AVONDALE, Ariz. — William Byron stood anxiously next to his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet last Sunday on Martinsville (Va.) Speedway’s pit lane as NASCAR officials settled a points tiebreaker between Byron and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell — the winner receiving a ticket to the Championship Four, the other forced to wait until next year for a title opportunity.
Byron acknowledged the wait seemed like eternity, but this year’s Daytona 500 winner received the news that he “was in” — thanks to a Bell penalty — and maintains he instantaneously turned his thoughts to winning his first NASCAR Cup Series title as the lone Chevrolet driver among the four title contenders this weekend at Phoenix.
On the drive home from Martinsville to Charlotte, Byron shared that he put his cell phone away and arrived home “kind of excited… it was kind of relaxing.”
The 25-year-old Charlotte native and 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion will benefit from his 14-time-championship Hendrick team being able to focus its massive resources and efforts on his iconic No. 24 Chevrolet.
Byron won at Phoenix in the spring of 2023 and has four top-five finishes through the opening nine races of this year’s Playoffs. He is one top-10 away from tying his personal best of 21 in 2023.
“I haven’t ever felt as bonded to my team as I am now,” said Byron, who finished a career-best third in the 2023 championship standings. “We had a meeting on Sunday night about it, and I feel like we turned the page really, really quickly.
“For me personally, I’ve blocked out a ton of the noise. I haven’t looked at social media. I don’t really care. I’m just trying to focus on getting the 24 car as fast as I can. I think past experiences have probably helped fuel that. I’ve been through enough BS in my Cup career that I know what to focus on and what to block out.
“I just want to do a great job for my team. I feel honestly Sunday night is a huge opportunity for us to go out and win the championship.”