A New Chapter for Wood Brothers Racing
Jesse Love, the 21‑year‑old champion of the 2025 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, is set to step into the NASCAR Cup Series next year, taking over the iconic No. 21 Ford Mustang for Wood Brothers Racing in 2027.
Love’s ascent comes after a dominant 2025 season in which he captured the O'Reilly Series title and followed it with a strong start to the 2026 campaign, currently sitting second in the championship standings.
Although he has only two Cup starts to his name, both at Circuit of the Americas and Talladega, Love finished 27th in each and recorded his best Cup result of 24th at the 2025 Brickyard 400, a race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Josh Berry, a native of Hendersonville, Tennessee, has been with Wood Brothers Racing since 2025 after transitioning from Stewart‑Haas Racing, where he drove the No. 21 Mustang for the team’s final season before the program’s shutdown.
Berry announced on June 10 that he will not return to Wood Brothers Racing after the conclusion of the 2026 season, ending a brief but eventful two‑year stint that included a ninth‑place finish at the Daytona 500 and top‑10 results at Martinsville and Michigan.
Despite those highlights, Berry managed only five finishes inside the top‑20 throughout 2026, a statistic that team president Jon Wood says underscores the need for a driver who can consistently contend for wins and championships.
Wood, whose family‑owned organization traces its roots back to the 1950s and boasts 101 victories in NASCAR’s premier division, praised Love’s proven ability to win races and handle the pressures of a high‑profile seat.
The move signals a strategic shift for one of the sport’s oldest teams, aiming to blend youthful talent with the experience needed to restore the franchise to its former glory.