The long-awaited Championship 4 finale in Phoenix is just around the corner, and the practice sessions have given us our first glimpse into the contenders’ outlook. While practice lap times may not be entirely accurate indicators of what will happen on Sunday, the anticipation is building, and the crowd is buzzing with excitement.

After a disappointing performance in Martinsville, William Byron managed to scrape his way into Championship 4, and now the #24 team strives to make amends and clinch the championship. However, the competition is fierce, as crew chief Rudy Fugle sheds light on the #24’s stand among their rivals.

Three-tenths of a second separating William Byron and Ryan Blaney

All eyes are focused on the practice session for the Championship 4 contenders. While the seasoned pro Kyle Busch claimed the top spot on the charts, it was Team Penske and Ford’s sole hope Ryan Blaney who turned heads with the fastest lap of 130.425 mph. Not far behind, William Byron posted an impressive lap time of 130.011 mph, just around three-tenths of a second adrift.

Byron‘s crew chief Rudy Fugle, when questioned about this intense practice session where the duo had a tussle on the track and Byron failed to overtake the latter, refused to downplay Blaney’s performance. However, Fugle stood firmly by his driver, stating, “Yeah, I think he had four-lap older tires, so he had a little bit of a disadvantage.”

He further explained, “I mean, you’re really giving William a shot to see the strengths and weaknesses of his car. You don’t know, that could be a bad run. They could have made a change that was bad, and they’re still making laps.”

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Referring to the #24 Chevy’s consistency over the course of the race weekend, Fugle shared, “Anyways, the characteristics of the car are generally transferring over throughout the weekend. I think that part’s good.”

Fugle’s championship countdown and the #24 team’s quest for glory—22 years in the making

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Dissecting the practice speeds with a knife edge, Fugle further shared his insights, shedding light on the complexities and analyzing the session. When asked about the significance of practice speeds, Fugle emphasized the importance of looking at the bigger picture. He stated, “Yeah, you’re always looking at the sheet. That’s how we get evaluated. Really looking at averages.”

Fugle’s response revealed the ultimate goal, to understand the car’s overall performance, not just its peak moments. “Your five-lap average might look bad because you had traffic in the first five, and somebody’s 15-lap average because they got tail end.”

Fugle, the maestro behind the pit wall, also dished out his thoughts on the practice session, admitting, “I think we fought some problems…I hope to find things that I think are fixable for Sunday. Excited about that. I thought we got better by the end of practice compared to where we started, which is always a good thing.”

He further declared, “Worrying mostly about our car this weekend and trying to make the best of it.” With just one day left, the #24 team aims to etch their name in championship glory, a feat not achieved since Jeff Gordon‘s triumph 22 years ago.

Rudy Fugle Willing to Take Risk With #24’s Efficiency to Get Extra “5%” From William Byron at Phoenix