For the first time in his six-year career, Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron showed up in Las Vegas this week atop the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings heading into the penultimate three-race Round of 8 that will decide which four drivers move forward to compete for the season title
His six wins so far in 2023 is triple that of any previous NASCAR Cup Series season for the 25-year old Charlotte native. And he has won on all four tracks – in Las Vegas, Homestead-Miami, Martinsville, Va. and Phoenix – that will close out the season schedule.
With a five-point advantage over regular season champ Truex entering this all-important three-race round of competition – and double the wins of any other driver in the series – Byron is considered a championship “favorite” by many.
“It’s been nice,’’ Byron said. “I think we’ve put a lot of work in to get to this point. I feel like it’s just been a slow evolution and process to get to this spot. I don’t’ really reflect a whole lot, but I am proud of the work we’ve put in and the fact we’ve gotten our race team to where it is. Now’s a good chance to show all we’ve done to this point.
“I’m excited for it, but I still have a lot of years ahead of me and I feel like I’m really young in this sport, so it’s just starting to click.’’
As for his confidence-level, particularly in this round of tracks where’s he’s been so good, Byron concedes he and the team have high expectations.
“I think the blueprint is there for success, but the thing I always caution is that things always change and evolve,’’ Byron said. “Other teams and drivers improve so we have to kind of take that next step at all these race tracks coming up, but it’s nice to have a blueprint of “we’ve been here before and we’ve been fast.’’
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