William Byron discusses his "biggest concern" after clinching pole position ahead of COTA Cup race

In the lead-up to the NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix race at COTA, pole-winner William Byron shared his biggest concern for Sunday's race.

Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron has had a stellar start to his 2024 campaign. The 26-year-old driver secured an emphatic Daytona 500 victory to virtually lock in his playoff berth. While a series of underwhelming performances followed, Byron was back to his sparkling best in the qualifying session for the Cup Series race at the Circuit of the Americas.

Set to start from pole position, the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet spoke to the media ahead of Sunday's race. Revealing his apprehensions regarding the COTA surface for the upcoming race, Byron said:

"I think my biggest thing is or my biggest concern is just turn 8 you know how the dirt is there, it's definitely difficult there to get through that corner there."

Despite this concern, Byron expressed optimism about the overall race dynamics, noting that the repaved surface would offer added grip in certain areas while maintaining excitement during braking and passing zones. He said:

"I think the braking zones and the passing zones will be the same and should be a pretty exciting race."

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William Byron on the repaved COTA surface

Among multiple tracks to go under repavement ahead of the 2024 season was the Circuit of the Americas. Turns 12 through 16 were replaced, receiving a fresh coat of asphalt. Additionally, concrete reinforcements were implemented at key sections to enhance durability and safety.

Speaking of the repavement while talking to the media before the race, William Byron acknowledged the improvements, noting that the repaved sections offered increased grip levels as the rubber from tires accumulated on the surface over time.

"The areas that they repaved have quite a bit more grip. As we got the tire rubber, kind of rubbered in and got the racetrack to where it was you know peak grip level.

"So, I feel like it took probably the first five to eight laps for the track to keep getting faster and probably for us to understand where the grip level is on the racetrack to push."

After five races in the season, William Byron has accumulated 136 points. The Hendrick Motorsports driver, who qualified for the Championship 4 field last season, is currently fourth in the Cup Series standings.