In a thrilling Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Josh Berry secured his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory behind the wheel of the iconic No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Wood Brothers Racing. The 34-year-old Tennessee native made the decisive pass with just 16 laps remaining and never looked back.

Berry, who only led 18 of the race’s 267 laps, spent most of the afternoon running in the top 10, positioning himself perfectly for the late-race strategy call that would ultimately deliver his breakthrough win. The victory came in just his 52nd Cup Series start and fifth race with Wood Brothers Racing.

“Oh, man, I don’t even know what to think. Just awesome. I love this track. Las Vegas has been so good to me,” an elated Berry said in Victory Lane. “Such a battle with Daniel there at the end, beating and banging on a mile-and-a-half, crazy. Whoever was going to get out front was probably going to win. We were able to get in front.”

The win marks back-to-back seasons with victories for the legendary Wood Brothers Racing team, a feat they hadn’t accomplished since 1986 and 1987.

Berry’s path to victory showcased both driving skill and strategic decision-making. A critical call from crew chief Miles Stanley to stay out during a caution period around lap 188 proved pivotal. When another caution appeared at lap 245 for Noah Gragson, Berry capitalized on the reset field, outdueling Daniel Suarez for the lead.

Suarez finished second, 1.358 seconds behind Berry, while Ryan Preece completed the podium in third. William Byron, who showed impressive speed throughout the day but couldn’t secure the track position needed to challenge for the win, came home fourth, followed by Ross Chastain in fifth.

Austin Cindric, who led 47 laps early in the race, finished sixth. Alex Bowman, AJ Allmendinger, Kyle Larson (who led a race-high 61 laps), and Chase Elliott rounded out the top 10.

Christopher Bell’s quest for a fourth consecutive Cup Series win came up short as he finished 12th, though he remained the highest-finishing Toyota driver on a day when the manufacturer struggled.

Polesitter Michael McDowell led the opening lap but gradually faded to finish 16th for Spire Motorsports. Meanwhile, Ryan Blaney experienced perhaps the day’s biggest disappointment, climbing to seventh from the rear of the field before being collected in a six-car accident that ended his race outside the top 30.

With this race complete, William Byron maintains his points lead, sitting 29 markers ahead of Christopher Bell. Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott, and Alex Bowman complete the top five in the standings after five races.

The NASCAR Cup Series now heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway for next Sunday’s race, scheduled for 3:00 PM ET on FS1.

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images