After the Coke Zero Sugar 400, William Byron managed to seal the deal and book a place in the NASCAR playoffs. Obviously, he was thrilled to qualify for the playoffs, and take his first career Cup Series race win.
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However, he came dangerously close to losing it several times, owing to multiple wrecks in the final laps. His triumph came at the expense of Jimmie Johnson, who lost his chance to win his eighth Cup Series trophy.
Heading into Saturday’s race, William Byron had a four-point buffer to the drop zone. However, his victory ensured that his berth was properly secure, and Matt DiBenedetto claimed the final slot. This meant that teammate Jimmie Johnson and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Erik Jones, missed the cut.
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William Byron heaped praise on his team
The 22-year old acknowledged that the win not only meant a lot to him, but his team as well. When he entered his 98th career Cup start, Byron was on a mission, especially since his last win came when he won a Xfinity race at Phoenix in 2017.
Speaking to Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, Byron confessed that he really could not remember the final few laps of the race. He even opened up on the final restart and concerns about grip. The Hendrick Motorsports driver said, “I was a little cautious, accelerating at the restart, I didn’t want a flat tyre there. So I really tried to be a little cautious there.”
“That feeling of coming off (Turn) 4, it’s just a shot of adrenaline right into your arm, it really is,” Byron said. “It’s just an incredible feeling. I can’t describe winning a race in NASCAR. It’s been a while.”
Crew Chief praised Byron
At the same time, the crew chief, Chad Knaus was also extremely proud of his ward. This is because, he has finally returned the #24 car to Victory Lane, since the days of Jeff Gordon.
“It was a long time coming,” Knaus said. “I really wanted to get to Victory Lane with this 24 car again. To be able to do it with the legacy that Jeff Gordon and Ray Evernham started with this car at Hendrick Motorsports, to get it back to Victory Lane, follow suit with what Chase was able to do with the 24 car, to put William’s name up there, it’s a lot of pressure. I feel really happy about it and definitely a lot of relief.”
On the other side of the fence, Knaus felt bad that Hendrick Motorsports could not get two cars into the playoffs. He believes that if Jimmie Johnson had not missed a race due to COVID-19 issues, he stood a solid chance.
