Will Byron has ‘best chance’ to win NASCAR Cup Series title
FORT WORTH, Texas (BVM) — Will Byron had nine career wins in the NASCAR Cup Series and on Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, he captured win No. 10 and was the first NASCAR Cup Series driver to advance in the playoffs.
Big win. Bigger burnout. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/66LAOJxmvS
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 24, 2023
The win was memorable for Byron and a milestone for Hendrick Motorsports (HMS), which recorded its 300th win in NASCAR Cup Series competition.
“It feels good to get to 300,” HMS owner Rick Hendrick said in a release. “I’m proud of all the drivers that have driven at the company since we started because every one of them have participated in this 300 wins, so it’s really good to see William get it.”
The win was also significant to Byron, who’s aiming to win his first-ever Cup Series championship.
“I definitely think it’s my best chance that I’ve had, so far,” Byron said in a pre-race media availability at Texas Motor Speedway. “I look at being 25 years old – I feel like I have a lot of opportunities at this, so this is a learning experience to see what the pressure is like getting to Phoenix … I feel like each year has been that steady progression, steady learning curve, so I just want to keep that going and try to make that next step.”
Byron has won rookie of the year in the Xfinity Series (2017) and the NASCAR Cup Series (2018), but he’s also been driving the No. 24 car, previously driven by Chase Elliott and NASCAR Hall of Famer, Jeff Gordon, since 2018. He also has two more races, one coming at Talladega Superspeedway, before moving into the Round of 8.
“Talladega has been hit-or-miss for us in the last couple of years,” Byron said during his media availability. “We’ve had solid finishes. We’ve been good at avoiding crashes with my spotter and we’ve been good at managing our way to the front. I think we can get a little bit better at getting some stage points here and there. So I look at that – try to make better decisions.”
Byron has won six total races this season, the most the No. 24 car has had since 2007, and if he wins another race, it will be the most wins the car has had in the 2000s.
William Byron’s 6th win of the season makes 2023 the winningest season for the 24 car since 2007.
If he wins a 7th, this will be the winningest season of the 2000s for the 24 car. pic.twitter.com/lfSTqkyisr
— Trey Ryan (@TreyRyan99) September 24, 2023
It remains to be seen if Byron will be crowned NASCAR Cup Series champion and with the majority of HMS behind him, he’ll do his best to continue his pursuit of a championship.
