The Wood Brothers Racing team has had a stronger-than-expected start to the NASCAR Cup Series season.
Crew chief Miles Stanley, leading the No. 21 team with Josh Berry, admitted they’ve surpassed his initial expectations.
However, their main goal remains the same: to win races, make the playoffs, and advance deep into the postseason.
Berry took a major step forward at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he restarted second with 19 laps remaining. He chased down leader Daniel Suarez and made the winning pass with 13 laps to go.
This marked Berry’s first Cup Series victory and the 101st win for the historic Wood Brothers team. It was also Stanley’s first win as a Cup Series crew chief since taking over for the 2025 season.
Stanley acknowledged there are still areas where the team needs to improve and was surprised they performed so well at Las Vegas, as he hadn’t expected them to be contenders there.
However, he sees the win as a huge confidence booster for the entire team, from the pit crew to the shop mechanics and engineers. Success breeds belief, which is crucial in NASCAR.
So far, Berry and the No. 21 team have secured a win, two top-10 finishes, and currently sit 13th in the standings. His average finish is 18.6, with 74 laps led, mostly at Atlanta and Las Vegas.
The team also had a strong showing at Phoenix Raceway, where Berry finished fourth after qualifying in the same position. It was the first-ever top-five finish for Wood Brothers Racing at Phoenix.
Their strong momentum continued at Las Vegas, where Berry qualified seventh and ran inside the top 10 for most of the race, finishing eighth in both stages and holding one of the best average running positions of the day.
