Josh Berry is ready to make noise at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday afternoon. (Photo Credit: Erik Smith | The Podium Finish)
HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Josh Berry, the Cinderella story winner from last week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Wood Brothers Racing, will begin Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 400 from the second starting position at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Berry hustled around the 1.5-mile oval with a time of 32.055, equaling a speed of 168.460 mph. The Hendersonville, Tennessee native will start alongside Alex Bowman on the front row for the 400-mile event.
The driver of the No. 21 Dex Imaging Ford Mustang Dark Horse achieved his first Cup Series victory in his 52nd career start, leading only 18 laps to secure the underdog win.
After a challenging start to the 2025 season, which included three consecutive finishes outside the top 20, Berry secured his first top 5 and top 10 finishes at Phoenix Raceway. He then shocked the entire Cup Series field by claiming his first Cup Series victory last Sunday.
Josh Berry racing down the front stretch of Homestead-Miami Speedway in qualifying for the Straight Talk Wireless 400 (Photo Credit: John Arndt | The Podium Finish)
“It’s been good. It’s been a busy week.” Said Berry in a press conference ahead of the Cup Series action at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Josh Berry’s rise to the NASCAR Cup Series offers fans a look into how early-generation drivers had to work hard to secure their places in the sport’s top tier. He demonstrates that he has fought for every opportunity in late-model racing to reach NASCAR’s big leagues. Starting his career several years ago under the guidance of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Berry’s victories have earned him considerable popularity and recognition throughout the week.
“I talked to a lot of people and did plenty of podcasts and interviews. But honestly, it was all good and the best thing about it all is I feel like we were able to complete everything on the competition side that we wanted to, to make sure that we’re prepared for this weekend. Winning a Cup race is a big deal. I definitely felt that over the course of the week, but I’m excited to get here and get back to racing.”
“I’m still kind of soaking that part of it in getting started here at Homestead, but just winning races in the Cup Series is a big deal and it’s so incredibly difficult, so I’m not taking that moment for granted. At the same time, I want to keep pushing forward and keep getting better and have more opportunities at this, so I don’t feel like this is the last one. I don’t think that Sunday was considered probably an upset, at least, but not a fluke with how we’ve been running and I feel like we can keep getting better and keep pushing forward and have other opportunities.”
During last week’s Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the lug nut from Christopher Bell’s No. 20 Toyota was not properly tightened, causing it to roll all the way to the pit box of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Chase Briscoe before Bell returned to the track. Earlier in the week, NASCAR updated its rulebook to state that a situation like this would result in a laps penalty for the driver in the future.
“I feel like NASCAR kind of clarified the rules and what the expectations are, and I feel like the biggest thing is we want to keep the wheels on these race cars. Honestly, I feel like the majority of pit road, if someone was in that situation, you’re still gonna get a penalty, whether it’s under yellow or green. The biggest thing is you hope if you’re in that situation somebody would help you, and you will return the favor.”
Berry lastly discussed his perspective on Homestead-Miami Speedway, emphasizing the importance of driver talent to effectively navigate the 1.5-mile track.
“I’ve liked Homestead, I felt like we ran better than we finished and last year in the Cup car I thought it was a really solid race. I think you see the guys that can run the wall a little bit better than others, that are a little bit more committed to it, and then some of us see that you need to be a little bit more versatile and be able to run different lanes. So everybody kind of has their own strategy, but I feel like whenever we see tire wear and things like we see here, really the cars that drive good and stay underneath of you for a long run really show out just as much as the driver’s talent.”
Berry aims for back-to-back victories this Sunday afternoon in Southern Florida, attempting to secure the Wood Brothers Racing team’s 102nd career Cup Series win as an organization.
