William Byron and his Hendrick Motorsports crew endured the emotional curler coaster of surviving and advancing within the NASCAR Cup Sequence playoffs and emerged no worse for put on.
Byron admitted he had a tough time feeling pleased Sunday evening at Martinsville Speedway when he was the final man locked into the Championship 4. Primarily as a result of it didn’t occur instantaneously – NASCAR reviewed the end for 27 minutes as Byron, his crew, and lots of onlookers stood on pit highway.
He started championship week media obligations two days later. That very same evening, NASCAR handed down penalties to a few groups – Trackhouse Racing, Richard Childress Racing, and 23XI Racing – for what they decided to be race manipulation at Martinsville. And Byron’s title was proper in the midst of the dialog for being helped by Chevrolet teammates who by no means tried to move him.
Byron lastly shifted to Phoenix Raceway on Thursday for extra pre-race obligations earlier than getting on observe on Friday. This shall be his second probability at a Cup Sequence championship.
It wouldn’t be stunning to seek out Byron or his crew with some kind of emotional hangover forward of the most important weekend of the yr. However the Hendrick Motorsports driver mentioned there is no such thing as a such feeling inside his camp.
“I haven’t ever felt as bonded to my crew as I’m now,” Byron mentioned. “We had a gathering Sunday evening about it, and I really feel like we’ve turned the web page actually, actually rapidly. So, personally, I’ve blocked out a ton of the noise. I haven’t checked out social media. I don’t actually care.
“I’m simply targeted on attempting to get the [No.] 24 automobile as quick as I can. I believe previous experiences have most likely helped gasoline that, the place I’ve been by way of sufficient [crap] in my Cup profession that I do know what to give attention to and what to dam out.”
It was a peaceable journey residence, in accordance with Byron, from Martinsville to Charlotte. The time was spent on the telephone speaking to his sister about issues happening along with her in New York. The race preparation, in the meantime, moved ahead as regular.
“I believe we did all the pieces we may on Monday and Tuesday after which tried to prepare for a few of the procedural issues on Wednesday,” Byron mentioned. “It was a reasonably regular week, truthfully, by way of prep. Perhaps slightly bit later evening on Monday and a bit earlier morning Tuesday. However for me, it was all the identical prep I at all times do.”
Statistically the very best driver within the Cup Sequence final season, Byron entered Phoenix as a six-time winner and began the championship race from the pole. However he light by way of the second half of the race and completed third within the championship standings.
Byron “realized a ton” within the expertise final yr. His return to Phoenix comes on the heels of a tense Martinsville race – simply as he skilled in 2023 when he needed to intestine out the end whereas not feeling effectively – that he believes has given his crew extra momentum than a yr in the past.
“I really feel assured in my crew and I really feel like we’ve been doing a superb job,” Byron mentioned. “(There’s) probably not a lot to fret about.”
