William Byron is one of the most talented drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series today but would not think so if you saw his game face. Usually, athletes have this intense look whenever they are focused but the Hendrick Motorsports star recently revealed that he usually has his mouth wide open or tongue out whenever he is in the zone. It’s a good thing that he has a helmet on. Otherwise, the NASCAR social media space would perhaps be flooded with hundreds of memes.

Just a few days ago, the 26-year-old driver made history as he won his maiden Daytona 500 to start off the new season. It was an incredible performance by the driver of the #24 car who will now be looking to win his first Cup Series championship. But the thought of him having his tongue out in the championship race as he is leading and inching towards the win is just hilarious.

William Byron faces a hydration problem under green-flag conditions

William Byron made the admission in a recent interview with The Athletic. As per the winner of The Great American Race, keeping oneself hydrated is tough work when you’re intensely focused on a race. So as a natural response, the tongue may come out of the mouth due to thirst. He also said that he sometimes tries to lick his lips so that he can stay loose during the race.

“So I drive with my tongue out or my mouth wide open. Either one. But I’ve gotten better at it over time. The concentration has peaks and valleys; I don’t just spend the whole time under the green just purely focused. I try to lick my lips and just stay loose, but you can never drink any water under green. So I just get to the next caution and I’m still pretty thirsty. But it’s pretty common for me to have my tongue out when I’m driving. That’s my focus face,” he said.

Whether this habit goes back several years back when he used to race on video games is unclear but the reason why Byron does not consume water under the green flag is because things can get way too messy.

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Why is it so difficult to drink water for the driver of the #24?

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NASCAR is a physically taxing sport, andit certainly takes its toll. So staying hydrated must be of utmost importance. Some drivers have a straw connected to their mouth from a water bag which they can sip from whenever they get thirsty but that is a big no-no for the driver of the #24 car.

“You’re too busy with your hands. I use a drink bag system; some guys do actually use the (straw) they can grab inside their helmet. (Martin) Truex uses that, but I’ve never tried it. Maybe I should. I’ve always done the drink bag and it’s impossible to get that thing — it takes a lot of work to get it up inside the helmet. You’ve got to get the helmet skirt out of the way. It’s a mess,” he added.

Races under hot conditions must be a huge struggle for William Byron but he certainly does not let that show on his racing record. Weird focus face or otherwise, the HMS star is a master of his craft and no one cares about how he looks when he goes out there and wins the biggest of races.

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