Byron in Command at COTA
William Byron dominated the Echopark Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas, securing his second victory of the 2024 season after starting from pole position. Leading 42 out of 68 laps, Byron staved off a late challenge from Christopher Bell and sealed the win with a flawless final pit stop that outpaced Ross Chastain’s crew by three seconds.
Byron has won two of the last three road course races, dating back to his victory at Watkins Glen in August. He also became the first driver to secure two points-paying wins in the 2024 season following his win at the Daytona 500. Despite Byron’s dominance, a hard-charging Ty Gibbs kept things interesting, as did Bell’s strategic tire change that allowed him to systemically cut down Byron’s lead.
In his post-race interview, Byron admitted to making some micro errors in the closing laps as he reacted to Bell’s pace and proximity in the turns. He expressed gratitude for his outstanding team, emphasized the challenge of maintaining competitive cars throughout the season, and commented on his need to re-watch the last ten laps. As he spoke with the media, a pile of rubber from his impressive burnout was shown still aflame on the track. And both back tires were completely blown out.
Byron’s victory marked a rebound after a challenging period post-Daytona 500, during which he has struggled to secure a single top 10 finish. Additionally, his win solidified Hendrick Motorsports as the first team to clinch multiple victories at the Circuit of the Americas.
Compared to previous races at this track, Sunday’s event was notably clean, with no cautions for cause. The race managed to stay green despite multiple spins throughout the race that included but were not limited to Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, Corey LaJoie, numerous spins by Brad Keselowski, and two involving Japan’s Kamui Kobayashi. And then there was Kyle Busch, who was turned by Christopher Bell in Turn 1. Busch had drifted high in the turn and came down across the nose of Bell, who accidentally turned the 8 car. Tensions flared post-race as Kyle Busch confronted a noticeably uncomfortable Bell over the incident. Despite Bell’s apology, Busch was overheard saying, “Have I wrecked you? Okay. It’s f–king coming.”
Bell was one of three Toyota drivers to finish in the top 5, which included Ty Gibbs and Tyler Reddick. Conversely, the Fords struggled to match the pace, with Chris Buescher as the highest-finishing Ford driver in eighth place. Notable mention goes to Alex Bowman, who continued his streak of finishing in the top 5 at COTA, and to Bubba Wallace, who has DNF’d every COTA race to date but finished 15th today.
The race took a toll on drivers who shifted more than 1400 times on the 3.4-mile course for a total of 68 laps. After the race, several drivers emerged from their cars looking a little worse for wear. In particular, Corey LaJoie required medical attention upon exiting his car due to cramping.
Michael McDowell’s race ended early due to power steering failure, leaving 38 of the initial 39 cars that started the race.
