William Byron has had his share of rough stretches in the playoffs. He crashed at Las Vegas, and a week later at Talladega, where he was running top five, he spun on the final lap. Those back-to-back setbacks dropped him into a must-win situation at Martinsville. And he did it. Starting from the pole, Byron swept both stages and led a career-high 304 of 500 laps, punching that finale ticket after years of close calls.

The 27-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver channeled those last weeks’ frustration into focus when it was needed the most. Byron’s Martinsville win highlighted his growth, both mentally and as a racer, since his debut in 2018. Post-race, Byron spilled out the real story as to how he reshaped his mindset after back-to-back setbacks.

William Byron’s mindset change

In the Cup Scene post-race interview, William Byron didn’t hold back on the mental shift that helped him win the Martinsville masterclass. “It’s been a lot of work and it’s been a lot of heartbreak this year—the 600 and just different races—and you just channel those things, you just learn from them,” he said. “And if you can learn from them, they become positives, they become things you lean on in the moment.”

This approach stemmed from his Vegas wreck on October 12, where Ty Dillon’s sudden slowdown to pit wrecked Byron‘s strong run, and the Talladega chaos a week later, when Carson Hocevar spun him in the final lap. Those hits left Byron in a must-win situation entering Martinsville, forcing an all-out attack rather than racing just for points.

Byron’s bold eight-word claim captured that turnaround perfectly: “I found a way to flip that script.” He elaborated in the same interview, “For some people, they become like scars and things you can’t get past, but I feel like for me, I found a way to flip that script either this week or sometime during these playoffs, and it went the other way.”

This wasn’t just fancy talk from Byron, as he reflected this mentality on the track too when he passed Blaney and used superior rear grip to build and maintain a gap. Byron’s third win here is also career-defining because it was the first in playoff history for a driver to claim pole, sweep stages, and take the checkered flag. This performance by Byron elevated his aura too, from regular-season champ to title contender, proving his 15 Cup wins weren’t flukes but steps toward a crown.

Jeff Gordon, a four-time champion and former driver of the No. 24, also praised Byron for his gusty run at Martinsville, stating, “William Byron had the race of his career today.” For Byron, who finished third in points in the last two seasons, this triumph has put him in a position to take a fair shot at his first title.

As Byron celebrated his Martinsville victory, he also shared his views on the late bump that he gave to Ryan Blaney that sparked its own post-race buzz.

Hard racing defines Martinsville clash

The contact between Byron and Blaney on lap 456 turned heads, as Byron dove inside to snatch the lead amid tight traffic. Blaney, starting 31st but leading 177 laps, had dominated early but faded in the later part of the final stage with tire wear. Byron’s classic move of a short-track side bump to Blaney sealed his advance, but it left the No. 12 Team Penske driver fuming briefly before cooling off.

Byron owned the moment afterward, saying, “Yeah, I mean, that’s what you guys want to see, right? We’re going for it.” He explained the split-second call: “I felt like I had a good position, like I was inside of him. We also had the lap car. I can’t see where the lap car is in that instance. I just knew I wanted to commit to the corner and have position.”

There was a time in the later part of the final stage when fans were assuming revenge from Blaney if he got close to Byron, but Blaney could not catch Byron. Thus, no retaliation came from Blaney, and he called it clean, admitting he’d have raced the same way if he were in Byron’s shoes. It showed Martinsville‘s brutal but fair nature, where even a small bump often decides fates.

“I hate that we made contact. I think he was probably leaving just enough space as well,” Byron added. “It’s hard racing. We both want to make the Championship 4. It’s a race win; it’s no ill will. It’s just kind of hard racing, racing for the win.”

Byron hated it, but it was the kind of sacrifice you ought to make when you’re fighting for the championship.