Josh Berry Joins Stewart-Haas Racing For 2024 Season

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Josh Berry. Photo: Courtesy of JR Motorsports

Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) has named Josh Berry the driver of its No. 4 Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Cup Series for the 2024 season. He will replace retiring Kevin Harvick, whose 23-year Cup Series career will come to an end following the season finale on Nov. 5 at Phoenix Raceway.

“I can’t imagine a better opportunity for me – to get in a car that’s been as successful and iconic as the No. 4,” says Berry. “Kevin is a future NASCAR Hall of Famer, and it’s going to be a challenge trying to come after someone so successful. But I know I’m going to have an amazing group of people around me, led by Rodney Childers, to where we can hit the ground running.”

Harvick and his crew chief, Childers, have combined for 37 point-paying wins since their pairing in 2014, when they came out of the gate in impressive fashion by winning the 2014 Cup Series title.

“We’re incredibly proud to have Josh Berry begin the next chapter of his racing career in our No. 4 Ford Mustang,” says Tony Stewart, SHR Co-Owner. “Kevin Harvick has obviously set a very high bar, but Josh brings maturity, experience and, above all, a winning record to Stewart-Haas Racing. He is the right driver, at the right time, for the No. 4 team and our organization.”

Berry currently competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the stepping-stone division to the elite Cup Series. The 32-year-old is a five-time Xfinity Series race winner who advanced to the Championship Four in 2022. Berry’s on-track exploits have made him the go-to solution for Cup Series teams in need of an interim driver. He has already made 10 Cup Series starts, highlighted by a second-place finish on April 2 at Richmond Raceway while subbing for an injured Chase Elliott.

“Josh Berry has proven himself in the Xfinity Series and this year showed how quickly he can adapt to the cars and the level of competition in the NASCAR Cup Series,” says Greg Zipadelli, SHR Chief Competition Officer. “He’ll be a rookie in our race car next year, but he drives like a veteran. He puts in the work to ensure that he’s always ready for the opportunities that come his way, and we’re very happy that his next opportunity is with Stewart-Haas Racing.”

Just as Berry earned his 2024 seat with SHR via strong and consistent performances in the Xfinity and Cup Series, he earned his spot in the Xfinity Series by dominating late model racing across a variety of grassroots series. His first career NASCAR win came while driving for JR Motorsports at Martinsville in 2021. From there, Berry only got better and continued to win races and earn points in the standings.

“The Xfinity Series win at Martinsville changed my career and allowed us to point toward a full-time season for 2022 where we competed for the championship,” says Berry. “It’s also been very meaningful to get some opportunities in the Cup Series this year. I’m proud of how they went, but I cannot wait to drive a Cup car that’s got my name on it.”

A road that began with karting in his home state of Tennessee segued to iRacing with Dale Earnhardt Jr., which earned Berry a shop job at JR Motorsports as he made a name for himself in late models and the Xfinity Series, and has now finally culminated with a full-time drive in the Cup Series.

“Those years of racing and winning, and the people I was around and worked with, prepared me for the opportunities that I’ve gotten, and they’ve prepared me to capitalize on this opportunity with Stewart-Haas Racing,” says Berry. “Even without knowing where it would ultimately take me, I’d do it all over again.”

Steven Boero
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