Josh Berry and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team made a late push in Thursday’s second America 250 Florida Duel at Daytona, advancing from 17th to sixth in the closing laps and locking up the 14th spot on the grid for Sunday’s Daytona 500. This impressive move set the tone for Wood Brothers Racing, as they made their mark during the critical qualifying event for the iconic race at Daytona International Speedway.
Strategic Moves Through the Field
Taking the green from the 13th spot, Berry spent the majority of the 150-mile contest in the lower half of the competitive field, as Thursday’s race unfolded without a single caution. With just 12 laps to go, Berry pitted with the last group under green-flag conditions, rejoining the race just ahead of the leaders before slipping back to 17th.
Finding momentum in the closing laps, Berry moved his No. 21 Mustang into the outer lane and methodically cut through traffic.
“The top was just faster, and we had to stay up there to make it happen,”
Berry said. His persistence and tactical line choices allowed him to surge toward the leaders, achieving a remarkable late-race charge.
Nod to Racing Heritage and Final Practice Preparations
Racing in a car painted to resemble the Mercury that David Pearson guided to victory five decades ago, Berry embraced the moment during his Thursday night drive.
“It was a lot of fun,”
he said.
“We finally got up to the front there the last few laps. I’m pretty happy with the decisions I made the last five to ten laps of the race to get us up there and just needed a little more time.”
The night was not just about results, but also about learning and team execution.
“It was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot. The team did a great job and the car is in one piece and we didn’t wreck so it was a good day.”
– Josh Berry, Driver.
Looking Ahead to the Daytona 500
With their strong finish in the Wood Brothers Racing Daytona Duel, Berry and the Quick Lane crew will have two additional track sessions to fine-tune their Mustang Dark Horse before the Daytona 500, one on Friday evening and a final chance on Saturday afternoon. Sunday’s main event will see drivers tackle stage breaks at laps 65 and 130, with the green flag dropping just after 2:30 p.m.
Fans can follow the remaining practice sessions on FS1 and catch the Daytona 500 broadcast live on FOX, as competitors including Team Penske and others get set for the biggest race of NASCAR’s season at Daytona.
Wood Brothers Racing’s determined run in the duel has positioned them well for the weekend, reinforcing their reputation at Daytona and reigniting excitement as the team chases another memorable finish in the season opener.
