William Byron’s regular-season triumph wasn’t just a personal milestone, it was a statement for the entire Hendrick Motorsports camp. With grit, strategy, and a well-timed rebound, the No. 24 team delivered when it mattered most. Now, crew chief Rudy Fugle has summed up what the win meant. His verdict captured the pride, pressure, and promise heading into the playoffs.

William Byron has officially secured his first NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship after finishing 12th in the Richmond Raceway event on August 16, 2025. It sealed a 15-point playoff bonus heading into the postseason. Byron led the points for 20 of the first 25 weeks before Richmond. During the race, his car was damaged in a 10-car crash on lap 198, but his team recovered and finished 12th, showing they can handle pressure.

Byron’s milestone sets HMS up for playoffs

Speaking to SiriusXM, No. 24 crew chief Rudy Fugle emphasized the importance of having plenty of points on the table as they head into the playoffs. “I mean, we got gifted three wins for now when it comes to points. So what that means is, you know when every round starts. So every three races in the playoff, as long as we get to continue, we, as of right now, if we gain nothing else, we’ll have 32 points in our bank”, he said.

The 15-point bonus will be added to Byron’s playoff point total, which already includes 17 points won through stage wins before the postseason, giving him a huge edge over opponents. This Regular Season Championship has important postseason ramifications.  

Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 24 team showed its strength through smart strategy and consistent performance. Byron and crew chief Rudy Fugle earned the regular-season title and a valuable playoff boost. Fugle stressed that at Hendrick, success is shared, not a competition between teams.

“To start that with a 25-point cushion, or even if it’s a ten-point cushion, you know, making it or not getting through the next round usually comes down to a point or two, so having a 10-point or 25-point cushion is huge,” Fugle added.

Two victories, nine top-five finishes, thirteen top-10 finishes, an average finishing position of 13.68, three DNFs, and 241 stage points are some of the quick statistics that show how he got there. As the only two drivers to rack up more than 200 stage points through the first 25 races of the season, he earned 24 more than Ryan Blaney of Penske, who was the outlier this year.  

After winning the regular-season title, Byron posted on X: “Proud of our team for the consistency and bringing fast cars every week! Bring on the playoffs ”. His message reflected the unity and momentum behind Hendrick Motorsports heading into the postseason.

Byron’s regular-season title campaign was fueled by several standout performances. The team’s consistency and strategic depth across the most difficult tracks of the summer are also evident in their ability to win the championship, even with a lowly finish like 12th at Richmond.

Going into the first three playoff rounds, where each point frequently determines whether a team advances or is eliminated, Byron has a sizable lead thanks to those bonus points. The possibility of a deep postseason run is inevitably very real.

William Byron survives Richmond’s flat track lessons 

Although William Byron’s 12th-place finish at Richmond Raceway might not seem like a historic outcome, it was significant to the driver of Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 24 on a championship level. As the playoffs get near, the finish solidified a major theme: how Hendrick teams handle their most difficult venues.

“It’s the best 12th-place finish I’ve ever had. We always want more, but this is our toughest race track. We just kind of came in here, had a solid plan, and executed it. I was kind of losing my mind there for a minute. It never helps getting damage like that,” Byron said in his post-race press conference.

Byron was open after the race, referring to Richmond as his “toughest racetrack” and admitting that he had trouble controlling tire wear and lengthy green-flag runs. Hendrick Motorsports has traditionally faced difficulties on the three-quarter-mile oval.

Consistency has been a persistent problem; even with high qualifying speeds, cars frequently fade on lengthy runs. “New Hampshire is that way, as well. It’s tough. I feel like New Hampshire is different. It’s more of a speed track. It’s a little bit like this, but it’s more speed-based. This place is just kind of more long runs and managing tire wear,” he added. Byron also made a direct comparison between Richmond and another flat, rhythm-driven venue, New Hampshire.

HMS often runs into comparable problems on the two tracks. The squad has fought for outright pace at New Hampshire in the past. The only bright spots were Chase Elliott‘s 2021 second-place result and Kyle Larson’s 2022 runner-up performance, but Hendrick Motorsports hasn’t been to victory lane since Kasey Kahne’s 2012 victory.

Loudon relies more on straight-line speed and mechanical grip areas, where Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske have traditionally maintained the lead, than Richmond, which penalizes tire management over extended laps.

Byron’s victory in the Regular Season Championship in spite of Richmond’s difficulties highlights the No. 24 group’s overall development. He pointed out that it’s just as important to survive tracks like Richmond and New Hampshire as it is to perform well at Hendrick’s more competitive circuits like Dover and Martinsville.

The skills learned from flat, abrasive circuits might mean the difference between making it to Phoenix, since playoff races frequently depend on a single error or missed adjustment.