Jesse Love will drive the No. 21 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Wood Brothers Racing in 2027, the team announced on Wednesday. He’ll replace Josh Berry, who announced his impending departure from the team in a media availability last week.
“Driving the No. 21 for Wood Brothers Racing is truly an honor,” Love said in a team announcement. “This team has played such an important role in NASCAR history, and the drivers who have sat behind the wheel of this car are some of the greatest our sport has ever seen. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone at Wood Brothers Racing, Team Penske and Ford Racing for believing in me – I’m excited to get to work, continue learning from the people around me and compete at the highest level.”
Jesse Love: Rising Star
The move to Wood Brothers Racing marks a major career shift for 21-year-old Jesse Love, who’s been with Richard Childress Racing for three seasons. Driving for RCR, Love has three wins in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. His 2025 campaign culminated in his first championship, upsetting Connor Zilisch at Phoenix Raceway.
Love is the youngest ever winner in a NASCAR-sanctioned series. He scored his first ARCA Menards Series West victory at 15 years, 5 months, and 13 days old in 2020. In 2020 and 2021 Love won the ARCA West championship, and brought home the ARCA Menards Series title in 2023.
While Love will be entering his first full season in the NASCAR Cup Series, he’s not without some experience at NASCAR’s highest level. Love has made seven Cup starts in 2025 and 2026, both with RCR and Beard Motorsports. His best finish so far has been a 24th-place run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last year.
After 17 races in the 2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, Love is second in the standings behind Justin Allgaier. While he’s still searching for his first win of the season, Love has six top-five finishes including second place at Phoenix Raceway, Watkins Glen International, and Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Joining the Wood Brothers
Since 2014, Wood Brothers Racing have partnered with Team Penske in a technical alliance that brings the historic team into Penske’s shop. As Penske and WBR are major teams within Ford’s racing program, Love will officially be departing from Chevrolet for the first time in his NASCAR career.
In their 76-year history the Wood Brothers have scored 101 NASCAR Cup Series victories with a host of legendary drivers. Their most recent Cup win came from Josh Berry at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2025. Others who have won in the iconic No. 21 car include David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Neil Bonnett, and A.J. Foyt. In 2027, Love will seek to add his name to that long and storied list.
“Jesse has accomplished a lot at a young age,” said WBR President Jon Wood. “He’s demonstrated the ability to win races, compete for championships and handle the expectations that come with racing at a high level. We’re looking forward to giving him the opportunity to take the next step in his career with the No. 21 team.”
Wood Brothers Racing said Wednesday that more details about their 2027 plans will be announced at a later date.
