Cup Series Driver Confirms He WILL NOT Return For 2027
What’s Happening? NASCAR Cup Series driver Josh Berry says he will not return to Wood Brothers Racing for the 2027 season. Berry…
A new rumor making the rounds online suggests that Richard Childress Racing’s top prospect could be a leading candidate to take over for Josh Berry in the iconic Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 for the 2027 season.
Josh Berry announcing his impending release from Wood Brothers Racing at year’s end this week kick-started what could be one of the most exciting NASCAR Silly Seasons in years.
While there were already promotions and team changes in motion, Berry’s situation was the fanbase’s first real surprise of the 2027 Silly Season.
Though there are plenty of questions surrounding the swap, the one on the mind of most fans is who will take over the No. 21 next.
WBR has had one of the roughest histories of the past 25 years, frequently rotating drivers and even dropping to part-time in the late 2000s, to moving into a full-time R&D team for Penske in the latter half of the 2010s.
In that period, NASCAR’s oldest family-owned team has seen plenty of drivers through its doors, including:
Now the team is facing another change, and it seems that they have already made that decision, stating in a release on Wednesday that they “will announce who will be driving the No. 21 Ford Mustang Dark Horse in 2027 soon.”
Plenty of fans have their theories as to who the next driver is, though one name is quickly emerging as a favorite, with a well-known NASCAR Rumor Mill account recently sharing that they have heard this name is the top candidate to drive the No. 21.
What’s Happening? NASCAR Cup Series driver Josh Berry says he will not return to Wood Brothers Racing for the 2027 season. Berry…
Thursday morning, the Stock Car Rumors & Nostalgia account on Instagram shared that Richard Childress Racing prospect and reigning NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Champion Jesse Love is a candidate for the car.
The poster stated that they have heard this rumor in the Ford camp, and that they “feel like it could be a pretty solid one, at least for now.”
Of course, this account is not the first to tab Love for the car, as rumors have floated around social media in recent weeks, alongside a report from Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports on Wednesday that said just as much.
So, with Love’s status as one of the top prospects in NASCAR, does it make sense that he would make the jump to WBR?
What’s Happening? With Josh Berry’s recent announcement that he will not return to Wood Brothers Racing, NASCAR fans are asking which…
Entering 2026, the main question surrounding Jesse Love seemed to be Kyle Busch, specifically whether or not Rowdy would leave RCR at season’s end, thus opening a ride for Love to pursue a rookie campaign.
Unfortunately, it does not seem that this was in the works prior to Busch’s tragic passing in late May, as this past weekend at Michigan International Speedway, team owner Richard Childress confirmed that Busch had agreed to a deal to return to RCR in 2027.
Typically, a driver like Love would be a top candidate for the No. 33.
But, unfortunately, there is some speculation about the car’s sponsors, which include Liquor brand REBEL Bourbon, Zone Nicotine Pouches, and BetMGM, all of which have age requirements tied to their products or services.
While Love is 21 years old, some have suggested that the brands would like, at the very least, an older-looking driver or a driver who is in the mid to late 20s.
If the door is shut at RCR, then WBR would be an interesting fit for both the team and driver.
What’s Happening? Fan speculation about potential sponsorship troubles for the 2025 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Champion, Jesse Love, is picking…
Many have already pointed out that the team just got done trying out a young driver to poor results with Harrison Burton, asking why they wouldn’t stick with a veteran?
But their ties to Penske could make this a situation where the decision on who is behind the wheel is not up to WBR. Rather, there is a chance that Penske is ready to develop a young driver, and, much like they did with Burton and Blaney, WBR is stepping up to the plate.
Right now, the average age of Penske’s roster is 31.7, not bad, but with meddling performance on one end of that spectrum and an aging veteran on the other, there will be an opening at some point.
Specifically, fans are focused on Austin Cindric, who has driven the No. 2 car to respectable results since 2022, but is on a contract year this season.
Bringing the California native into WBR could give Cindric a longer leash at Penske to show that he has staying power, and give Love a chance to develop and show he is ready for Cup competition.
Of course, while theories like this will continue to circle the online NASCAR community, the reality of the situation is that this is, as of right now, just a rumor.
Even if Love is a candidate for the No. 21, there are other rumors as to what his future could hold in the Cup Series.
This means just like everyone else, NASCAR fans will have to wait for WBR to make a formal announcement to get the answers they are looking for.
What’s Happening? NASCAR drivers, much like any athletes, have a period of free agency and multi-million dollar contracts. Based on information…
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