After a three race stretch out west in Texas, Arizona and Las Vegas, NASCAR heads back to the East Coast and down to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the Straight Talk Wireless 400. After Josh Berry secured the victory at Las Vegas, who is next to land a win on NASCAR’s top circuit?
A Virtual Unknown Secures His First Cup Series Win In Sin City:
Josh Berry, a 34-year-old short track specialist in his second year in the top circuit, secured his very first at a track he’s very familiar with. Driving the iconic number 21 Wood Brothers Ford, Berry found himself on the very same track that gave him his first opportunity in the Cup Series just two years prior, as he filled in for injured driver Chase Elliott and drove the number 9 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports in 2023. While that fill-in role was a bust, Berry ran a few more races for Elliott and had a decent showing that would land him a full-time ride with Wood Brothers Racing last season.
Berry battled Daniel Suarez with 19 laps to go and was able to pull away for the win. Vegas seems to be a track that Berry loves driving at, securing two wins for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series before making his Cup Series debut there. Berry has locked himself a spot in the 16-driver playoff at the end of the season and could be on his way to proving he’s here to stay in NASCAR’s premier circuit. As the sport heads back east, one thing is for certain, these 1.5-mile flat tracks are proving to be difference makers.
Bienvenido A Miami; NASCAR Invades South Beach:
A track that made its debut in 1999, Homestead-Miami Speedway used to be the culmination of the NASCAR season. In more recent years, being moved to the spring and having undergone some cosmetic changes to the racing surface, HMS has become a more relevant track providing some more interesting racing than in previous years. Series win leader, Christopher Bell, has secured victory at HMS in the past and could look to rebound after a late pit road penalty in Las Vegas cost him a chance at 4 wins in a row. Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman, who secured the pole for Sunday’s race, looks to get back to victory lane and land his spot in the season-ending playoff. Bowman’s Hendrick teammate, Kyle Larson, is also a front-runner favorite to win after racing in the Truck Series and the Xfinity Series races this weekend. Defending race champion Tyler Reddick is also a driver to keep an eye on as the laps wind down.
The stars are sure to be out this weekend in South Beach as the NASCAR season begins to heat up. The Straight Talk Wireless 400 goes live on FS1 and the Motor Racing Network at 3 pm Eastern Standard Time. Next week, the series heads to its first short track of the season, when NASCAR invades Martinsville, Virginia, a track that always features beating and banging and loads of action from the green flag to the checkered flag.