"We've always been fast there": HMS star William Byron 'more than ready' ahead of COTA doubleheader weekend

William Byron recently expressed his thoughts for the season's first road course weekend at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The Hendrick Motorsports driver will start the Chevy roster's expanded Xfinity schedule with its first race on Saturday (March 1) for the Focus Health 250 event followed by the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix Cup race on Sunday (March 2).

Byron started his eighth full-time Cup season with the Rick Hendrick-owned organization by lifting his second Harley J. Earl trophy in a row at Daytona International Speedway. The 27-year-old will defend another win at the newly reconfigured COTA.

In recent media availability, William Byron opened up on his confidence for the third Cup race of the season after two superspeedway-style races. He said:

"I'm more than ready to get to COTA. We've always been fast there and last year really showed what this team is capable of. The course will be shorter this time, but that's where the extra laps in the Xfinity car should help. After the last two weekends of drafting, I'm happy to be going to a road course that takes such technique."

NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Apart from his triumph at COTA last year, William Byron has impressive road course race stats. In his four starts, he has an average finish of 7.3, has won the pole two times, and has led the race for 70 laps in total.

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"I'm finally comfortable in the 24 car": William Byron opens up after back-to-back Daytona 500 wins

William Byron drives the No. 24 Chevrolet, which was made famous by NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon, who drove for Hendrick Motorsports. Most recently, the 14-time Cup race winner Byron not only won the Daytona 500 two times in a row but also broke his boss Gordon's unique record at the Great American Race.

In a recent conversation with Michael Waltrip, also a two-time Daytona 500 winner, Byron shared his thoughts about the season-inaugural win. He said:

"I don't know how your experience was, but for me, driving into Daytona, I was really happy about being there. In the past, it's been skepticism, where it's been like, hey, I don't know what can happen. And I honestly think that that joy that I had, driving in the racetrack, is what carried us all the way through the week."

Furthermore, Waltrip asked Byron about being the youngest-ever driver to win multiple Daytona 500, dethroning four-time Cup Series champion Gordon. To which, Byron replied:

"It's special. I feel like I'm finally comfortable in the 24 car. Like I'm finally comfortable in that car with him as one of my bosses. Like I'm ready to just keep racing. I just want to keep doing it for my team. And he's in full support of that. It's been pretty special.

William Byron will first drive the No. 17 HendrickCars.com machine to get the laps in at the Xfinity race and defend his title at the road course Cup race at COTA the following day.