William Byron Locks into Round of 8 via Texas Victory
In a thrilling race at Texas Motor Speedway, William Byron, the driver representing Hendrick Motorsports, seized the lead with just six laps to go after a restart and successfully fended off the competition to secure a remarkable victory in the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 on a sweltering and dramatic Sunday afternoon of NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs action.
This achievement marks a historic milestone for the Hendrick Motorsports organization, as it is their 300th victory, an unparalleled record in NASCAR’s Cup Series. Furthermore, it marks William Byron’s personal best for the season, securing his sixth victory of the year. The 25-year-old Charlotte native started the final restart from the third position but managed to surge ahead of the pack, ultimately clinching victory by a margin of 1.863 seconds over Ross Chastain from Trackhouse Racing. This win also guarantees his spot in the Round of 8, which is set to kick off in three weeks.
Notably, Byron’s time out front during those final six laps represented his sole lead of the entire race. He executed a brilliant restart, surpassing Bubba Wallace from 23XI Racing, who had been in the lead at the start of that final stretch after an exceptional performance, leading a career-high 111 laps in his No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota. Wallace secured a respectable third-place finish, with Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin following closely behind, making all five drivers part of the 2023 playoff roster.
Reflecting on his victory, Byron humbly acknowledged his teammate, Kyle Larson, and the speed displayed by their team throughout the day. Byron recognized Larson’s unfortunate crash in a battle for the lead with only 20 laps left, expressing empathy for his teammate’s misfortune.
Byron stated, “I finally got a good restart at the end and number 300 for Hendrick Motorsports, but [teammate] Kyle [Larson] really deserved this one, I’ve got to say, those guys were really fast all day, and I hate it for them in the end. But man, it was awesome getting this car to the front. My car loved clean air. We just fought through traffic all day. My Liberty University Chevrolet was just tight back in traffic but had good pace. … it was a grind-it-out day, and our team was there at the end, and I’m really proud of this one as hot as it was, it was tough. We’ll take it and go on to the next round.”
Regarding Hendrick Motorsports’ historic 300th win, Byron expressed his admiration and gratitude, saying, “I don’t know if I can even put it into words. I was such a Hendrick Motorsports fan growing up as a kid, watching Jimmie Johnson and became really fond of Jeff Gordon as I got to know him. Just thankful for all the men and women back at Hendrick Motorsports. … just appreciate all Rick Hendrick has done for me. This is awesome. We’re really going to enjoy this one.”
Bubba Wallace, who delivered an outstanding performance in his inaugural playoff appearance, couldn’t help but feel disappointed with the final result despite starting from pole position and leading over 100 laps, marking a personal best.
Wallace commented, “Just choked. My worst restart (of the day). Hate it for my team, hate it for [sponsor] McDonald’s. We deserved to be in Victory Lane, but nothing’s ever guaranteed, you have to go out and fight for it and not give it away, and that’s what I did. We struggled a little in traffic but kept our heads in the game, made great strategy calls all day and had track position. So, good points day.”
Larson, who had a strong performance leading 99 laps, was racing alongside Wallace when his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet lost control and collided with the outside wall with 19 laps remaining. Despite his disappointment, Larson expressed his happiness for William Byron’s victory and recognized the significance of Hendrick Motorsports’ achievement.
The top 10 finishers included Kevin Harvick from Stewart-Haas Racing, Brad Keselowski from RFK Racing, Daniel Suárez from Trackhouse Racing, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. from JTG Daugherty Racing, and Chase Briscoe from Stewart-Haas Racing.
The race featured a total of 11 caution periods and numerous challenges for the 12 playoff drivers participating in this multi-round series to determine the final eight contenders. William Byron’s win secured his spot in the next round, while other playoff drivers experienced both positive and negative developments throughout the race.
RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher finished in 14th place, while Martin Truex Jr., the regular season champion, crossed the finish line in 17th place. Defending race winner Tyler Reddick, Wallace’s teammate at 23XI Racing, settled for 25th place.
Notably, Ryan Blaney from Team Penske, Kyle Larson from Hendrick Motorsports, and Kyle Busch from Richard Childress Racing encountered issues that led to Did Not Finish (DNF) outcomes, with all three drivers involved in incidents.
The race exemplified the challenging nature of the day, with 10 playoff drivers facing various setbacks, ranging from crashes to pit-road penalties and pit-road problems.
With this crucial victory, William Byron secured an automatic spot in the next round of the playoffs. Denny Hamlin currently holds second place in the playoff standings, enjoying a 37-point cushion above the provisional elimination line. Chris Buescher (plus-22), Christopher Bell (plus-20), Martin Truex (plus-19), Ross Chastain (plus-12), Brad Keselowski (plus-8), and Kyle Larson (plus-2) round out the top eight.
Bubba Wallace is the first driver below the elimination line, trailing Larson by two points. Tyler Reddick is three points away from the elimination line, followed by Ryan Blaney (-11) and Kyle Busch (-17). The next race will take place at the unpredictable Talladega Superspeedway in the YellaWood 500.
RESULTS:
- William Byron
- Ross Chastain
- Bubba Wallace
- Christopher Bell
- Denny Hamlin
- Kevin Harvick
- Brad Keselowski
- Daniel Suarez
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr
- Chase Briscoe
- Chase Elliott
- Alex Bowman
- Justin Haley
- Chris Buescher
- Michael McDowell
- Carson Hocevar
- Martin Truex Jr
- Aric Almirola
- Ty Dillon
- Harrison Burton
- Joey Logano
- BJ McLeod
- Ryan Preece
- Zane Smith
- Tyler Reddick
- Corey Lajoie
- Austin Cindric
- Ryan Blaney
- AJ Allmendinger
- Erik Jones
- Kyle Larson
- JJ Yeley
- Ty Gibbs
- Kyle Busch
- Todd Gililand
- Austin Dillon
