Race Week Briefing: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Event: Pennzoil 400
Date/Time: Sunday, March 15, 2026, 4 p.m. ET
Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nevada
Layout: 1.5-Mile Oval
TV/Radio: FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Josh Berry returns to Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend with some recent history on his side.

Berry and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team head back to the 1.5-mile Nevada oval as the defending winners of Sunday’s Pennzoil 400, the race where Berry earned his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory last spring.

In last year’s race, Berry started seventh and emerged from a door-to-door battle with Daniel Suarez in the closing laps to secure the win, crossing the finish line 1.358 seconds ahead of Suarez. Ryan Preece, William Byron and Ross Chastain completed the top five as Wood Brothers Racing earned the 101st victory in the team’s storied history.

Berry led twice for a total of 18 laps, including the final 16 circuits of the race. The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse showed strong speed throughout the event, and the team was able to overcome a loose wheel during a pit stop to stay in contention and ultimately capitalize late in the race.

“The weekend went really well from start to finish,” Berry said this week. “I felt like we had a good car. We had some issues on pit road that set us back and got us off strategy, but we were able to catch the cautions at the right time and get ourselves back in the mix and capitalize there at the end.”

The victory marked Berry’s third career win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway across NASCAR’s national series, including two in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

“Vegas has provided a lot of cool wins for me over the years,” he said. “Hopefully we can go back and have a solid run like we did last spring and put ourselves in contention again.”

Berry said the Las Vegas track surface and conditions can change significantly between the spring and fall events, presenting a challenge for teams trying to find the right setup.

“Working with my team this week and going through the races from last year, it’s such a challenging place,” he said. “The biggest thing is how much it changes. In the spring it usually has a lot of grip and the weather is cooler. Then you go back in the fall after the track has sat all summer and it’s usually really hot, and it feels completely different.

“The hard part for the teams and us drivers is figuring all that out and what you need for the different conditions. It’s constantly evolving, and that’s why you tend to see different players up front. It really comes down to who hits it right that weekend.”

Practice for the Pennzoil 400 is scheduled for Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET, followed by qualifying at 3:40 p.m. ET with coverage on Prime Video.

Sunday’s 267-lap, 400-mile race is scheduled to begin just after 4 p.m. ET with television coverage on FS1. Stage breaks are planned for Lap 80 and Lap 165.

Saturday, March 14

Josh Berry will sign autographs at the Team Penske/Wood Brothers merchandise hauler beginning at 9:50 a.m. local time in the Las Vegas Motor Speedway fan zone. 100 wristbands will be distributed on a first come, first-served basis.

Josh Berry

Age: 35 (Oct. 22, 1990)

Hometown: Hendersonville, Tennessee

Crew Chief: Miles Stanley

IG: @joshberry88

X: @joshberry

About Motorcraft®
Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to under hood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers, independent distributors and automotive-parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty* of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com. *See your dealer for limited-warranty details.

About Quick Lane® Tire & Auto Center
Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine maintenance, serving all vehicle makes and models. Quick Lane provides a full menu of automotive services, including tires, oil change and maintenance, brakes, batteries, alternator and electrical system, air conditioning system, cooling system, transmission service, suspension and steering, wheel alignment, belts and hoses, lamps and bulbs and wiper blades plus a thorough vehicle checkup report. Service is performed by expert technicians while you wait at any of nearly 800 locations in the U.S., with evening and weekend hours available and no appointment necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com. *See your dealer for limited-warranty details.

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The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

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