In an interview last year, Kevin Harvick spoke about how William Byron capitalizes on the downfall of other drivers on the race track. He takes advantage of a timely wreck or caution to take the lead and win races. The 2025 Daytona 500 was highly reflective of this opinion from the former Stewart-Haas Racing icon.
Advertisement
The expertise that Byron has developed to keep himself in the mix until the right opportunity arrives in a race is extremely admirable. When it does, he strikes. Akin to a vulture hunting its prey. But is he better at this than his teammate Kyle Larson? Since 2023, Byron has won seven races without leading the most laps or having the highest Driver Rating in them.
That’s 70% of the overall races he has won in this period. Larson, meanwhile, has managed to win six (60% of overall wins). A deeper dive into Larson’s statistics provides a clearer picture. The 2021 Cup Series champion has lost eight races despite leading the most laps in them or having the best Driver Rating in them.
Byron has only lost four races at the other end. He has repeatedly shown in recent years that he has a sharp instinct to identify and pounce on chances to win while not giving up potential victories to others. As things stand, the No. 24 driver is the best opportunist NASCAR has. Fascinatingly, he is also one of the most talented drivers it has.
A better combination of luck together with skill is hard to come by. Sportswriters Neil Paine and Tyler Lauletta were the ones who coined the name “The Vulture” on their podcast. A fully deserving nickname, considering how he continues to prove that being at the right place at the right time is a tremendous skill.
What Harvick said about Byron and Larson in 2024
Harvick’s comparison between Byron and Larson came in an episode of the Harvick Happy Hour podcast. He compared their statistics and concluded that Byron had to work hard for his wins while Larson was naturally more talented. However, he lauded Byron for being able to execute the long-range races better.
He noted how Larson fails to remain in contention when it comes to endurance racing and said, “I think William has been the opposite. He has capitalized on some of those situations where a “Kyle Larson” incident comes in, or something happens, and he’s a fifth-placed car. He has a good pitstop or puts himself in a position to win by keeping himself in the mix.”
“Running all those laps and not having as many DNFs. And so, in NASCAR racing, it’s not all about being fast.” It is through this ability that Byron was able to secure the historic win last Sunday. 2025 is bound to be the year in which he finally becomes a Cup Series champion. Nothing or no one appears to have the power to derail his chances at this point.
