Cup Series: Berry takes maiden victory after late battle with Suarez in Las Vegas

Written by Sean McKean

Credit: Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images

Despite not being the most dominant car, it was Josh Berry who took his first career victory in Las Vegas. Berry has previously won in Vegas twice in the Xfinity Series.

As it unfolded

Michael McDowell headed the field away into Turn 1 and led the first two laps, but Joey Logano eventually reeled in the Daytona 500 champion and took the lead. 

On Lap 31, green flag pit stops began. Only three laps later, however, the first caution came out for the wheel coming off of Chase Briscoe’s car. He drove it back to the pits but received a two-lap penalty.

Austin Cindric led the way again on Lap 38 and held the lead until stage’s end. Notably, Cindric’s time up front for 32 laps saw him break his own personal record for laps led at 1.5-mile tracks. He was followed by Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott. 

Stage 1 Results:

1. No. 2 - Austin Cindric (Team Penske)

2. No. 48 - Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports)

3. No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)

4. No. 23 - Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing)

5. No. 5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)

6. No. 16 - AJ Allmendinger (Kaulig Racing)

7. No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)

8. No. 21 - Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing)

9. No. 77 - Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)

10. No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)

Most drivers took to the pits during the stage break.

Bubba Wallace led on the Lap 89 restart. During this, Alex Bowman notably took an unscheduled pit stop – complaining of a vibration in the rear.

On Lap 100, Kyle Larson took the lead from Wallace after pressuring him for many laps. Only eight laps later, though, the caution came out for a spin by Shane van Gisbergen coming off of Turn 2. Van Gisbergen’s car was undamaged.

Wallace led the next restart on Lap 113, but only half of a lap later, the caution came back out. This time, Kyle Busch’s right-rear tyre fell off, rolling down the backstretch. The No. 8 team – much like Briscoe earlier in the race – was also penalised. They took the car into the garage.

Lap 120 saw Larson take the lead with little fight from 23XI teammates Wallace and Tyler Reddick.

Shane van Gisbergen’s right-front tyre went flat down the backstretch and slowed dramatically. The green flag remained out.

The race stabilised until Lap 147 when Todd Gilliland hit the outside wall and half-spun off of Turn 4. He drove away from the accident.

Gambling on two tyres, Ross Chastain led the field away on Lap 153. But by Lap 161, Chastain relinquished the lead to Kyle Larson. Larson ended up running away with the victory ahead of William Byron and Chastain.

Stage 2 Results:

1. No. 5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)

2. No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports)

3. No. 1 - Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)

4. No. 23 - Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing)

5. No. 77 - Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)

6. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)

7. No. 99 - Daniel Suarez (Trackhouse Racing)

8. No. 21 - Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing)

9. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)

10. No. 47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Hyak Motorsports)

Michael McDowell led the way with 94 laps remaining on old tyres but quickly lost the lead to Larson.

With 80 laps to go, Cody Ware brought out the caution. He saw a tyre go flat mid-corner, sending his car into a hard tank-slapper crash. Ware walked away from the accident.

On the Lap 195 restart, another crash unfolded. This occurred between Ryan Blaney, Erik Jones and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Of this bunch, only Stenhouse continued on.

Most of the leaders took the opportunity to top off on fuel.

Tyler Reddick led the way on Lap 201. 

Reddick held on until Lap 230, when Daniel Suarez took the lead. Green flag pit stops also began during this period.

Despite everyone else pitting, Joey Logano stayed out to try to stretch the fuel window like he did in the fall. However, fate wasn’t on his side, as Noah Gragson cutting a tyre and hitting the wall with 26 laps to go meant he had to take to pit road.

Daniel Suarez led with only 20 laps to go, but Josh Berry managed to sneak past to take the lead, and he held onto it. Berry took his first career Cup Series win in a duel with Suarez.

Provisional Results:

1. No. 21 - Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing)

2. No. 99 - Daniel Suarez (Trackhouse Racing)

3. No. 60 - Ryan Preece (Roush Fenway-Keselowski Racing)

4. No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports)

5. No. 1 - Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)

6. No. 2 - Austin Cindric (Team Penske)

7. No. 48 - Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports)

8. No. 16 - AJ Allmendinger (Kaulig Racing)

9. No. 5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports)

10. No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)

11. No. 6 - Brad Keselowski (Roush Fenway-Keselowski Racing)

12. No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)

13. No. 17 - Chris Buescher (Roush Fenway-Keselowski Racing)

14. No. 7 - Justin Haley (Spire Motorsports)

15. No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)

16. No. 71 - Michael McDowell (Spire Motorsports)

17. No. 19 - Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing)

18. No. 47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Hyak Motorsports)

19. No. 35 - Riley Herbst (23XI Racing)

20. No. 42 - John Hunter Nemechek (Legacy Motor Club)

21. No. 10 - Ty Dillon (Kaulig Racing)

22. No. 54 - Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing)

23. No. 38 - Zane Smith (Front Row Motorsports)

24. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)

25. No. 11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)

26. No. 41 - Cole Custer (Haas Factory Team)

27. No. 43 - Erik Jones (Legacy Motor Club)

28. No. 23 - Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing)

29. No. 34 - Todd Gilliland (Front Row Motorsports)

30. No. 77 - Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)

31. No. 4 - Noah Gragson (Front Row Motorsports)

32. No. 3 - Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing)

33. No. 8 - Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing)

34. No. 88 - Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing)

35. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)

36. No. 51 - Cody Ware (Rick Ware Racing)