“Always Been a Strong Track”: William Byron Aims to Break Winless NASCAR Streak at Pocono

Despite never winning a race there, Pocono Raceway has been a fairly strong track for William Byron. He has earned two top-five and five top-10 finishes there along with a couple of pole positions. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has been on a quiet run of late, not challenging for race wins. However, he is one of the most talented racers in the NASCAR Cup Series today and cannot be counted out.

On the odds table, Byron sits in sixth place with 19-2. It will not be easy winning at the ‘Tricky Triangle’ but the #24 driver will certainly give it his all. What works in his favor is his comfort. While Pocono has confounded several drivers in the past, Byron is not one of them. In a recent media interaction, he revealed that he has always felt good there but isn’t quite sure of the reason behind it.

Just didn’t have it today, but we’ll keep working hard at it. Next up, Pocono. pic.twitter.com/pinGUZWTQ4

— William Byron (@WilliamByron) July 18, 2022

“Pocono has always been a strong track for me and I don’t know why. I have just always had a good feel for it and understood the dynamics of it. I think that helps when you don’t have to worry about making a lot of speed, you can just focus on what your car needs to do well,” he said.

The HMS driver will be running the Xfinity Series race this weekend as well. That will give him a feel of the track and create an advantage for Sunday’s race.

‘We’re certainly trying hard’

The driver of the #24 car started the season in the best way possible – winning the Daytona 500. After that, he won two more races and was seen as the fastest man in the competition. That start has cooled off as he has not won a race since Martinsville. However, there has not been a lack of effort from the HMS driver or his crew.

“I mean we’re certainly trying hard. I feel like we’re preparing harder than we ever have. You know, I think we’ve just been a bit across the board, all over the board with results,” he told Motorsports.com’s Jim Utter.

Byron will be looking forward to a decent run at the Pocono Raceway this weekend. He has a lot of confidence on the track and it would be a good place to break his current winless run of 12 races.