After ending third in every of the final two seasons, may 2025 be the yr William Byron lastly earns his first NASCAR Cup championship?
Whereas the Charlotte, North Carolina native doesn’t wish to jinx his probabilities, he admitted in media availability previous to Saturday’s Cup race at Richmond that he has considerably of a special feeling this yr than he has felt within the final two seasons.
The best way Byron sees it, he’s in a a lot better rhythm in 2025. “I really feel like we’ve had summers the place we’ve been type of underneath the radar, simply utterly out of it, not working nicely,” Byron mentioned. “Then we simply flip it on within the playoffs.”
However this yr, the Hendrick Motorsports driver has not been working underneath the radar in any respect. Actually, he enters this coming Sunday’s common season finale at Daytona in first place within the Cup standings. Furthermore, since profitable the season-opening Daytona 500 for the second straight yr, Byron has been No. 1 after 20 of the primary 25 races in 2025.
And after these 5 races when he’s not been No. 1, he hasn’t strayed very far: he’s solely dropped to second place every time. Most just lately, he’s gone back-and-forth between first and second with Chase Elliott. So sure, Byron is feeling a lot stronger and extra optimistic in 2025.
“This yr we’re coming in (to the playoffs), I really feel like we’re in rhythm, in sync,” Byron mentioned. “I really feel prefer it’s higher this manner actually. I really feel just like the years we’ve been on the opposite facet, it’s a variety of questions, a variety of doubt form of that issues are going to work out.
“I really feel like now we’ve been type of by way of the wringer of a variety of various things this yr. I imply, each race has type of been completely different when it comes to what we battle. There’s been some simpler races with velocity.
“It simply type of feels good to enter the playoffs hitting on all cylinders, simply working nicely. I don’t really feel like we’ve ever actually slowed down (since Daytona), so it’s been good.”
Whereas Byron feels a greater rhythm this yr, his statistics year-to-date in 2025 are similar to what he did in all of 2024. Within the first 25 races of 2025, Byron has two wins, 9 top-fives and 13 top-10 finishes, together with two poles. By comparability, in all 36 races of 2024, Byron earned three wins, in addition to 13 top-fives and 21 top-10 finishes, together with one pole.
Byron additionally feels extra in rhythm with crew chief Rudy Fugle
A lot of the distinction can probably be Byron’s relationship with crew chief Rudy Fugle. Though Fugle is now in his fifth season as Byron’s crew chief, there’s been one thing about their relationship in 2025 that appears as if it’s gone to the next stage than their first 4 seasons collectively.
“I really feel like our relationship has actually advanced this yr,” Byron mentioned of Fugle. “I really feel like we talk to one another like we’re extra on the identical web page. I really feel like that has helped us simply push one another.
“I feel there’s a variety of accountability between the 2 of us. He holds me to a excessive customary of my prep through the week, what is predicted of me, how I execute. Like, he can see the small particulars that possibly lots of people can’t.
“I respect that he can inform if I had an excellent qualifying lap or if I did little issues with adjustments in my driving fashion. ‘Accountability’ might be the phrase. That’s the evolution of the connection this yr. I even try this form of again to him on technique selections or no matter it’s. I type of need that readability and that image.”
Byron feels he and Fugle ‘have advanced’
The 27-year-old Byron has labored with Fugle in numerous capacities since Byron was 18, the final 5 years as Byron’s crew chief.
“We’ve advanced,” Byron mentioned. “He (Fugle) was instructing me every little thing (early on of their relationship). I used to be simply driving and executing. He was giving me that steadiness I wanted.
“Now it’s like extra of an equal footing. He’s only a nice crew chief, works extraordinarily laborious. His work ethic is simply unbelievable. He desires it greater than anyone.”
