Drivers scoring their first Cup Series wins with Wood Brothers Racing is nothing new for the historic NASCAR organization. Yet, there was something different about Josh Berry's win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Berry's first Cup win was on an intermediate track.
"This one was legit," team co-owner Jon Wood said Sunday night. "Sometimes they'll put an asterisk beside a speedway race. 'It's speedway racing.' He dominated those last 20 laps.
"Look at our track position, our qualifying, the whole package from Daytona to now, if you throw out COTA -- you're not supposed to throw 'em out -- but if you do, his qualifying average is fifth.
"He's either led or won in every race since. It's not supposed to be this easy. I think that's just a testament to his level of focus and (crew chief Miles Stanley's) big brain."
Berry is the fifth driver in a row to score his first career Cup Series win in a Wood Brothers Racing car. Harrison Burton did so last season after beating Kyle Busch on the final restart at Daytona International Speedway. Ryan Blaney won at Pocono Raceway in 2017 after holding off Kevin Harvick.
Trevor Bayne scored his first career win at Daytona International Speedway in 2011, one day after his 20th birthday. Elliott Sadler won his first career Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2001.
Wood is correct; superspeedway wins can have an asterisk attached to them by NASCAR fans due to the luck factor of those races. Sometimes, winning at Daytona, Talladega, or Atlanta can come down to being in the right place at the right time to avoid the big wreck.
This isn't always the case. Plenty of drivers over the years have shown their superspeedway acumen by blocking multiple lanes, controlling the runs, or timing their race-winning passes.
Sunday's win at Las Vegas will not have any asterisk. Berry's car had top-10 speed throughout the race, and he used it to score stage points. The team then used strategy to regain the lost track position after an issue on pit road.
Once Berry was back in contention for a win, he took care of business. He raced door-to-door with Daniel Suarez and made the race-winning pass with 14 laps remaining in the race. After that, it was clear sailing to the checkered flag.
The result of this win is that Berry and Wood Brothers Racing are now in the playoffs after only five of the 26 regular-season races. This actually puts the team in a new position, considering that it has time to craft a strategy ahead of the playoffs.
The goal will be to win more races, but the team will also have time to pursue those crucial points that could help it move beyond the Round of 16.
"The wins that we get have been at the tail end, the middle to the tail end of the season with (Ryan) Blaney, with Harrison (Burton)," Wood said. "Harrison was two or three races before the cutoff. So now at the front end, it's going to be a completely different feeling.
"You're racing now for stage points instead of a win. Knowing that we're going to make the All-Star (Race). Haven't done that I don't think in a long, long time."