Josh Berry’s path wasn’t an easy ride. He spent years grinding on short tracks, dreaming of being the next Bubba Pollard. Five years ago, he thought he’d stay there forever, working on his own car, chasing wins with his buddies. Then Junior Motorsports handed him an Xfinity shot. He won once, then again, and suddenly he’s in a Cup car with Stewart-Haas, then Wood Brothers Racing. “My story’s been well documented,” Berry said. “I wouldn’t change anything about how I got here.” It’s those late nights, those dusty tracks, they built him. He misses them, but they led him to this.
Josh Berry’s win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was not just a victory. It’s a shout from the heart of short-track racing, a world that shaped him and so many others. Berry, at 34, became the first Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division I champ to snag a NASCAR Cup Series win. This is proof that grassroots still has a pulse in a sport often dominated by big teams and young hotshots. This wasn’t just a race; it was a story years in the making.
Josh Berry is the new short-track messiah
Josh Berry said, “And it was a last-second, thrown-in-the-car (process). I had no preparation. And even thinking back to that day, they believed in me. And they gave me another week, right? And then we went and finished in the top 10. So just, it’s amazing the things that have to happen to get to this point.” The Wood Brothers’ No. 21 car, led by crew chief Miles Stanley, isn’t some sidekick team anymore. Stanley’s genius lies in his quiet, steady, and laser-focused mindset. He’s been with the team since 2018, moving from engineer to strategist, and now he’s got Berry out front.
NASCAR insider Mamba Smith added, “The 21 car, the Wood Brothers, they’re not a satellite team anymore. This is not a… But it’s over here, in the field, and we’re keeping them here because they’re here to win races, like they just did this weekend, and compete. They’ve been competing at a high level all year long. And you’re watching it, and it’s like, well, you know, it’s Bowman Gray. And then it’s like, well, it’s a superspeedway. And then you get to a road course, he doesn’t have money to work on that. Yeah, he didn’t work on that. But he comes back to Vegas, where you expect the Team Penske cars to be fast, and he was just as fast as his teammates were, and got the job done. I think you look at it, and he’s one of the guys that keeps the lifeblood of the short-track racing going.” Berry’s win pumps hope into every short-track dreamer out there.
His stats back it up: Berry’s run 14 short track races, averaging 17.1, with a 6th at Richmond and now this Vegas win—his first in 54 Cup starts. He’s been close before—third at Darlington, fifth at Loudon. He no longer can be labeled “mid-packer”. “I’ve been competitive everywhere.” declared Berry. This win wasn’t luck, it was proof. Harvick saw it too and shared on X “This really proves that hard work and determination can get you to the Cup Series still.” Berry’s not some kid handed a silver spoon, he’s the guy who clawed his way up. Facing adversity at Hendrick and Stewart-Haas, he learned from winners, even when the wins didn’t come. Smith added, “He was around winning organizations or winning people, and that matters for sure.” That grit, that hustle, it’s why Vegas felt so big.
Jon Wood, now the team president of Wood Brothers Racing said, “He drove in two or three different styles (of) race tracks, having never driven in a Next Gen car, and he ran competitively and finished well in two of the three,” Wood said. “I was sold from that point. And I didn’t know Josh from anybody. Like, I knew who he was, but I hadn’t been following him. And I didn’t want him to do well. Like, I was like, ‘Well, this isn’t supposed to be that easy. You’re not supposed to outrun us when you just hop in one of these things.’ So it stuck in my mind that week: This dude’s probably pretty good. But it never dawned on me that there would be an opportunity (to sign him).”
Berry’s win isn’t just his, it’s for every racer busting their knuckles on a Saturday night oval. Short tracks aren’t dead, they’re alive in him. He’s not flashy, just real. And that’s why this matters. NASCAR’s soul still beats, and Berry’s carrying the torch.
Berry’s Vegas Win is a beacon of hope for the older lads
Berry started seventh in the South Point 400, a race with 32 lead changes and 11 cautions over 267 laps. He took the lead from Daniel Suarez with nine laps left, earning a playoff spot for 2025 with Wood Brothers Racing. His crew chief, Miles Stanley, who joined the team in 2018 from Team Penske and became crew chief in late 2024, said, “I’m hopeful this isn’t just a one-off. Josh has the talent to keep winning. He’s shown he can compete at this level, and we’re building something special here.”
Berry won in his 53rd Cup start at 34. Compare that to Ty Gibbs winning at 22 in Phoenix in 2024; Chase Elliott at 22 in Watkins Glen in 2018; And Joey Logano at 18 in Loudon in 2008. Older drivers like Mark Martin won at 50 in Phoenix in 2009, and Harry Gant at 52 in Michigan in 1992. With 2025’s average Cup driver age at 31.9 across 36 full-time entries, Berry’s win says you don’t have to be young.
Denny Hamlin changed his mind quickly, “I didn’t see this coming, but Josh has earned it. He’s a star now. Watching him race Suarez side-by-side, trading paint—that’s racing. He didn’t back down, and he deserved that win.” Berry finished 1.3 seconds ahead of Suarez. Hamlin, with 43 Cup wins, added, “He showed he’s got what it takes. I’m happy to see him get this.”
Berry’s not some fast newbie, he’s the guy who didn’t quit. From short tracks to Vegas, he kept pushing. This win gives hope to anyone told they’re too old or too slow to start. It’s so poetic thinking about his years and the people he proved wrong. NASCAR’s got new energy, and Berry’s the one driving it.
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