AVONDALE, Ariz. — A busy week for the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports staff culminates Sunday in a repeat look within the NASCAR Cup Sequence Championship 4.
The Spherical of 8 finale at Martinsville Speedway one week in the past left the 26-year-old leaning on his Chevrolet in agonizing anticipation, awaiting a evaluate of the legality of Christopher Bell’s last-lap wall journey to find out which of the 2 would advance to the title bout. , main Byron again to the title quartet.
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Days faraway from the anxious wait on pit street, Byron nonetheless shivers considering again to these Martinsville moments.
“It was excruciating,” Byron mentioned in Thursday’s Championship Media Day availabilities. “I felt prefer it was so lengthy. I used to be truthfully numb to no matter was going to occur. I used to be truthfully simply getting ready for not being in, then serious about I felt like we did all we may do. It’s what it’s at this level.
“It was lots of ready. I felt just like the longer I waited in some ways in which it wasn’t going to work out. However yeah, it did.”
Along with his development comes try No. 2 to win Cup title No. 1. Byron received three of the yr’s first eight races and none since. However Byron’s unsteady summer season has been rectified by an impressive postseason efficiency, by which the No. 24 Chevy has compiled six consecutive top-six finishes.
The unity inside the partitions of Hendrick Motorsports — an organization celebrating its fortieth anniversary — has introduced the group surrounding the No. 24 automotive nearer.
“I haven’t ever felt as bonded to my staff as I’m now,” Byron mentioned. “We had a gathering on Sunday night time about it. I really feel like we’ve turned the web page actually, actually rapidly. For me personally, I’ve blocked out a ton of the noise. I haven’t checked out social media. I don’t actually care. I’m simply targeted on making an attempt to get the 24 automotive as quick as I can.
“I believe previous experiences have in all probability helped gas that the place I’ve been by sufficient BS in my Cup profession the place I do know what to concentrate on and what to dam out.”
Proving himself is nothing new to Byron, whose whole racing profession began by way of the pc simulation on iRacing. His resume since then has finished lots to state he deserves to be right here: Rookie of the Yr honors after a file season within the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Sequence in 2016; an Xfinity Sequence title as a rookie; Cup Sequence Rookie of the Yr one yr later. Since 2020, Byron is a 13-time winner on the sport’s prime degree. Unsteady not, Byron now appears unflappable.
“That’s how my profession began, was at all times having to show one thing,” Byron mentioned. “Nobody ever felt like I used to be speculated to be in a race automotive, so… From day one, it’s at all times been that motivation for me. Then this yr’s no completely different due to the character of, yeah, not successful but within the playoffs.
“We’re nonetheless ready to peak. That’s a superb feeling.”
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In a yr so particular to staff proprietor Rick Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports, the NASCAR Cup Sequence’ winningest group, Byron has already furthered his identify within the legendary staff’s historical past books. He opened the yr returning the storied No. 24 Chevrolet to Victory Lane within the “Nice American Race” with a then scored a sentimental win simply seven races later , the place Hendrick donned its vehicles in ruby pink and had a whole lot in attendance to have a good time its 40-year milestone.
“I really feel like our staff has simply been by lots of huge moments,” Byron mentioned. “Like, no larger than the five hundred this yr, lining up on the entrance row with a shot to win that race. I really feel like these moments actually put together you for moments like this weekend. And moments like Martinsville, simply sort of placing your self in these stress conditions.
“There was no extra stress than the fortieth anniversary race at Martinsville within the spring. Simply really feel like these moments undoubtedly put together us.”
Byron, the primary Daytona 500 champion to succeed in the Championship 4 since Denny Hamlin in 2020, can bookend the season with victories and stands as the one Hendrick driver within the Championship 4 — with all fingers on deck from the four-car group to assist put together his Chevrolet for Phoenix.
“Now we have labored tremendous intently on the setup this week with all the opposite teammates we’ve got at HMS,” Byron mentioned. “That’s one factor, simply the fingers on the automotive. We don’t have the dilemma of what Penske has the place we’re making an attempt to arrange two vehicles. It’s all targeted on the 24. I really feel like there have been lots of fingers on deck this week on the store, which is de facto cool to see. Then we’ll have simulation occurring again on the store all the way in which up until the inexperienced flag. I believe that’s what’s completely different, is simply the truth that we don’t have actually another focus however this race.
“Yeah, it’s cool (to have all concentrate on the 24). I didn’t anticipate that. Yeah, it exhibits the teamwork at HMS, sort of what Mr. H and everybody there has constructed for that to be the case. All of us race arduous. I really feel like on the finish of the day, we at all times need the most effective for each other.”
In at Phoenix, Byron posted the fourth-quickest lap at 132.004 mph, his 27.272-second lap time simply 0.098 seconds shy of fellow Champ 4 contender Ryan Blaney’s quickest lap. Blaney was quickest throughout 15-lap averages forward of Hamlin and Byron, with Blaney’s Workforce Penske teammate Joey Logano simply behind Byron. Tyler Reddick, who received at Homestead-Miami Speedway to advance to his Championship 4 debut, was eleventh of the 24 drivers who posted a run of 15 consecutive laps and ran the Twenty first-fastest lap in Friday’s session.
