“We’ll be ready to hit the ground running.” These words spoken in October 2024 could have been attributed to any NASCAR Cup Series team. However, the resolve and grit behind them were reflected recently at the 2025 Pennzoil 400 race. Miles Stanley, the No. 21 Ford crew chief, uttered those words ahead of his new role in 2025. Little did he expect that Josh Berry would run at lightning speed to Victory Lane!
The Late Model star is just in his second year of full-time Cup Series racing, and Josh Berry is already spewing gold. What is more, he brought Wood Brothers Racing its first non-drafting track victory since 2017. That is why his crew chief was left gaping in awe when the No. 21 car soared to victory in Sin City.
Josh Berry’s crew chief left dumbfounded
Wood Brothers Racing had been on a weak streak since the early 2000s. Only four drivers have clinched wins for the old team during this period – Elliott Sadler (Bristol, 2001), Trevor Bayne (Daytona 500, 2011), Ryan Blaney (Pocono, 2017), and Harrison Burton (Daytona, 2024). So when Miles Stanley signed up for the crew chief role, he was not expecting a loud season. Earlier, he was the Performance Engineer for Team Penske, a team with which WBR has a technical alliance. Additionally, this marked Stanley’s first crew chief role – so it is hardly surprising that he was left starry-eyed at Josh Berry’s success. But, how did Berry do it?
The Hendersonville, Tennessee native took full advantage of the lap 195 caution which wrested control of the race from Stage 2 winner, Kyle Larson. After the final caution on lap 243, Josh Berry beat Daniel Suarez to the checkered finish. As the No. 21 team bathed in celebration, Miles Stanley was asked if he expected it. He candidly confessed: “No, honestly, I didn’t. I mean, we talked through everything that we kind of planned on expectations for the season and everything in the off-season. And this was not one of the things I had pegged to be a winning option for us or one of the races we would be really strong at. I was surprised. Honestly, I’m still surprised.”
Josh Berry came off a tumultuous season with Stewart-Haas Racing, a team that shut down after 16 years in the Cup Series. So working on his momentum with a new team was supposed to take more time. So Stanley was taken aback at how quickly Berry adapted to the situation. He continued: “At the last stage of the race, we were really, really strong. A part of the plan was always to… qualify well and maintain our track position and just try and get a good solid finish out of it. But our car was really strong at the last part of the race. It was one that we earned, we didn’t have to gamble to get it. So that was cool.”
Miles Stanley may be focused on his driver, but the latter is grateful. Despite the team’s struggles, Josh Berry lauded Wood Brothers Racing for helping him win.
Berry counts his blessings
Josh Berry has picked up several wins across races in his career. These include 21 wins in the CARS Late Model Tour and the 2020 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national championship. But last season did not go well for the late-model racer. Besides accruing just 4 top-ten finishes and 2 top-fives, Berry ran into a lot of trouble. During the Coke Zero Sugar 4o0 race, he encountered a frightening wreck where his car flipped upside down. Then during the Michigan playoff race, NASCAR handed him a DVP penalty. Basically, even Berry had low expectations just like his crew chief. So when the Pennzoil 400 panned out in his favor, he was ecstatic and grateful.
Josh Berry hailed his Wood Brothers Racing team, which could not achieve much success for over two decades. He counted the combination of the team’s 101st victory and his own first Cup Series win to be special. Berry said: “I’m just really proud of everybody on this team. This is a great group. They build great race cars and it’s just been a privilege to drive for them. I’m just so really thankful to be here. There are so many people I could thank for this moment, but to be a Cup Series winner is really special.”
Evidently, Josh Berry’s success is still leaving people with their jaws dropped. That includes his own crew – so let us see what marvels the No. 21 team weaves in the upcoming races.
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