NASCAR Cup Series: Byron’s Costly Mistake Headlines Chicago Practice
Chicago, IL — William Byron set a promising pace during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series at the Chicago street course, clocking a lap of 1:31.008, which was over three-tenths quicker than Shane van Gisbergen. However, in a critical mistake towards the end of the session, Byron’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet suffered significant damage after crashing into the wall at Turn 10. The incident resulted in a broken left-rear toe-link and sidelined him for the remainder of the practice.
Byron managed to maneuver back to the pits but will face the consequences of his mistake, starting from the rear of the field for the race. He will be joined on the back row by Denny Hamlin, who experienced an engine failure shortly after the practice began.
"I’m an idiot," Byron admitted to TNT Sports. "I just took a lot through there and had a lot of speed… I lost traction."
Despite the setback, Byron expressed confidence in his ability to navigate through the field but lamented, "Just sucks starting from the back… just don’t like crashing."
The mishap was part of a challenging session for Hendrick Motorsports. Byron’s teammates also faced issues, as Chase Elliott crashed at Turn 4 and Alex Bowman had to replace a bent toe-link. Consequently, all four Hendrick drivers, including Kyle Larson, will start the race from the rear of the grid.
The practice session highlighted the high stakes at the street course, underscoring the thin line between speed and danger in competitive racing.
