Last season, William Byron grabbed a lot of eyeballs as he won a whopping seven races on his way to the championship race in Phoenix. However, this year has been a different story. He won three out of the first eight races but since then, it has been a dry spell.
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His last race victory came in April and top 10 finishes have also become a challenge for the #24 Chevrolet driver. He has finished inside the top 10 only once in the last five races but Byron has confidence in his team and aims to mount a rebound.
“I feel like that’s what makes our group really good is we’ve really come together during this time and we know we’re not where we want to be or need to be but now is the time to start showing that and now is when it matters,” he said in a recent media interaction with NASCAR. The #24 team is not panicking just yet but there is a sense of urgency to start getting positive results.
Looking to find form right when it matters, the 26-year-old’s performance in Kansas will be crucial this weekend. Looking to emulate what Ryan Blaney did last season, Byron hopes to find form right when it matters, during the postseason. However, he has not finished inside the top 10 in the previous couple of races at the venue, the same boiling down to driver error on both occasions.
He currently sits 14 points ahead of the cutline in fourth place on the points table. It’s a good place to be for a driver looking to get their season back on track.
Hendrick Motorsports star “prepared” for Kansas test
Byron is well-versed in mid-season slumps since he has experienced it every year since his debut in NASCAR. However, none perhaps has lasted as long as this one. Barring this and his very first Cup Series season, the HMS star has always earned a top-five finish in the first three playoff races. Despite that not being the case this year, the North Carolina native insists that he is prepared for what comes next.
“I feel like our group is really well prepared. We prepare better than anyone I feel like on our team. I just think that it’s about things starting to come together and come our way. A couple of little things here and there and it’s going to add up and make a difference,” he added.
Performing well in Kansas will be crucial since the next two races are at Talladega and the Charlotte Roval. They’re both going to be unpredictable, especially the speedway race where anyone can win out of the blue, further emphasizing the importance of kicking things off on a high note this Sunday.
