Josh Berry addresses rumors of running for $250M-worth Gene Haas' new team HFT - "I’ve had no communication there"

Stewart-Haas Racing driver Josh Berry has quashed the rumors of him driving the sole Haas Factory Team charter next season. Berry's NASCAR future has been up in the air ever since SHR announced its discontinuation at the end of the season.

2024 has certainly not panned out the way Josh Berry would've hopefully at the start of the season. The 33-year-old driver, who signed with Stewart-Haas Racing and made his full-time Cup Series debut this campaign, has had a woeful start to his maiden campaign replacing Kevin Harvick.

The Hendersonville, Tennessee native has struggled with the No. 4 Ford, failing to deliver consistent results as he finds himself outside the playoff cutline.

Josh Berry's season went from bad to worse when Stewart-Haas Racing confirmed the speculations of its discontinuation at the end of the season. The team struggles with financial issues and has decided to sell three of its four Cup Series charters.

However, with part-owner and $350 million worth (according to Celebrity Net Worth) Gene Haas deciding to retain one charter and rebrand the team as Haas Factory Team next season, Berry found himself among the speculated drivers who could pilot this HFT charter next season.

Despite these rumors, Josh Berry has confirmed that he has had no contact with Haas about their future together beyond the ongoing season. He stated (via RACER):

"Throughout that whole process, we heard the rumors and what was going on and whether there was going to be one charter kept or two charters kept. We read all that stuff on the internet like [everyone else], and that’s where I’ll leave that. I read it on the internet, so I assume that I’m not a candidate for that ride, and I’ve had no communication there."

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Legendary crew chief hopes to continue working with Josh Berry

Legendary crew chief Rodney Childers, who has worked with Berry this season, has expressed his hopes of continuing to work with the No. 4 Ford driver. Childers, a veteran at Stewart-Haas Racing and former crew chief of Kevin Harvick, remains optimistic about Berry's future despite the challenges. He recently stated on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio:

"I have been a huge supporter of him, and honestly he has been a huge supporter of mine. I think that's why he has made it work so well. We have a ton of respect for each other."

Childers added:

"Between the two of us and some more people on the #4 car, we want that to happen. Whether that can or not is yet to be seen. I think we just gotta keep letting somethings play out week by week and keep praying for the best."

Josh Berry has 357 points to his name after 18 races. He finds himself at 19th position in the NASCAR Cup Series standings.