“He’s worked really hard to be in this sport and he’s got a great opportunity with WBR and Penske to do something special”: Spire rival on Josh Berry
Spire Motorsports driver Michael McDowell expressed his appreciation for rival Josh Berry's first win in Las Vegas at the Penzoil 400. He acknowledged Berry's hard work and highlighted his opportunity with Wood Brothers Racing and Team Penske to achieve a well-earned victory.
Josh Berry pulled off an unexpected win in Las Vegas last week, after passing Daniel Suarez in the final stages with 19 laps remaining. This marked his maiden win in the Cup series as well as his team, The Wood Brothers Racing's 101st win. He also became Wood Brothers Racing's fourth consecutive driver to capture their first Cup Series victory with the team, thanks to their technical alliance with Team Penske in developing drivers through the sport.
Speaking on the historic win, Veteran NASCAR driver Michael McDowell said,
"He’s worked really hard to be in this sport and he’s got a great opportunity with the Wood Brothers and with Team Penske to do something special, and he did. It’s cool to see it work out. It’s cool to see the hard work pays off and grinding it out.
Piloting the No. 71 Chevrolet, Michael McDowell achieved his first victory in 2021 at the Daytona 500, after 14 seasons in the sport. After spending six years with Frontrow Motorsports, McDowell signed a multi-year contract with Spire Motorsports from 2025 onwards. Looking ahead, McDowell starts 26th at Homestead-Miami on Sunday, March 23, while Josh Berry locks out the front row in second.
Josh Berry champions grass roots racing as stepping stone to NASCAR
Josh Berry, 39, reflected on his journey to his first NASCAR Cup Series victory in Las Vegas, and credited his success in short track racing for gaining recognition and an opportunity in the Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports. Additionally, he spoke about his breakthrough victories with JRM, which led to his Cup Series debut.
Talking to the media at a post-race press conference in Las Vegas, Berry responded to a question about the role played by grass roots racing in his development as a NASCAR race winner.
"Five years ago, I felt like I was gonna be a career short track racer. You know, I wanted to be Bubba Pollard, I wanted to be the greats on the short track and JR Motorsports gave me an opportunity to go drive an Xfinity car and we won a race, and then we won another race and then i get an opportunity in a Cup car and that goes well and here I am now. So those grass roots are important to NASCAR," he said. ( 0:39 onwards )
With over 100 wins in Late Model Stock Car racing, Berry secured a part-time stint with JRM in the Xfinity series after his NASCAR Weekly Series championship in 2020. He then graduated to a full-time drive in 2022, after his first Xfinity Series victory in 2021 at Martinsville.
While he ended fourth in the 2022 standings with two victories to his name, Berry secured eight starts for Hendrick Motorsports as a reserve driver in 2023, where he achieved a best finish of second at Richmond. This was followed by his first full-time ride with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2024 and eventual transition to WBR in 2025.