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Legacy Motor Club confirmed Tuesday what had been expected since last week that Josh Berry will replace John Hunter Nemechek in the No. 42 Toyota for the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season. “Josh is a proven competitor who has earned everything through hard work and getting his hands dirty,” Legacy Motor Club co-owner Jimmie Johnson said in a prepared statement. “What stands out about Josh is his ability to manage the big picture behind the wheel—his experience, perspective, and wisdom.” Currently in his second season with the Wood Brothers, Berry has recorded six consecutive top-10 finishes since Indianapolis in late July. He was the only non-Chase driver to finish in the top 10 at Darlington in the Labor Day weekend Cook Out Southern 500. Last year, Berry provided Wood Brothers Racing with its 101st victory at Las Vegas. The Hendersonville, Tennessee, driver gained Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s support while building his racecraft on the Southeast’s short tracks. Berry became the all-time wins leader in the CARS Tour before earning a ride with JR Motorsports in NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2021. He won in his sixth series start at Martinsville after leading 95 laps. Career-wise, he collected five victories in the series, reaching his first Championship 4 appearance in 2022. In 2023, while competing full-time for JR Motorsports, Berry substituted for Hendrick Motorsports drivers Chase Elliott while he recovered from a broken leg suffered in a snowboarding accident and for Alex Bowman while he recovered from a broken back suffered in a Sprint Car race. He also substituted for Legacy Motor Club driver Noah Gragson after the team and NASCAR indefinitely suspended him. Berry made his full-time NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2024 with Stewart- Haas Racing. He transitioned to the Wood Brothers for 2025 after SHR announced it was closing at the end of the 2024 season. “Legacy Motor Club is an organization that clearly has a vision for where they want to go, and I want to be part of that,” Berry said in a prepared statement. “I’ve had a chance to see this team up close, and I know what they’re capable of. The way Jimmie has built this place—the people, the culture, the direction—it’s exactly the kind of environment I want to compete in.” Erik Jones returns to Legacy next year to drive the No. 43 Toyota while Riley Herbst will be in the No. 84 entry. All three will be Charter teams. A North Carolina native, Deb Williams is an award-winning motorsports journalist who is in her fourth decade covering auto racing. In addition to covering the sport for United Press International, she has written motorsports articles for several newspapers, magazines and websites including espnW.com, USA Today, and The Charlotte Observer. Her awards include the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence, two-time National Motorsports Press Association writer of the year, and two-time recipient of the Russ Catlin award. She also has won an award in the North Carolina Press Association’s sports feature category. During her career, Deb has been managing editor of GT Motorsports magazine and was with Winston Cup Scene and NASCAR Winston Cup Scene for 18 years, serving as the publication’s editor for 10 years. In 2024 she was inducted into the NMPA Hall of Fame.