The chances for a repeat Daytona 500 win in 2025 for William Byron are extremely slim. Solely 4 drivers within the 67-year historical past of the five hundred have ever gained it back-to-back: Richard Petty did it first in 1973-1974, adopted by Cale Yarborough in 1983-1984, Sterling Marlin in 1994-1995, and most just lately Denny Hamlin in 2019-2020.
The defending Daytona 500 champion may grow to be the fifth driver to affix that listing, however he is aware of that historical past is not fairly on his facet. In every week the place he introduced a brand new partnership with Celsius Vitality Drink, a product he is used for years, Byron took a while to talk solely with Motorsport.com concerning the problem forward of him.
“It is actually robust,” stated Byron. “There’s so much that goes into this race and it is troublesome to make it to the tip, a lot much less to win. I believe the purpose needs to be to have a extremely good week main up (to the five hundred) and having the ability to sort of handle it from there. I do know why it has been so troublesome however I do not know why it hasn’t occurred extra usually. I simply assume it is the character of the race and the way loopy it will get in the direction of the tip of the race.”
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Picture by: Meg Oliphant / Getty Photographs
Byron has loads of expertise with how risky this race will be, having failed to complete 4 of his seven Daytona 500s — crashing out of the race greater than half the time. Earlier than his 2024 triumph, his greatest end within the season-opener was solely twenty first.Â
The motive force of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet additionally shared that it feels totally different returning as a Daytona 500 champion, noting that “I really feel like I am more energizing and slightly bit extra excited to be down right here in Daytona and simply expertise every little thing. The week is off to a very good begin … it simply feels good to be down at Daytona and I really feel optimistic concerning the week.”
He has good purpose to really feel that means. Despite the fact that this interview happened earlier than any on-track motion at Speedweek, Byron was in competition for the win in his Duel qualifying race, ending second in a consequence that places him fifth on the five hundred grid. Profitable in 2025 for Byron means “simply as a lot if no more” this time round, regardless of already gathering the primary Harley J. Earl trophy. Fortunately, he is already forward of the place he was one 12 months in the past, as he crashed out of the 2024 Duel and was compelled right into a backup automotive and to the again of the grid that Sunday.
Nowhere to cover?
In latest historical past, drivers which have led probably the most laps at Daytona have struggled to keep away from crashing out, not to mention win the race. Final 12 months, Byron by no means led the five hundred till simply 4 laps to go. Even though the common variety of laps led by the final 4 winners is simply 9, the HMS driver nonetheless needs to be as far up the sphere as a lot as attainable.
“The purpose is to be on the entrance, but it surely simply works to the place there’s loads of shuffling and biking,” he instructed Motorsport.com. “For those who might be on the entrance and management the race, you are gonna have a terrific alternative to win, and in addition it simply offers you confidence if you happen to’re main 50+ laps on Sunday. So I’d say the purpose is to steer a bunch of laps.” Byron believes probably the most harmful place to be in with this package deal is within the tenth – fifteenth spot vary.
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Picture by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Photographs
Nonetheless, main laps has some drawbacks at Daytona, and it is not simply the fixed menace of being taken out by an ungainly push. Gas-saving has been an integral a part of the fashionable Daytona 500 and Byron expects that to be no totally different this 12 months. “(Main) burns probably the most gas and that is not good with that automotive as a result of it is all about monitor place,” he famous. “Everyone seems to be getting smarter with the fuel-saving and it is getting so much more durable to be additional again and leapfrog. You are gonna have fuel-saving, but it surely’s sort of naturally constructed into the technique now and never as a lot of a shock.”
Because the race will get nearer to that ultimate lap — awaiting that wave of the white flag, being in the direction of the entrance may work greatest in a driver’s favor. Final 12 months, controlling the race labored properly for Byron as a crash proper on the white flag ended the race. The defining second got here when he moved as much as take the run from a surging outdoors lane, led by Ross Chastain. The aggressive Trackhouse driver despatched it up the center in a daring move that ended with him spinning and Byron celebrating.
Picture by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Photographs
Reflecting on that pivotal second, the Celsius-backed driver stated: “I did not really feel like I made an aggressive block. I simply made a block that I’d have made 100 instances so it is what I assumed was the best share transfer. I knew (that) even when I bought handed, I used to be going to be repositioned in a distinct line and perhaps the road I wished to be in by the point the power sort of cycled again round to the front-straightaway. For me, it was sort of the apparent transfer, seeing him [Chastain] coming with a run and I used to be too far out from my assist so I used to be gonna go backwards (if he stayed in line). I wasn’t going to have any assist to have the ability to keep out entrance.”
It turned out to be the correct transfer for 2024, however each race at Daytona is totally different. The lead is commonly a very good place to be, however we have additionally seen leaders get turned earlier than, and the drivers from third and even additional again go on to win this race. Heck, there was as soon as an Xfinity race the place each single automotive contained in the top-ten piled up in a crash exiting off Flip 4, permitting the motive force in eleventh to squeak by and declare victory.
Drivers plan and Daytona merely laughs. And though the chances are in opposition to Byron in his pursuit for a uncommon repeat this weekend, the chances are at all times evolving within the ever-unpredictable Daytona 500.
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