Josh Berry Beats The Odds in Vegas with First NASCAR Cup Series Win, Continues to Shine in 2025
Icon Sportswire. Getty Images.All eyes were on Christopher Bell this past weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as he attempted to win his 4th consecutive win just 5 weeks in to the NASCAR Cup Series season, however it was another driver that turned heads.
Josh Berry, who was as high as 100-1 via DraftKings prior to the race, got his first ever Cup Series win in NASCAR last Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It’s his first win on the highest level of NASCAR and the 101st win for his team, Wood Brothers Racing, who is the oldest operating team in NASCAR.
And the Rubbin' is Racing boys saw this coming. The week prior the crew agreed that Berry was the next full time Cup Series driver that would get their first win. While I'm kicking myself for not having him on my card, we did cash something.
Quigs mentioned Berry 20-1 to be the top Ford finisher in the race over guys like Larson and Bell who were closer to +500 to win the race. It pays to get your bets in early on DraftKings, as by the time the bet was placed Berry top Ford was 10-1 instead.
Berry becomes the first driver to get their first win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and the 20th different driver to win a race for the Wood Bros, who are celebrating their 75th year in the sport.
The #21 car he wheels was dominant in the laps 20ish laps of Sunday’s race and has been running great in several other races in the young 2025 season. The Hendersonville, TN native led laps and was in contention at in 3 of 5 races so far this year as he alluded to in our interview below.
Wood Brothers Racing has seen it’s fair share of top drivers in the past, including Junior Johnson, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, Kyle Petty, Dale Jarrett, Michael Waltrip, Bill Elliott, Ryan Blaney and even Harrison Burton who won last year at Daytona. But something feels different with Berry this year as he's proven he can compete across all types of tracks while facing his fare share of adversity in the process.
In our interview below Berry outlines his turbulent 2024 season in which he got his first full time Cup opportunity, driving the #4 car for Stewart Haas Racing, who was in the midst of ceasing operations and selling off their assets. We discuss his rise from grassroots, to subbing for NASCAR's top teams like Hendrick Motorsports, and how other young kids and first generation drivers can do the same. He explains how he's wheeled everything from iRacing cars virtually, to late model racing, and his dominance on Dale Jr's CARS Tour. We talk about his upbringing and his former high school classmates, Taylor Swift and IndyCar star Josef Newgarden. Tune in to hear what Josh's expectations are for the rest of the year, tracks he thinks he can win on, and his perspective on the Cup Series Championship.
Now in his second season on NASCAR's highest level, it seems like he's put it all together. Berry and the 21 team continue to impress early in 2025 and remain one of the easiest teams to root for in the entire sport (sorry Noah Gragson).
