Take another chess piece off the silly season board for the NASCAR Cup Series. Leading rookie driver Josh Berry announced Wednesday morning that he is headed to Stuart, Virginia’s Wood Brothers Racing for the 2025 season.

Berry, a former CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car champion, moved into the Cup Series with Stewart-Haas Racing at the start of the 2024 season, but in May it was announced that SHR will be closing its doors at the end of the year. Berry, Chase Briscoe (who just announced he will race for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2025), Noah Gragson, and Ryan Preece all became free-agent drivers.

But now Berry’s signing takes two of those drivers off the market. The 33-year-old Tennessee driver will indeed stay in the Cup Series, and he will do it with NASCAR’s oldest team, Wood Brothers Racing.

NEWS: @woodbrothers21 announces @joshberry will drive the No. 21 in 2025. pic.twitter.com/mlofGvtPpi

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 3, 2024

In 31 total starts in the Cup Series, Berry has three top-five finishes and seven top-10 finishes with a total of 83 laps led. Berry has finished third twice so far this season at Darlington Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

If Berry can score a victory in the famous Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, it would be the 100th victory for the historic race team. He would join drivers such as David Pearson, Junior Johnson, Cale Yarborough, and defending Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney to have scored victories for the team.

I can’t even explain how happy I am for @joshberry .. He has worked his butt off for a long time to get this opportunity. This 4 team takes great gratitude in being a part of showing the world what he can do. He’s a winner and has a huge future. 👊🏼 https://t.co/pqMfj006mc

— Rodney Childers (@RodneyChilders4) July 3, 2024

Berry’s signing at WBR answers one question, but asks another. Second-generation driver Harrison Burton has driven for the team for the last two and a half seasons, and is now on the free agent market as well.

Berry will begin driving the Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 at the start of the 2025 season in the Busch Light Clash, which is rumored to be at the historic Bowman Gray Stadium for the first time.

But for now, Berry will continue to pilot his Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 machine in the hopes of scoring his first Cup Series victory and a Playoff berth.

The NASCAR Cup Series is back in action this Sunday afternoon on the streets of Chicago on NBC.