SerpApi.Org
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is heartbroken. Josh Berry, who Earnhardt considers family, is having a tough NASCAR season, and the Hall of Famer is at a loss for words.
Berry has no ride in sight for the 2027 season; his 2026 season has been tumultuous, and the driver has been failing to regain his winning momentum for months now.
Berry had previously made starts for big-shot teams like Hendrick Motorsports, Legacy Motor Club, and Spire Motorsports before entering the series full-time. Following his transition from Stewart-Haas Racing in 2025, Berry won his first Cup Series victory with Wood Brothers Racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. But this year, Berry has four DNFs, zero top fives, and only a pair of top 10s to sum up his performance through 20 races. His average finish this year is an alarming 26.95. Even Dale Jr. isn’t sure what’s wrong.
“It’s heartbreaking for me because I think of Josh as a family member… I do not know what has happened. I really don’t,” Earnhardt said in a statement. “I don’t bug Josh too much about it. I think the world of the Wood Brothers. I idolize Leonard (Wood) and them, but I don’t know what has happened.”
“It’s unfortunate because I don’t know where this goes for Josh. The landscape right now is crappy for guys like him. I don’t know what opportunities even exist. It’s heartbreaking because, man, he has worked his a** off to get to this point,” he added.
Berry was frustrated after being involved in a Lap 199 crash last Sunday at North Wilkesboro Speedway. He had to settle for a disappointing P36, despite running inside the top 15 all day.
“I’ve never lived through a season like this, when it’s just one thing after another—things that people don’t see, and they don’t make it on TV, and I don’t go on social media every week and post about every little thing that went wrong in our race. We just can’t catch a break, flat out,” he said afterwards.
Berry’s seat at WBR will be taken by Jesse Love, who just won his maiden NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship last year.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Drops Concerns About Chicagoland Amid 2027 Street Racing Rumors
Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he had been hearing talk about NASCAR bringing the iconic Chicago Street race back on its schedule. And he is a bit concerned.
NASCAR returned to Chicagoland earlier this month after a seven-year hiatus. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe won the race, named the eero 400, marking his maiden victory of the season. Tickets were sold out, and 59% of the ticketholders were new to a NASCAR event. There were fans in attendance from 31 counties and all 50 states.
No wonder NASCAR has signed up for a Chicagoland return in 2027. But could the famous street race that debuted in 2023 hurt Chicagoland’s fan engagement?
“I guess Chicago Street Course is coming back,” Earnhardt said. “So, I don’t know if Chicagoland stays. I’m nervous.”
“I mean, you can look at the races and go, ‘Hey, man, that’s awesome. Why did we stop going there?’ But, man, if it don’t sell tickets, if the land is more valuable, used as anything else,” he further explained. “If the tickets aren’t selling. I mean, if it’s selling out, it would have never left. So that’s probably if it doesn’t stay on the calendar. That’s why.”
For now, all eyes are on the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26. Fans can watch it on TNT Sports or listen to radio updates on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
