William Byron - On the Brink of Daytona 500 History?
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By Dennis Krause
William Bryon returns to Daytona International Speedway with an opportunity to make Daytona 500 history. The 28-year-old driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports is one of just five racers to have won the Daytona 500 in back-to-back years. Yet, no one has won it three-times-in-a-row.
Byron admits he’s a little surprised it hasn’t happened before in the 67-year history of the race.
“It does surprise me in that I feel like there's been some drafting packages that were honestly easier to win three-in-a-row than this one currently. I'm a little surprised that there wasn't a run by somebody like a Dale Jr. or something. He and his team had a pretty good hold on what it took to be competitive and he made great decisions. It just shows how hard this race is and how much pressure there is.
“It's not like going to Martinsville (Speedway) and just having it figured out; having a rhythm, leading a bunch of laps and winning. It's definitely a very circumstantial… split-second race. I think that's probably what makes it entertaining, too.”
Surely, Byron has thought about what it would be like to make history on Sunday, hasn’t he?
“Yeah, I mean, I've been asked about that quite a bit today,” Byron remarked. “I mean, not much, to be honest. I think some here and there.
“Obviously that's the goal. I get reminders of the previous races, whether I see just the videos or whatnot. Yeah, it's great career-defining moments that we've had. It's awesome. It's special. But I don't really think ahead too much. I just think about kind of what it's going to take in these next couple days leading up to it.”
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin, the last driver to win the 500 back-to-back, knows three-in-a-row won’t be easy.
“It’s hard,” said Hamlin. “You’re going to need things to fall your way. In 2021, I legit thought we were going to get three in-a-row, we led the most laps in that race. Just was really fast, but didn’t work out on the last pit sequence. There’s an element of fortunate there that has to fall your way. Last year, he was fortunate on the last lap there, but if you put yourself in the top eight you can get fortunate at times. He puts himself in the top eight which is what matters.”
One year ago, Byron found himself in the ninth position on the final lap, only to navigate his way through and around a multi-car crash and back to Daytona’s victory lane and a second Harley J. Earl trophy.
“Well, I mean, it was very unpredictable,” Byron recalled. “I didn't really feel like I had a shot to win or even be in the mix until we took the white flag. Then off of turn two, I felt like, man, there's a possibility that something develops where I can maybe push Cole (Custer) to the win, push him out, then have a run at the line or something like that. I knew we were in the right lane down the backstretch.
“When it all unfolded with the wreck, I was just hoping that I would have a lane to get past that. Just worked out that I felt like I was in the right lane coming off of two and middle of the backstretch. Then, it was just about obviously missing the big crash there and having enough momentum to make a move if I needed to.”
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Asked what makes him so good at Daytona, Byron maintains he doesn’t really know.
“I mean, I don't know. It just feels like I've been, at this track in particular, able to have some things go my way and also make good decisions in those moments that I had opportunities. It's a mix of that… like being in the right place, and then having those chances to make good decisions.
“I feel like for a while, it was a joke. I couldn't finish a race here. My first six years, I couldn't finish the race, but I was always in the mix. I don't know. I think it's kind of finally tipped the other way.”
With his recent run of success in the Daytona 500 and likely a fast car, Bryon could have a lot of friends in the draft on Sunday, right?
“I think it will be the opposite, for sure,” Byron countered. “I won't have a lot of friends. I could see it being that way.
“I think it does depend on how you draft. If you know what you're doing and you make good decisions, then guys typically work with you.
“I do think coming down to the end, it could be tough for me to have those allies and those friends to make a move. Just got to be smart about it and probably not overthink it too much. Just react to what I feel and what I see.”
That has certainly worked for him in the past.
Dennis Krause has spent decades covering all forms of motorsports, including over 40 Indianapolis 500s, with stints at WIBA Radio, PIT PASS - Radio’s Premier Motorsports Magazine and Motorsports Minute. Follow him on X @DennisKrause500 or motorsportsminute.bluesky.social or motorsportsminute on Threads or MotorsportsMinute+ on Facebook.