HMS' William Byron addresses summer slump ahead of first NASCAR playoff race at Atlanta

William Byron began his 2024 season with a bang as he won the Daytona 500. The #24 driver followed that up with a win at COTA and Martinsville in the weeks to come. However, since his third win of the season in April, Byron has been unable to secure another victory.

Since his win at Martinsville, Byron has accumulated 5 top-5 finishes. However, his overall performance has followed a similar pattern to last season at this stage.

Ahead of the playoffs, the 26-year-old was asked how he plans to regain his early-season momentum and if the #24 team had been experimenting during the summer in preparation for the postseason.

"Well I mean, yeah, we finished second two-and-a-half weeks ago at Michigan, so I feel like we’ve been pretty good; hit or miss, though. Some of those tracks during the summer aren’t as good for us as a team, but we’ve really circled all of the playoff tracks and worked really hard to have our best at the end of the year," Byron said. [00:55]

The #24 driver claimed that once a driver secures two or three victories early in the season, as he did, the focus shifts towards accumulating playoff points.

"If you can’t do that, then the goal is to try and position yourself well for the fall and all the tracks in the playoffs. So, I feel good about that," he added.

Despite being winless since April, Byron finished 4th in the playoff standings with a +17 advantage.

Byron further stated that their summer was characterized by inconsistency. However, he expressed confidence in the speed of the #24 car. He emphasized the need to return to their previous level of performance, dismissing any comparisons between their summer struggles and the upcoming 10 weeks of playoff races. He highlighted that the postseason requires a "totally different mindset."

---

"We’ve had success here at Atlanta" - William Byron confident about his chances at unpredictable Atlanta

With the playoffs kicking off at Atlanta, William Byron has expressed confidence in his chances. The #24 driver has a strong track record at Atlanta, having won there in both 2022 and 2023.

Despite finishing 27th in the race earlier this year, he is optimistic about his chances heading into the first playoff race.

"We’ve had success here at Atlanta. Although it can be unpredictable, I feel like as I’ve studied and watched it back; a lot of times if you’re up in the front and making good decisions, you can kind of control your destiny here. I think that’s the goal for us," he said. [1:32]

Earlier, the Hendrick Motorsports driver had emphasized the importance of a good qualifying performance. Byron hoped to qualify within the top 10 to start the race, which is exactly what he achieved. Starting from the 9th position on the grid, he will be looking to get his playoff campaign off to a strong start.