“Won’t Fail on My Watch”: Legendary Crew Chief Defends Tony Stewart’s Rookie Against ‘1 Year Wonder’ Claims

All four current Stewart Haas Racing drivers are hunting for a new opportunity for their survival in NASCAR, after their team’s exit from the sport after the 2024 season. While there are the likes of Chase Briscoe and Noah Gragson, who are seen as good prospects for other companies to onboard, Josh Berry finds himself in a tricky spot.

Berry, of all four drivers, is relatively new to Cup racing and, therefore, could find himself on the bitter end of the stick, as far as his future in NASCAR is concerned. However, veteran crew chief, Rodney Childers, is optimistic about their chances of finishing strong this season. And thus, he is making sure to help the rookie find his new home post-2024.

Josh Berry and his crew chief are on a mission to end the season on a high

With the rumors and speculations surrounding the closure of SHR, all the drivers have doubled down on their efforts, as if they are auditioning for their next jobs. Against all odds and relentless pressure, Berry somehow has shifted his gears in churning out good results. His best-ever finish, P3, came at Darlington, and he followed it up with yet another top-10 finish at the rain-washed Coca-Cola 600 race.

Acknowledging this run and how well he’s adapted to racing, Childers believes Berry deserves to stay in the Cup Series. “I said at the beginning of the year, you know Josh Berry is not going to fail on my watch and I still mean that. Like it’s important to me that he races next year and he’s not a one-year wonder and he’s extremely good and he deserves to be in the Cup Series; and that’s our priority the rest of the year.”

Moreover, after early jitters and a few disappointing results, both Josh Berry and his #4 have found their synergy. And according to his crew chief, this would only lead to more fruitful results. “I know at the beginning of the year we showed some flashes, and then we went through a few weeks of tearing up cars, which really wasn’t his fault, and then now it has turned the corner to where he has figured out these cars and we’ve figured out what he likes.”

While it seems like his chances of finding a seat are pretty grim, the four SHR charters could just help him land a new seat. Given that Front Row Motorsports has already kicked off the silly season drama, he could turn out to be an ideal candidate for the teams grabbing the charters for themselves.

Is he headed to FRM next season?

There are not just one, but two, available seats at FRM after adding a new charter to their Cup roster. Michael McDowell has already announced that he will be moving to Spire Motorsports next season behind the wheel of the #71 Chevrolet car. Even if they decide to bring in an experienced driver from the current SHR lineup or an Xfinity star, there is still an opportunity for Berry to grab one of these seats.

If we are to go by the rumor mill, Chase Briscoe is already linked with a move to Wood Brother’s Racing. Which could see them either getting a new charter themselves or replacing their current driver, Harrison Burton. So, it potentially takes him out of the equation to grab a seat at FRM. Noah Gragson is another strong candidate, who not only has performed really well this season but also brings in big sponsors like Bass Pro Shop with him.

However, Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi linked him to a surprise move to Richard Childress Racing. Again, they would need to expand their team roster to make space for Gragson, but FRM certainly won’t shy away from bringing him on board. So this does leave Berry in a rather good spot. Not to forget, he does have the backing of Rodney Childers, who could turn out to be his trump card in securing an FRM seat.

So all Berry needs to do is keep churning out good performances and results. And who knows, at the end of the season, he just might find his next ride with a new team, potentially at FRM.