William Byron debriefing after finishing second in Daytona Duel Race 1 (Photo Credit: Donald Jenney | The Podium Finish)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — William Byron looks to accomplish the rare feat of claiming back-to-back victories in the DAYTONA 500 just like he did last year.
The 27-year-old up to this point has carried his momentum very well throughout Speedweeks as Byron narrowly won his duel race, finishing runner-up to Bubba Wallace, and topped the speed charts in the final NASCAR Cup Series practice session on Saturday ahead of the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday.
The driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports looks to bring another Harley J. Earl Trophy into his trophy case from the fifth starting spot in the 500 mile quest.
The Charlotte, North Carolina, native was asked in a press release about the challenges it will take to accomplish a rare feat of winning back-to-back DAYTONA 500 victories.
“It’s a huge deal,” Byron said. “This race is very difficult, the way this is structured nowadays and the way the drafting tracks are with this package. It is tough but I feel like just having consistency on these drafting tracks like we have the last few times we’ve raced on them, we’ve been able to be really good at them. It’s just figuring out those last couple of things.“
William Byron answering questions during DAYTONA 500 Media Day on Wednesday Feb. 12, 2025. (Photo Credit: Donald Jenney | The Podium Finish)
Byron also added about how the victory from 2024 helped him in gaining experience and motivation to go and chase another crown jewel race win.
“I feel like having experienced it the way it was last year really changed my perspective on the race as a whole, in a good way,” he observed. “I feel that’s created some more motivation to get another one. This race, it’s a lifetime achievement. It’s something people reference everywhere you go.“
Byron also spoke on behalf of the result of his Duel race about his car potentially overheating but was fixed by the crews and what started the potential problems aboard the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet.
“Yeah, we didn’t have any issues,” he said. “But yeah, it was just a weird sort of fuel pressure situation going on, so we just had to — I think the No. 84 (Jimmie Johnson) had the same thing. So just trying to figure that out and I feel like we got it resolved. I feel good about that.
“We were able to run just some single laps by ourselves the last eight or 10 laps, and we had no issues or signs of it. So hopefully, fingers-crossed, that doesn’t show up on Sunday. Definitely did a lot of systems checks and kind of went through everything; changed some things on the car to make sure it didn’t happen.”
William Byron contesting in the Daytona Duel Race 1. (Photo Credit: Donald Jenney | The Podium Finish)
Byron was also asked about racing against the likes of Helio Castroneves, a four-time Indianapolis 500 winner and Brazilian racing legend in Sundays race.
“It is sweet. The funniest thing about that is I look over next to my bus right when I got back from practice, and it’s Helio’s bus,” he shared. “I didn’t even realize that when I got here, but that’s pretty neat to have an Indy 500 champion like that next to you in the bus lot, and then obviously, racing on the racetrack. Yeah, it’s awesome.”
Byron wrapped up his press release with how much going back-to-back in the DAYTONA 500 would mean to the Hendrick Motorsports phenom.
“No, I don’t really think about the history. There are so many things, so many boxes to check as this week goes,” Byron said. “Obviously, that’d be a great footnote after the race is over, but right now, there are so many things to get to that point. It’s just thinking about all of my processes to get to the end on Sunday.”
Only four drivers before Byron have won the DAYTONA 500 in consecutive years: Richard Petty (1973-1974), Cale Yarborough (1983-1984), Sterling Marlin (1994-1995), and Denny Hamlin (2019-2020).
Byron looks to join elite company on Sunday’s 200-lap, 500-mile dash in “The Great American Race.”
