LAS VEGAS — Josh Berry is a NASCAR Cup Sequence winner. That’s an honor he as soon as thought he’d by no means get to bear.
The No. 21 Wooden Brothers Racing driver fended off the sphere to win at on Sunday, the 1.5-mile oval that performed an important function in Berry’s stock-car racing story all through the previous 4 years.
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Berry, 34, spent over a decade constructing his profession as a Late Mannequin Inventory short-track racer for JR Motorsports across the southeast, ultimately incomes the 2020 Advance Auto Elements Weekly Sequence Division 1 nationwide championship. He made sporadic Xfinity Sequence begins for JRM from 2014-17, however racing a inventory automotive in NASCAR’s highest ranks full-time appeared so far-off for therefore lengthy.
Then, a chance sprung for a part-time Xfinity schedule for JRM in 2021, by which he received twice — together with a clutch substitute win at Las Vegas — lastly propelling the Hendersonville, Tennessee native onto the nationwide NASCAR scene.
“5 years in the past, I felt like I used to be going to be a profession short-track racer,” Berry mirrored Sunday. “I wished to be Bubba Pollard. I wished to be the best on the brief tracks. And JR Motorsports gave me a chance to go drive an Xfinity automotive, and we received a race, after which we received one other race, after which I get a chance in a Cup automotive and that goes properly. And right here I’m now.”
His first alternative to drive a Subsequent Gen automotive within the Cup Sequence got here at — you guessed it — Las Vegas, the place he was tasked with driving the No. 9 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports in March 2023 when the collection’ hottest driver, Chase Elliott, was sidelined by damage. The race didn’t go as he’d hoped, ending twenty ninth after qualifying thirty second.
“I flew residence that evening pondering that my profession was over due to how I ran that day,” Berry stated. “And it was a last-second, thrown-in-the-car (course of). I had no preparation. And even pondering again to that day, they believed in me. They usually gave me one other week, proper? After which we went and completed within the high 10. So simply, it’s superb the issues that should occur to get so far.”
Certainly, only one week later, Berry hopped again into the No. 9 automotive and scored a high 10 at Phoenix Raceway. Two weeks after that, he completed second at Richmond Raceway in simply his sixth profession Cup begin. That course of and his fast adaptation to such a novel race automotive caught the attention of Jon Wooden, now the crew president of Wooden Brothers Racing.
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“He drove in two or three totally different types (of) race tracks, having by no means pushed in a Subsequent Gen automotive, and he ran competitively and completed properly in two of the three,” Wooden stated. “I used to be bought from that time. And I didn’t know Josh from anyone. Like, I knew who he was, however I hadn’t been following him. And I didn’t need him to do properly. Like, I used to be like, ‘Nicely, this isn’t purported to be that simple. You’re not purported to outrun us whenever you simply hop in one among these items.’ So it caught in my thoughts that week: This dude’s most likely fairly good. But it surely by no means dawned on me that there could be a chance (to signal him).”
That modified as soon as Berry left JRM’s Xfinity program after two full-time seasons from 2022-23 and its Chevrolet ties to go Cup racing in 2024 with Stewart-Haas Racing’s Fords. His rookie marketing campaign within the No. 4 Ford featured notable highlights, like main and 25 at Bristol Motor Speedway, each tracks shorter than 1 mile in size. But it surely additionally consisted of 10 DNFs in a tumultuous season for SHR, which shuttered its doorways on the conclusion of 2024 for a full rebrand and sell-off of three of its 4 charters.
The excellent news for the Wooden Brothers, although, is Berry was already within the Ford camp. Because the crew mulled plans for a brand new driver in 2025, Berry emerged as a high candidate. And 5 races into their new relationship, Berry has his first profession Cup win in hand, has already tied his 2024 whole of top-five finishes (two) and his two high 10s equate to half his 2024 whole as properly. Berry attributes the fast begin to perception in Jon Wooden, crew co-owners Eddie and Len Wooden in addition to crew chief Miles Stanley — and likewise their perception in him.
“From the minute that I sat with everybody at this desk and considered this chance, it simply felt proper,” Berry stated alongside Jon and Eddie Wooden and Stanley. “It simply felt like the suitable match for me. However our efficiency initially of the season has 100% exceeded my expectations. And I feel that it simply goes again to only trusting your instincts as a driver, that should you’re in an excellent scenario and surrounded by good individuals and have quick race vehicles that you are able to do superb issues.”
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By way of Wooden Brothers Racing’s alliance with Group Penske, Berry can be engrained with Penske’s trio of racers, which incorporates defending and three-time Cup champ Joey Logano, 2023 title winner Ryan Blaney and 2022 Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric. Cindric, who maintains shut relationships with many on the No. 21 crew, was certain to go to Victory Lane and supply his congratulations — and clarify why this win shouldn’t be such a shock.
“He’s finished every step of the way in which proper and clearly had the automotive immediately and acquired the job finished. It’s actually that easy,” Cindric stated. “It’s cool to see, and funky to see the fellows within the store which might be excited; the Wooden Brothers and everyone. So yeah, if I can’t win one among these and my different two guys can’t, he’s the man. It’s a cool group as a result of there’s a number of first-time winners.”
The response to Berry’s victory has been overwhelmingly constructive, together with congratulatory messages from his 2024 crew chief and JRM co-owner . However that heat reception was even prolonged by his present opponents like and William Byron. The No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports driver, who led 10 laps in Sunday’s Vegas race and completed fourth, overlapped with Berry whereas the duo ran Late Mannequin Shares collectively for JRM. However their relationship predates even that.
“We grew up all the way in which again to iRacing days racing one another,” Byron stated. “So, good for him. Glad for them. He’s undoubtedly been a contender.”
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Berry additionally left a constructive impression on Hendrick Motorsports. Along with the 5 races he crammed in for Elliott, Berry additionally subbed for an injured Alex Bowman in three races in 2023. Group president Jeff Andrews continues to carry Berry in excessive regard regardless of his departure elsewhere.
“Josh is only a stable man,” Andrews advised NASCAR.com. “We return to a couple years in the past right here when he crammed in for us, and I can keep in mind having a dialog with him after we wanted him to drive this 9 automotive and only a stable man, works arduous. Clearly an amazing short-track background that spoke for itself. And Hendrick Motorsports, from our perspective, we couldn’t be extra proud to see the place Josh has ended up and win immediately. Very, very deserving. Only a good man, an excellent race-car driver who works arduous and has made his means up via the game.
“To win on a mile-and-a-half observe like this, I do know it’s acquired to really feel nice for him, an amazing sense of accomplishment, and good for the game. Congratulations to the Wooden Brothers as properly.”
Berry captured his first Xfinity Sequence win on the Martinsville Speedway half-mile again in 2021. However Vegas has performed a particular function in his profession too. Now, it can without end maintain a big place within the story of his profession as the positioning of his first NASCAR Cup Sequence win.
“Clearly, with my expertise on the brief tracks, you’d suppose that that’s the place you’re going to win,” Berry stated. “But when something, I’ve discovered on this sport you by no means know what day may be your day, and also you simply should put your head down and be there to capitalize. And Miles and this complete 21 crew introduced an amazing race automotive, and we discovered ourselves in place.”
