Byron Faces Postseason Challenges Ahead of New Hampshire Race
William Byron advances to the next stage of the NASCAR Cup Series postseason but acknowledges that the first round was far from seamless. After starting the playoffs as the No. 2 seed and regular season champion, Byron’s performance in the initial three races fell short of expectations.
“The start of the playoffs was a shock to us,” Byron stated during a press conference at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Despite securing 32 playoff points, tied with teammate Kyle Larson for the series lead, Byron finished no better than 11th in the first round, leading neither laps nor achieving optimal scoring performance, ranking only 13th among playoff drivers.
Reflecting on the round’s difficulties, Byron remarked, “As good as we’ve run all year, there have been very few races where I felt like I’d run worse than eighth.” He emphasized the importance of adaptability, stating, “We’ve put a lot of work into these next three races… There are so many steps to this deal, and you just have to keep advancing.“
After qualifying fifth for the race and showing promise in practice, he expressed optimism regarding his car’s performance and potential outcomes. It’s noteworthy that Hendrick Motorsports has not won at New Hampshire since 2012, and Byron has yet to finish in the top 10 at the venue in his seven previous starts.
Byron concluded with a call to elevate performance, stating, “Now it’s time to step it up, and I feel like so far this weekend we’ve done a good job of that. We have to keep it going.” As the postseason continues, all eyes will be on Byron’s capability to rebound in upcoming races.
