NASCAR takeaways: Josh Berry loves Las Vegas! He ends Christopher Bell's win streak
From a guy who had won three straight weeks to a guy who had never secured a victory.
Christopher Bell’s streak died Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and Josh Berry earned his first NASCAR Cup Series win.
Berry took the lead from Daniel Suarez with 13 laps left in the Pennzoil 400. He held off Suarez and third-place driver Ryan Preece to take the checkered flag in the No. 21 Wood Brothers ride.
This is his first season in that seat.
“Oh, man,” Berry said immediately after his victory lap. “I don’t even know what to think. Just awesome. I love this track. Las Vegas has been so good to me. I’ve had so many great moments here ...
“We just battled and battled and battled. It was our day. I just can’t believe it. Such a battle with Daniel there at the end.”
Here are three takeaways:
1. Josh Berry wins in fifth race with Wood Brothers
Only 53 starts into his Cup Series career, Berry is already a journeyman.
He made his big-league debut in 2021, running two races as a fill-in for Spire Motorsports. In 2023, he returned to the Cup Series as a substitute for Hendrick Motorsports and, later that year, Legacy Motor Club.
Finally, in 2024, he earned a full-time spot at NASCAR's highest level, replacing Kevin Harvick in the No. 4 car for Stewart-Haas Racing. During the season, Stewart-Haas announced plans to close its doors. So Berry signed with the Wood Brothers, who were looking to upgrade from Harrison Burton.
It took the 34-year-old just five races with his new organization to find Victory Lane. Berry is the 20th driver to win a race in a Wood Brothers car. The team now possesses 101 all-time victories.
2. Christopher Bell’s win streak stops at three
Bell started his bid for a fourth straight victory in the back of the field.
Despite qualifying 13th, he received a penalty because his Joe Gibbs Racing team made unapproved changes to his No. 20 Toyota. It swapped the throttle body.
By the end of Stage 1, Bell had worked his way up to 10th.
In Stage 2, after racing into the top five, he encountered a loose left front tire coming out of his pit box. Before leaving pit road, he stopped in Chase Briscoe’s box, and the No. 19 team tightened it for him.
That, of course, drew a penalty, sending Bell back to the rear. But if the wheel would have fallen off on the track, he would’ve suffered a two-lap penalty.
He ended Stage 2 in 27th and finished 12th.
Jimmie Johnson in 2007 remains the last NASCAR driver to rattle off four in a row.
3. Corey Heim, Justin Allgaier also leave Vegas for Homestead with trophies in trunk
Corey Heim got his second Truck Series win of the young season Friday night at Vegas. Heim drives the No. 11 Toyota for Tricon Garage.
Defending series champ Justin Allgaier won Saturday's Xfinity race at Vegas. His first win of 2025 also vaulted him to first place in the points standings. He led more than half (102) of the 200 laps.
Justin Allgaier hits jackpot at Las Vegas
— Next Line Racing🏁 (@NLR_NewsPR) March 16, 2025
📰: https://t.co/439GiJ7xe2@J_Allgaier | @JRMotorsports | @LVMotorSpeedwaypic.twitter.com/f1rMyf8fCm
All three of NASCAR's national touring series will again be in action this coming weekend as everyone returns to Florida for a Friday-to-Sunday slate of racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The Truck Series races Friday night, the Xfinity Series on Saturday afternoon, with Week 6 of the 2025 Cup season capping the weekend Sunday afternoon.
— Ken Willis contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR results: Josh Berry earns first Cup Series win in Las Vegas
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