For those who requested the storage space who the NASCAR Cup Sequence championship favourite was in early April, nearly all of responses would give the excellence to William Byron.
The Charlotte, North Carolina, native gained three of the Cup Sequence’ first eight races, together with the season-opening Daytona 500.
Wins at Circuit of the Americas and Martinsville adopted, and it doesn’t matter what monitor the Cup Sequence went to, the No. 24 was at all times close to the entrance of the sphere.
Nonetheless, Byron’s sizzling begin gave solution to a cool summer season, during which he was hardly ever competing for wins.
In truth, Byron’s most up-to-date triumph stays the April 7 race at Martinsville, the place he led the cost on the fortieth anniversary of Hendrick Motorsports’ first win as a company.
As Byron appears to be like to clinch the group’s fifteenth Cup Sequence championship, he and crew chief Rudy Fugle want to regain the pace that that they had within the spring.
Byron has solely one top-10 end during the last 5 races, however with a summer season of experimentation over for the No. 24 group, it wouldn’t be a shock if Byron was again in Victory Lane within the first spherical of the postseason.
Byron has two wins at Atlanta’s new configuration and is the newest winner at Watkins Glen — the location of the primary two races within the spherical of 16.
Byron can even be the newest winner at Martinsville when the Cup Sequence rolls into city for the penultimate race of the season.
Regardless of scoring extra factors than any driver in 2023, Byron got here up wanting a championship at Phoenix. If he needs to get to the Last 4 for the second straight yr, it’s time for the No. 24 group to show up the wick with every part on the road.