off in the offseason. I’m excited for it. I feel like me and Miles (Stanley) have had a really good relationship and now Miles is going into his second year as a crew chief as well, so I know he’s only gonna keep getting better, so I feel like we’re poised to have a really strong year.” – Josh Berry, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Optimism for Short Track Performance With New Horsepower Setup
Berry believes the team’s strong showing on short tracks last year will continue under NASCAR’s updated horsepower package, anticipating frequent opportunities for victory at these venues.
“Yeah. Obviously, the short tracks I feel like we had good performance. That was probably our strongest last year. I think that it will be interesting to see how the horsepower package changes things, but, ultimately, yeah, we feel strong on the short tracks. We’re on board with the power change. I think it will be a good thing for racing, and I feel like we can go out and win at short tracks every time we go there.” – Josh Berry, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Managing Cold Weather Challenges on Short Tracks
The cold temperatures expected during race weekend will require Berry and his team to focus on getting heat into their tires quickly for runs and qualifying, though he does not foresee significant in-car effects.
“The weather is gonna be interesting to follow, obviously, from just the schedule side of things and how much track time we get or don’t get and if that becomes a factor. I think the biggest thing is prioritizing getting heat in your tires early in runs, early in practice and obviously qualifying. That’s the biggest thing that stands out when it’s cold like this is just making more of an effort to do that, but, really, inside the car it doesn’t change too much outside of that.” – Josh Berry, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Approaching the Daytona 500 With Team Wood Brothers’ Legacy
As one of his most significant races, Berry recognizes the pressure of driving for Wood Brothers, a team with a proud history at Daytona. He aims to capitalize on the solid race equipment and seek a strong finish.
“Obvoiusly, they’ve had a great history there and it’s a race that we all as drivers put pressure on ourselves to go out and perform well and hopefully compete for the win. It’s the biggest race of the year and obviously being a part of the Wood Brothers and Team Penske, their cars have always been really strong at those races and being able to capitalize on that is something that’s obviously really important to us, so hopefully we can go do that and avoid all the trouble to be there at the end and give ourselves a shot at it.” – Josh Berry, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Adjusting to the Removal of the Win-and-In Playoff Incentive
Berry reflected on how last year’s win at Las Vegas was transformative but acknowledged that the removal of the automatic playoff berth changes the stakes. Nevertheless, he believes first-time wins will remain meaningful moments despite the playoff format shift.
“I think that obviously it’s a different format, but first time winners and first wins in this sport have always been something that are really popular and make for great stories. There’s no reason that the playoff format changing should change the feeling that you get from when you have a first-time winner or an underdog story type of deal – kind of like we were last year. Now it doesn’t include an automatic berth into the playoffs or the Chase, but it’s still a great story. There are gonna be a lot of storylines evolve throughout the season and as that changes, relying on consistency a little bit more is probably gonna put the best guys in the Chase at the end of the year. As a team, we feel a little more pressure going into this knowing that we’ve got to execute week in and week out and, to me, that’s not a bad thing.” – Josh Berry, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Supporting Grassroots Tracks Through Expanded Exhibition Events
Berry endorsed NASCAR’s investments in short tracks like Bowman Gray and North Wilkesboro and sees the potential for the Clash exhibition to rotate among various grassroots venues, including New Smyrna, Hickory, and the Nashville Fairgrounds, to boost local racing infrastructure and attract major events.
“Yeah, definitely. I think they’re off to a great start with the investment they made into Bowman Gray and SMI with North Wilkesboro as well. That’s a great starting point, and I think there is definitely room with this exhibition Clash that we can go around to some different places like the ones you mentioned and make an investment in there and improve their facilities and bring a really big event there, so I think that’s the biggest thing to continue to do is support these tracks. I think it would be really cool to kind of see this race evolve into traveling to a few different short tracks every couple of years. That would make for some good stories.” – Josh Berry, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Looking Forward to Key Tracks and Race Opportunities
While Las Vegas is a highlight, Berry is particularly eager for short track races at Martinsville, Phoenix, Richmond, and others where his team demonstrated competitive speed last year. He hopes to convert these strengths into victories throughout the 2026 season.
“Yeah, I think there are a lot of them. I think there are a lot of places where we were really strong last year. I obviously love going to Martinsville, a lot of the short tracks – Phoenix, Richmond we were really good at. It was a little bit different on a few of the intermediates. We had some really good speed at a couple of them, but missed it at a couple of them, too. I think generally that all of the short tracks are gonna be a really good opportunity for us to run really well and hopefully get a win.” – Josh Berry, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse
Outlook for Josh Berry’s 2026 NASCAR Season
With a stable team, refined strategies, and a renewed focus on minimizing errors, Josh Berry is positioned to build on his breakout campaign and compete consistently at the front of the field in 2026. The combination of NASCAR’s revised format, upgraded equipment, and continued grassroots support through events like the Clash offers a dynamic environment for Berry and Wood Brothers Racing to thrive in the coming year.
