Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron had one of the crucial dominant performances of his NASCAR profession in Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. Nevertheless, he shared his frustration after an agonizing loss, as he completed the race within the runner-up spot behind back-to-back race winner Denny Hamlin.
Byron was in prime kind all through the 400-mile race. He led 243 out of the 297 laps, gained each Stage 1 and Stage 2, and regarded like he was going to win simply. His automobile was quick, and his crew did an ideal job getting ready for the race weekend. All the pieces appeared excellent till the ultimate inexperienced flag pit cycle, the place he misplaced the lead for the primary time and by no means bought it again.
23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick took over the lead on lap 249 and led until a late-race warning interval with 4 laps to go that kicked the race into time beyond regulation. All of the leaders got here in for a ultimate cease, and that’s when Denny Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing crew bought him into the lead with a speedy cease. On the restart, Hamlin bought an ideal launch and pulled forward of the sphere. Byron tried to chase him down however couldn’t catch up in time.
Hamlin went on to win the race, beating Byron by simply 0.597 seconds. Talking on the pit street after the race, Byron shared (by way of SpeedwayDigest):
“First off, actually pleased with my crew, bringing that degree of effort and preparation, have a automobile like that. For us to execute like that, it was wanting prefer it was going to be an ideal race. We had been going to steer each lap. Was actually pleased with that.”
“These guys may very well be aggressive on the opposite aspect of the inexperienced flag cycle, we misplaced management there. As soon as we misplaced management, too late within the going to form of get again up there. Yeah, it sucks. I am positive it should sting so much tonight. There’s nonetheless quite a lot of positives. It stings within the second, for positive,” he added.
Regardless of the setback, Byron elevated his lead within the drivers’ standings from 16 factors to 49 factors. Hamlin moved up into second, having jumped six locations after his 56th profession victory.
William Byron on his shut second-place end in COTA
This is not the primary time William Byron has completed second in a good closing-stage battle this season. One thing comparable occurred within the Echopark Texas Grand Prix at COTA when he completed behind race winner Christopher Bell.
Within the ultimate laps of the race, Bell was combating for the lead with Kyle Busch, and Byron was sitting behind patiently ready for his alternative to pounce for the lead. And whereas Byron did get a slight likelihood to make a transfer on Bell, he did not need to damage Bell’s race with an excessively aggressive transfer and settled for second. Talking after the race, William Byron shared:
“I used to be actually shut. I felt just like the battle between him (Christopher Bell) and Kyle (Busch), sitting there ready for considered one of them to bobble or slide their tires. Bell bought by him, and I felt like as soon as he bought clear, his automobile was tremendous free, and it form of gave me a pair photographs…I simply could not get beside him. We have at all times raced rather well collectively, so I did not wanna transfer him blatantly.”
William Byron will return to Cup Racing on Sunday, April 13, within the Meals Metropolis 500 on the Bristol Motor Speedway. The race is scheduled to begin at 3:00 pm ET.
