Josh Berry admits faults while sharpening his edge in Roger Penske-powered climb

Since his breakthrough win at Las Vegas, Josh Berry's second full-time Cup Series season has unfolded in promise and frustration. Speaking ahead of the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race, the Wood Brothers Racing driver took the blame for recent missed results, even as his No. 21 Ford Mustang continues to show speed and consistency.

Berry has three top-10 finishes in his 16 starts this season, including his Las Vegas win, showing a learning curve in his first Cup campaign with the Wood Brothers. While crashes at Darlington and Texas have denied him better finishes, he stressed that the pace and potential are intact.

Talking to reporters in the pre-race press conference, Berry explained (via Cup Scene):

"The hardest thing to figure out is how to be fast, lead these races and get yourself in contention and we've done that a lot... It's frustrating to make mistakes, and those mistakes fall on me, but all we can do is just continue to put me in that position, and keep working on those things and getting better and the finishes will come." (11:37 onwards)

Josh Berry's honest self-assessment came during a broader conversation on his whirlwind journey since Stewart-Haas Racing announced its 2024 exit plan. It prompted Berry's eventual move to Wood Brothers Racing, a team aligned with powerhouse Team Penske.

Josh Berry 'super proud' of his Wood Brothers journey despite missed opportunities

NASCAR Cup Series driver Josh Berry (21) during the Goodyear 400 at Darlington. Source: Imagn

Josh Berry, who finished 27th last year with 579 points and two top-five finishes, has already qualified for the playoffs this year, 12 races into the season. He also won his first Cup Series race at Las Vegas which helped him qualify for his first NASCAR All-Star Race.

However, his promise has also come with misfortune. So far in 2025, Berry has led laps at Martinsville (40) and Texas (41) but finished outside the top 30 in both races due to wrecks. Still, compared to the struggles of 2024, this season feels like a turning point, as Berry added:

"Last year was hard... There's races where we were in contention and then towards the end it got super hard... To come into the 21 team and put in the work we did in the offseason, just getting to know each other and come out with the speed like we've had. It's been a big deal. So, just super proud of that." (6:05 onwards)

A lot of it is credited to the Penske alliance, which has supported Wood Brothers with chassis, parts, Roush-Yates engines, and engineering backing. The No. 21 Ford is also built at the Penske facility, using similar simulation data and setup notes to the main Penske fleet.

Despite a few stumbles, Josh Berry's Ford has frequently run inside the top 10, a significant uptick from last season's results.