From to a man who had by no means secured a victory.
died Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and Josh Berry earned his first NASCAR Cup Sequence win.
Berry took the lead from Daniel Suarez with 13 laps left within the . He held off Suarez and third-place driver Ryan Preece to take the checkered flag within the No. 21 Wooden Brothers trip.
That is his first season in that seat.
“Oh, man,” Berry stated instantly after his victory lap. “I don’t even know what to suppose. Simply superior. I really like this monitor. Las Vegas has been so good to me. I’ve had so many nice moments right here …
“We simply battled and battled and battled. It was our day. I simply can’t imagine it. Such a battle with Daniel there on the finish.”
Listed here are three takeaways:
1. Josh Berry wins in fifth race with Wooden Brothers
Solely 53 begins into his Cup Sequence profession, Berry is already a journeyman.
He made his big-league debut in 2021, operating two races as a fill-in for Spire Motorsports. In 2023, he returned to the Cup Sequence as an alternative choice to Hendrick Motorsports and, later that 12 months, Legacy Motor Membership.
Lastly, in 2024, he earned a full-time spot at NASCAR’s highest stage, changing Kevin Harvick within the No. 4 automobile for Stewart-Haas Racing. Through the season, Stewart-Haas introduced plans to shut its doorways. So Berry signed with the Wooden Brothers, who had been seeking to improve from Harrison Burton.
It took the 34-year-old simply 5 races together with his new group to seek out Victory Lane. Berry is the twentieth driver to win a race in a Wooden Brothers automobile. The workforce now possesses 101 all-time victories.
2. Christopher Bell’s win streak stops at three
Bell began his bid for a fourth straight victory behind the sphere.
Regardless of qualifying thirteenth, he obtained a penalty as a result of his Joe Gibbs Racing workforce made unapproved adjustments to his No. 20 Toyota. It swapped the throttle physique.
By the tip of Stage 1, Bell had labored his means as much as tenth.
In Stage 2, after racing into the highest 5, he encountered a unfastened left entrance tire popping out of his pit field. Earlier than leaving pit street, he stopped in Chase Briscoe’s field, and the No. 19 workforce tightened it for him.
That, in fact, drew a penalty, sending Bell again to the rear. But when the wheel would have fallen off on the monitor, he would’ve suffered a two-lap penalty.
He ended Stage 2 in twenty seventh and completed twelfth.
Jimmie Johnson in 2007 stays the final NASCAR driver to rattle off 4 in a row.
3. Corey Heim, Justin Allgaier additionally go away Vegas for Homestead with trophies in trunk
Corey Heim bought his second Truck Sequence win of the younger season Friday evening at Vegas. Heim drives the No. 11 Toyota for Tricon Storage.
Defending sequence champ Justin Allgaier received Saturday’s Xfinity race at Vegas. His first win of 2025 additionally vaulted him to first place within the factors standings. He led greater than half (102) of the 200 laps.
All three of NASCAR’s nationwide touring sequence will once more be in motion this coming weekend as everybody returns to Florida for a Friday-to-Sunday slate of racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The Truck Sequence races Friday evening, the Xfinity Sequence on Saturday afternoon, with Week 6 of the 2025 Cup season capping the weekend Sunday afternoon.
— Ken Willis contributed to this story.
