Dale Earnhardt Jr. stands on the table for Josh Berry, Rodney Childers amid Stewart-Haas closure

It’s no secret that Dale Earnhardt Jr. thinks highly of Josh Berry, having initially hired him to race late models for JR Motorsports back in 2010.

And for the past 14 years, Berry has grinded away at looking to secure a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series, which he finally did last year. Stewart-Haas Racing signed Berry to replace the retiring Kevin Harvick in the No. 4 Ford for the 2024 season. But with SHR announcing last week it will shut down operations at the end of the current campaign, Berry, as of now, doesn’t have a home for 2025 and beyond.

With silly season heating up, Earnhardt believes Berry should be of high interest for teams looking to hire.

“I’m watching all of the SHR news and the silly season news even that all this is affecting. And I’m really paying the most attention to what happens to Josh Berry and where he may end up,” Earnhardt said on his “Dale Jr. Download” podcast. “I absolutely think he belongs in Cup. And I think all of the teams that are either having new opportunities with new charters and drivers to put in those cars should be considering Josh as the driver to hire.”

Joe Gibbs Racing a fit for Josh Berry?

Before silly season really gets silly, Martin Truex Jr. must first make a decision on his future. The 43-year-old, who pilots the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, is currently contemplating retirement. To this point, he hasn’t given any indication of which way he’s leaning.

Should he exit the sport following a two-decade career, Earnhardt sees JGR as a potential landing spot for Berry.

“So, we’ll have to see how Josh’s season goes,” Earnhardt said. “I think that him and [crew chief] Rodney [Childers] are motivated and ready to try to get that win or a couple wins before the end of the season. And that’s all Josh can do. Every week is a job interview if you will. So, that’s weighing on me a little bit personally. And I think honestly there’s not just the Stewart-Haas charters shaking things up that is detrimental but also opportunity creating for a lot of these drivers like Josh.

“Martin Truex Jr. and his decision to either stay another year or retire is a big domino. And the idea is that if Martin Truex Jr. does retire, you gotta think there’s a handful of drivers that would be considered for that car. … Would they consider Josh? Ty Gibbs raced with Josh in the CARS Tour. They know each other well. Think they have a great relationship, and Josh has worked with Bass Pro in the past.”

Berry, 33, currently sits 20th in the points standings in his first full-time season in the Cup Series. Dating back to Talladega Superspeedway last month, Berry has finished P16 or better in 5-of-6 races. The outlier was this past Sunday at Gateway, when he blew a tire early and finished P36.