Josh Berry looking to start another streak at Miami
March 22 - So apparently Christopher Bell will not win nearly every NASCAR Cup Series race after all.
First-year Wood Brothers Racing driver Josh Berry powered the iconic No. 21 Ford around Las Vegas Motor Speedway to break Bell's three-race stranglehold on the sport and give an enormous boost to NASCAR's oldest organization.
Berry now will head south to the Homestead-Miami Speedway for Sunday's Straight Talk Wireless 400 in the season's sixth race.
Noah Gragson appeared to be headed to his first Cup pole Saturday afternoon, but Alex Bowman topped him with a qualifying lap of 168.845 mph to claim the Busch Light Pole Award.
The Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 driver edged out Berry, who posted a lap of 168.460 mph.
Gragson, Chase Briscoe and William Byron completed the top qualifiers.
Opening as a rectangular-shaped speedway and later transformed to an oval, Homestead's 1.5-mile layout has had a nomadic journey on NASCAR's schedule, occupying the championship weekend as the last race for 18 straight seasons from 2002-19.
Starting the season in Florida with the Daytona 500 and coming back to close it in November in South Florida, where warmer temperatures are more likely, worked for nearly two decades, but Phoenix now hosts the capper.
Tyler Reddick is the defending winner at NASCAR's southernmost regular venue, while Bell, Kyle Larson, Byron and Denny Hamlin have found the checkered flag in the past five visits. Homestead has produced nine different winners in the past nine races.
If you grabbed a bingo card last February and had Wood Brothers Racing victorious in a race in 2024 with lame duck driver Harrison Burton and also this season with Berry in the seat -- sending the organization to the playoffs in consecutive campaigns -- well by all means blot that unexpected square.
New fans of the sport may not realize the impact of the Wood Brothers, a front-running, 20th-century powerhouse and owner of 101 career NASCAR wins.
Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Team Penske and RFK Racing all have lengthy resumes, but none of them go back 75 years and match the Stuart, Va.-based organization's duration.
In addition to developing the modern pit stop, which it used to service Jim Clark in his 1965 Indianapolis 500 triumph, Wood Brothers Racing suited up two future champions -- Dale Jarrett and Ryan Blaney -- in their first Cup wins in 1991 and 2017, respectively, and is currently in alliance with Team Penske, Ford's signature stable.
Yet Berry's current situation is different than Burton's last year.
The son of former driver Jeff Burton, Harrison was on his way out the door and a complete longshot winner at Daytona last summer. It was no shock when Burton made a quick exit in the postseason.
But Berry, 34, has emerged as a weekly contender: He has led 74 laps, scored consecutive top-five finishes including his maiden victory last Sunday and sits 13th in points.
"It just felt like the right fit for me," Berry said. "But our performance at the start of the season has 100 percent exceeded my expectations. ... If you're in a good situation and surrounded by good people and have fast race cars, (you) can do amazing things."
Beating Bell and the rest of the field in the desert was a serious lesson presented by Berry, who attended high school with music superstar Taylor Swift in Hendersonville, Tenn., a part of Nashville's metropolitan region.
The surnames of Berry and Bell are so close alphabetically that they might have sat next to one another in a mythical homeroom had they been classmates. The reality is that with their wins in four of the first five races, they are taking the rest of NASCAR to school.
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North Wales Chronicle
7 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Willie Peters had faith in Mikey Lewis kick as Hull KR clinch Challenge Cup
Largely out-muscled by a Wire side orchestrated by the imperious Marc Sneyd, Rovers looked set for more Wembley agony as the underdogs entered the final three minutes with a four-point advantage. But after Tom Davies stretched to touch down following an error from Aaron Lindop, it was left to Lewis – handed kicking duties in the absence of the Cup-tied Arthur Mourgue, to nail the two-pointer that sparked raucous celebrations among the red and white hordes behind the post. WHAT A MOMENT! ❤️🏆#UpTheRobins 🔴⚪️ — Hull KR (@hullkrofficial) June 7, 2025 'That was probably the moment when I was the most calm,' insisted Peters, who celebrated wildly with his players – many of whom had been part of their agonising 2023 golden point defeat to Leigh – at the final hooter less than one and a half minutes after his side had nudged back ahead. 'It was a massive moment and I believed he was going to get it because of the belief he has in himself. He's not our number one kicker but I felt really comfortable and confident when he had the ball in his hands because that was his moment.' Peters did not hide from the fact that Rovers had been second best for much of an attritional contest in which Lewis' early penalty looked set to give them a slender half-time lead before Josh Thewlis took advantage of an outrageous ricochet to give his side the lead. Sneyd, who added a superb two points from the touchline and would end the day by becoming only the second player to win the Lance Todd Trophy for man of the match in the second half, continued to dominate after the break until Tyrone May's clever kick led to the late, late drama. 'It wasn't the best performance but it was gritty and that's all you need in a Cup final,' added Peters. 'You need to have grit and you need to enjoy discomfort, and they certainly did that. 'They were uncomfortable for long periods, Warrington just kept throwing so much at us and Marc Sneyd was exceptional, but we found a way and I'm so proud of this playing ground and staff. 'The way they won that match today shows the character and the type of players that they are. It's in our DNA, it's who we are. East Hull people are gritty, tough and resilient. We don't do anything easily, it was tough out there but we found a way.' Deflated Warrington head coach Sam Burgess said he could not have asked any more from his side, who controlled the majority of the match and were on the verge of securing their first Wembley triumph since 2019. Burgess, whose side were also beaten by Wigan in last year's final, said: 'You don't always get what you deserve and I don't think we deserved to lose today. 'We controlled the game very well and executed the plan. Unfortunately these things can happen, we were just on the wrong side of things today.' Burgess refused to pin any blame on Lindop, whose failure to properly ground May's late kick let in Davies for the decisive score. Burgess admitted some confusion over the awarding of the try, since replays showed the Warrington winger had appeared to ground the ball with his stomach, but the RFL later clarified that grounding with anything but the hand is only allowed on an offensive play. 'I think he's an amazing young man,' Burgess said of Lindop. 'He's an amazing player and he's got such a bright future, so that's what I think about Aaron. I absolutely love him.' Burgess's side have struggled for much of his second season and went into the game as heavy underdogs, languishing outside the Super League play-off places in eighth place and missing talismanic duo Danny Walker and Matty Ashton through injury. But Burgess said once the raw disappointment had eased, his players would take much from the occasion that would hopefully spark a play-off push. 'We'll move on – suffering and pain and loss and everything like that are really crucial to our development and growth as a group and we're certainly suffering at the minute,' he added. 'There's a lot of pain in there but we'll take a really positive thing out of it as a group. We have great belief and it'll give us the resolve and determination to attack the second half of the season.'
Leader Live
8 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Willie Peters had faith in Mikey Lewis kick as Hull KR clinch Challenge Cup
Largely out-muscled by a Wire side orchestrated by the imperious Marc Sneyd, Rovers looked set for more Wembley agony as the underdogs entered the final three minutes with a four-point advantage. But after Tom Davies stretched to touch down following an error from Aaron Lindop, it was left to Lewis – handed kicking duties in the absence of the Cup-tied Arthur Mourgue, to nail the two-pointer that sparked raucous celebrations among the red and white hordes behind the post. WHAT A MOMENT! ❤️🏆#UpTheRobins 🔴⚪️ — Hull KR (@hullkrofficial) June 7, 2025 'That was probably the moment when I was the most calm,' insisted Peters, who celebrated wildly with his players – many of whom had been part of their agonising 2023 golden point defeat to Leigh – at the final hooter less than one and a half minutes after his side had nudged back ahead. 'It was a massive moment and I believed he was going to get it because of the belief he has in himself. He's not our number one kicker but I felt really comfortable and confident when he had the ball in his hands because that was his moment.' Peters did not hide from the fact that Rovers had been second best for much of an attritional contest in which Lewis' early penalty looked set to give them a slender half-time lead before Josh Thewlis took advantage of an outrageous ricochet to give his side the lead. Sneyd, who added a superb two points from the touchline and would end the day by becoming only the second player to win the Lance Todd Trophy for man of the match in the second half, continued to dominate after the break until Tyrone May's clever kick led to the late, late drama. 'It wasn't the best performance but it was gritty and that's all you need in a Cup final,' added Peters. 'You need to have grit and you need to enjoy discomfort, and they certainly did that. 'They were uncomfortable for long periods, Warrington just kept throwing so much at us and Marc Sneyd was exceptional, but we found a way and I'm so proud of this playing ground and staff. 'The way they won that match today shows the character and the type of players that they are. It's in our DNA, it's who we are. East Hull people are gritty, tough and resilient. We don't do anything easily, it was tough out there but we found a way.' Deflated Warrington head coach Sam Burgess said he could not have asked any more from his side, who controlled the majority of the match and were on the verge of securing their first Wembley triumph since 2019. Burgess, whose side were also beaten by Wigan in last year's final, said: 'You don't always get what you deserve and I don't think we deserved to lose today. 'We controlled the game very well and executed the plan. Unfortunately these things can happen, we were just on the wrong side of things today.' Burgess refused to pin any blame on Lindop, whose failure to properly ground May's late kick let in Davies for the decisive score. Burgess admitted some confusion over the awarding of the try, since replays showed the Warrington winger had appeared to ground the ball with his stomach, but the RFL later clarified that grounding with anything but the hand is only allowed on an offensive play. 'I think he's an amazing young man,' Burgess said of Lindop. 'He's an amazing player and he's got such a bright future, so that's what I think about Aaron. I absolutely love him.' Burgess's side have struggled for much of his second season and went into the game as heavy underdogs, languishing outside the Super League play-off places in eighth place and missing talismanic duo Danny Walker and Matty Ashton through injury. But Burgess said once the raw disappointment had eased, his players would take much from the occasion that would hopefully spark a play-off push. 'We'll move on – suffering and pain and loss and everything like that are really crucial to our development and growth as a group and we're certainly suffering at the minute,' he added. 'There's a lot of pain in there but we'll take a really positive thing out of it as a group. We have great belief and it'll give us the resolve and determination to attack the second half of the season.'
Glasgow Times
21 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Willie Peters had faith in Mikey Lewis kick as Hull KR clinch Challenge Cup
Largely out-muscled by a Wire side orchestrated by the imperious Marc Sneyd, Rovers looked set for more Wembley agony as the underdogs entered the final three minutes with a four-point advantage. But after Tom Davies stretched to touch down following an error from Aaron Lindop, it was left to Lewis – handed kicking duties in the absence of the Cup-tied Arthur Mourgue, to nail the two-pointer that sparked raucous celebrations among the red and white hordes behind the post. 'That was probably the moment when I was the most calm,' insisted Peters, who celebrated wildly with his players – many of whom had been part of their agonising 2023 golden point defeat to Leigh – at the final hooter less than one and a half minutes after his side had nudged back ahead. 'It was a massive moment and I believed he was going to get it because of the belief he has in himself. He's not our number one kicker but I felt really comfortable and confident when he had the ball in his hands because that was his moment.' Peters did not hide from the fact that Rovers had been second best for much of an attritional contest in which Lewis' early penalty looked set to give them a slender half-time lead before Josh Thewlis took advantage of an outrageous ricochet to give his side the lead. Sneyd, who added a superb two points from the touchline and would end the day by becoming only the second player to win the Lance Todd Trophy for man of the match in the second half, continued to dominate after the break until Tyrone May's clever kick led to the late, late drama. 'It wasn't the best performance but it was gritty and that's all you need in a Cup final,' added Peters. 'You need to have grit and you need to enjoy discomfort, and they certainly did that. 'They were uncomfortable for long periods, Warrington just kept throwing so much at us and Marc Sneyd was exceptional, but we found a way and I'm so proud of this playing ground and staff. 'The way they won that match today shows the character and the type of players that they are. It's in our DNA, it's who we are. East Hull people are gritty, tough and resilient. We don't do anything easily, it was tough out there but we found a way.' Deflated Warrington head coach Sam Burgess said he could not have asked any more from his side, who controlled the majority of the match and were on the verge of securing their first Wembley triumph since 2019. Tom Davies (left) celebrates his late try (Martin Rickett/PA Burgess, whose side were also beaten by Wigan in last year's final, said: 'You don't always get what you deserve and I don't think we deserved to lose today. 'We controlled the game very well and executed the plan. Unfortunately these things can happen, we were just on the wrong side of things today.' Burgess refused to pin any blame on Lindop, whose failure to properly ground May's late kick let in Davies for the decisive score. Burgess admitted some confusion over the awarding of the try, since replays showed the Warrington winger had appeared to ground the ball with his stomach, but the RFL later clarified that grounding with anything but the hand is only allowed on an offensive play. 'I think he's an amazing young man,' Burgess said of Lindop. 'He's an amazing player and he's got such a bright future, so that's what I think about Aaron. I absolutely love him.' Warrington's James Harrison sits with his head in his hands (Nigel French/PA) Burgess's side have struggled for much of his second season and went into the game as heavy underdogs, languishing outside the Super League play-off places in eighth place and missing talismanic duo Danny Walker and Matty Ashton through injury. But Burgess said once the raw disappointment had eased, his players would take much from the occasion that would hopefully spark a play-off push. 'We'll move on – suffering and pain and loss and everything like that are really crucial to our development and growth as a group and we're certainly suffering at the minute,' he added. 'There's a lot of pain in there but we'll take a really positive thing out of it as a group. We have great belief and it'll give us the resolve and determination to attack the second half of the season.'
