William Byron, already qualified for the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs and second in the regular season standings, came to Sunday’s race at Iowa Speedway with the goal of regaining confidence. Despite his position, Byron was not satisfied with the recent performance, as he had had five results below 27th place in the last eight races.
Byron’s strategy of gambling on fuel mileage gave him his second win of the season. He managed to complete the last 144 laps of the 350-lap race without stopping, thanks to the yellow flags that allowed him to conserve fuel. This victory gave him an 18-point lead over his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Chase Elliott, in the regular season title fight. Byron, who had already won the Daytona 500 at the beginning of the season, has eight top-10 finishes, including three second places. Team boss Rudy Fugle praised Byron’s maturity and fighting spirit.I think we’ve been fast every weekend. I can’t think of a week where we’ve been slow; the results just haven’t come. And that was starting to affect us a little bit, creating a feeling of ‘What will happen now?’
William Byron
Despite fuel-saving issues in previous races, Fugle was confident in Byron’s ability to overcome the situation. Byron admitted he was nervous at the end of the race, but he stayed focused on conserving fuel and following his team’s instructions. The pilot felt he had some fuel left at the end and felt confident he could win the race. Byron expressed his relief and the importance of this victory for his team’s momentum heading into the playoffs.He’s an incredible driver. I think he’s the best driver, overall, on the track right now. He’s mine, and I should say that. But I really think he’s maturing and gaining the experience to prove it. He’s very versatile, and then he’s a fighter. He has a hard line and fights everything. He doesn’t give up.
Rudy Fugle
