Hendrick Motorsports ace wishes he’d avoided one costly mistake in Bristol

Modified Apr 15, 2025 11:30 GMT

William Byron- NASCAR: Cup Practice and Qualifying - Source: Imagn

Hendrick Motorsports star William Byron expressed that the outcome at Bristol would've been better had he been aggressive from the get-go. The NASCAR Cup Series leader showed an impressive comeback despite drivers struggling to overtake due to minimal tire falloff.

Byron kicked off the Food City 500 in 26th place but he gradually moved up the ranks at the 1/2-mile facility. He jumped to P20 in Stage 1 and salvaged an 11th-place finish in the second stage. The upward trend of the #24 Chevrolet driver continued as he braved cautions without troubles on the pit road.

The two-time Daytona 500 winner crossed the line in sixth. He said post-race that he usually isn't aggressive with the pace at the start and tried saving his tires to benefit from the fall-off, at the optimum moment. However, the strategy backfired due to the unexpected wear.

Unlike the 2024 spring race, where the Goodyear product lasted around 50 laps, the most recent Bristol weekend witnessed over 130 laps before the first pitstop.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver wished he had been aggressive since the green flag was shown for a better result than that.

"Just wished I would've been more aggressive at first run to drive up there because I was trying to save tires back in the pack and I just feel I didn't gain enough track position," Byron said via Peter Stratta (1:20)

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Byron collected 31 points from the Bristol Motor Speedway race and leads the rankings followed by Denny Hamlin.

Exploring how Hendrick Motorsports' Byron is the NASCAR Cup Series leader despite a solitary win

William Byron- NASCAR: Cup Practice and Qualifying - Source: Imagn

William Byron won the 2025 Daytona 500, marking his and Hendrick Motorsports' first victory this season. The #24 Chevy driver has posted four top-5s and six top-10s from the nine races competed in. His rivals boast more wins, however, they still haven't been able to outperform him.

Ranked second, Hamlin has scored two wins, five top-5s, and six top-10s. Still, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, who fell short of the Bristol win by 2.250 seconds, is 30 points shy of Byron in the standings.

His JGR teammate Christopher Bell is the winningest driver this season with three consecutive wins, at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Circuit of The Americas, and Phoenix Raceway. Nonetheless, his triumphs couldn't dethrone Byron from the pinnacle.

The #24 driver's Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson, who led 411 laps in Bristol to earn his second triumph this season, is placed fourth.

It's worth mentioning that even though Byron hasn't claimed a win since the season-opener race, the North Carolina native has exhibited remarkably consistent performances, culminating in 90 stage points that have kept his standing undisputed.

About the author

Aneesh is a Motorsports journalist at Sportskeeda and covers both NASCAR and Formula 1. An ardent sports fan since his early lawn tennis days, he has showcased his keenness in NASCAR, and has already garnered 5 million views at Sportskeeda thanks to his meticulous work.

When it comes to NASCAR, his top picks are Kyle Busch and Ross Chastain, while in Formula 1, he fervently supports Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. He believes F1 should continue to have more races in courses than in street circuits and feels NASCAR should be more proactive about global promotions to reach F1’s popularity level.

He is very particular about his sourcing for articles, largely relying on the official website of F1 and NASCAR, and relies on understanding different perspectives by browsing through social media and reputed publications for unique story angles.

Even in his spare time, Aneesh is keen to learn more about F1 cars and studies various aspects of them, including its design and engine. He enjoys driving himself and often explores new parts of his city when he can.

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Edited by Aneesh