Dale Earnhardt Jr. in “a tough situation” with recent Josh Berry speculation

Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently spoke about the potential destination of Josh Berry in the NASCAR Cup Series. After the announcement of SHR's closure, Berry was left looking for a new ride for the 2025 season, which, according to a recent report, could be at #21 team Wood Brothers Racing.

But Berry potentially going to WBR and replacing Harrison Burton, the current #21 driver, was something that left Earnhardt Jr. with a complicated mind. He addressed the prospect on his podcast "Dale Jr. Download".

"I think he (Josh Berry) belongs in the garage on Sundays. That's a tough situation because I'm very good friends with Jeff Burton and think a lot of Harrison. I hate that opportunity for Harrison will go away," Earnhardt Jr. said.

He further spoke about what could be in store for the young Burton. He claimed that Burton could end up in the Xfinity Series where he could rebuild his confidence and win races.

As for whether Josh Berry should remain in NASCAR's top flight, Earnhardt Jr. made his thoughts pretty clear.

"I'm a massive fan of Josh and I'm a believer in his ability that he absolutely can and should be winning races in the Cup Series," he said.

Notably, before he made the leap to the Cup Series driving for the #4 team, Josh Berry was racing for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the Xfinity Series as well as for his Late Model program.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. has "done a lot" for his former driver Josh Berry

Driving for JRM, Berry won three races and finished 21 times inside the top 5. It was his performances with JR Motorsports that led Hendrick Motorsports to picking him to fill in for Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman in 2023.

In his 8 starts for HMS in 2023, Berry scored a finish inside the top 5 and a couple inside the top 10. These results further caught the eye of SHR who chose Berry to replace an outgoing Kevin Harvick.

Earnhardt Jr.'s contribution to Berry's career from the start to his current state is something that Berry feels grateful about. He told Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass recently:

"He's just been such a big supporter of mine. He gave me a life-changing opportunity to move to North Carolina and drive his late models. To go through that and then work together and race with him as much as I did, it means a lot to have his support."

Berry mentioned that one finds more about people when things get tough. As uncertainty looms over Berry's future in the Cup Series, Dale Earnhardt Jr. hasn't hesitated to reach out to his former driver and check up on him, asking if he needs any help. The #4 driver added that this spoke volumes about the character of Earnhardt Jr.