Josh Berry’s voice still echoed with excitement days after surpassing Daniel Suárez to secure his first NASCAR Cup Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 34-year-old from Tennessee joined Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the Dale Jr. Download podcast, analyzing the intense strategic battle that characterized the final laps of the Pennzoil 400.
Berry’s triumph on March 16 marked Wood Brothers Racing’s 101st Cup win and capped a rollercoaster final stage where lead changes, tire strategy, and a decisive restart cemented his place in NASCAR lore. But his late-race showdown with Suárez, a battle of door-to-door grit, etched the moment into fans’ memories.
Josh Berry Clinches Breakthrough Win in Vegas Thriller
Berry knew the final restart with 19 laps remaining would dictate his fate.
“I honestly felt like whoever won the restart was probably going to win the race,” he told Earnhardt Jr. Suárez, armed with a push from teammate Ross Chastain, briefly surged ahead. However, Berry would not back down, pursuing the No. 99 Chevrolet through Turns 3 and 4 before slipping underneath him three laps afterward.
The battle escalated as the two exchanged paint, their vehicles mere inches apart at 180 mph. “Such a battle with Daniel there at the end. Beating and banging at a mile-and-a-half is crazy,” Berry said. When he finally cleared Suárez with 14 laps left, his Ford rocketed forward. A stunned Berry watched his lead extend to over a second within moments.
“The biggest surprise was how big of a gap we pulled right away,” he admitted.
Radio silence from the No. 21’s spotter Jason Jarrett highlighted the team’s confidence. “Jason just started counting laps,” Berry said. By the white flag, reality set in: “I’m like, ‘He ain’t catching me now.’” The relief was palpable as Berry crossed the line 1.3 seconds ahead, collapsing onto his car’s hood in disbelief, without doing a burnout show.
Inside the Decisive Battle vs Daniel Suárez That Defined Berry’s Career
For Berry, the win validated years of grinding through short tracks and part-time rides. His path from NASCAR Weekly Series champion to Wood Brothers’ flagship driver converged in those final laps. “It’s just incredible,” he said.
“Miles Stanley and I have a great thing going on together. He really believes in me.”
Suárez, meanwhile, grappled with near-miss frustration. The Trackhouse Racing driver led 12 laps and felt his car’s strength faded in short runs. “We did everything right,” Suárez said post-race.
“We just struggled a little bit in the short run. I Just had a little bit too much contact. I almost wrecked in [Turns] 1 and 2.”
His runner-up finish still marked a season-best rebound after three straight finishes outside the top 20.
Berry’s victory also reignited Wood Brothers Racing’s legacy. The team hadn’t won consecutive seasons since 1986-87, a drought broken in their 75th anniversary year. Crew chief Stanley, earning his first Cup win, praised Berry’s composure.
As the series heads to Homestead, it’s a declaration that Berry’s moment has arrived for a driver once overlooked.