“The place was falling down”: Josh Berry reflects on the ‘difficult ordeal’ after shocking Stewart-Haas Racing’s NASCAR departure

NASCAR Cup Series driver Josh Berry recently spoke about his former team, Stewart-Haas Racing’s (SHR) unexpected departure from NASCAR after the conclusion of the 2024 season. SHR owned by NASCAR legend Tony Stewart and businessman Gene Haas, had been a strong team for years. But in May 2024, the team announced it was shutting down. Haas later used one of the team's charters to rebrand it as Haas Factory Team in 2025.

Berry, who joined SHR for his rookie Cup season last year, now drives for Wood Brothers Racing and has already landed his first career win in the series. During a press conference ahead of Sunday's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway, Berry spoke about the SHR team members' success to FOX Sports' Bob Pockrass.

"Last year was a difficult ordeal to manage. I mean, honestly, I feel like, you know, the place was falling down around us, right? Like, we were just trying to do the best we could, week in and week out. For my team, Rodney [Childers, former crew chief] , 4 team, I mean, I think they've been the cornerstone of that place for years, you know, so... yeah, without a doubt, we've found good opportunities," Josh Berry said.

Berry's former crew chief, Rodney Childers, moved to Spire Motorsports. Other SHR drivers: Noah Gragson, Chase Briscoe, and Ryan Preece joined Front Row Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, and RFK Racing, respectively.

Berry and Briscoe are ranked 12th and 13th ahead of Sunday's race, while Preece is in 16th with 130 points.

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"This has been a really good track for me" - Josh Berry on first NASCAR Cup win at Vegas

Josh Berry secured his first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 34-year-old passed Daniel Suárez in the final laps and finished 1.3 seconds ahead of him. After a fourth-place finish at Phoenix Raceway, Berry also earned the 101st win for Wood Brothers Racing.

Berry has had five wins in the Xfinity Series over eight years and won two playoff races at Vegas in 2021 and 2022.

"I think, for one, this has been a really good track for me. I have two Xfinity wins, two really big moments in my life. This place has been really special, and it's been a good racetrack for me," Berry said.

Josh Berry was placed 17th last weekend at Homestead Miami Speedway and will now head to Martinsville Speedway. The No. 21 Ford driver will start the race from 14th position at the team's home race at the short track in Virginia. The Speedway will also feature a tribute to the Wood Brothers, who are celebrating 75 years in the sport.

The Cook Out 400 is scheduled to begin at 3 pm ET on March 30.