William Byron joins Chase Elliott in rare NASCAR feat despite losing Darlington win

William Byron led all the laps of the first two stages in Sunday’s Goodyear 400, becoming just the second Cup Series driver to do so since stage racing began in 2017. The Hendrick Motorsports #24 looked set to make history and win big at Darlington, but a late race twist changed everything.

Byron led the first 243 laps of the 293-lap race, only to fall behind after a green flag pit stop and ultimately finished second. The last time something like this happened was to Byron’s HMS teammate Chase Elliott at Martinsville in 2022. Back then, Elliott dominated the paperclip short track by leading every lap through the first two stages, only to cross the finish line in tenth place.

William Byron not only matched Elliott's rare feat at The Lady in Black but went further by leading a record 243 consecutive laps to open the race. However, like his teammate, he had a disappointing end to the race.

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William Byron's Darlington dominance undone by late caution chaos

William Byron (24) and Joey Logano (22) lead during the Goodyear 400 at Darlington - Source: Imagn

William Byron expressed his agony when his perfect race turned south after a pit stop on Lap 244 forced him to lose his lead. That one shuffle changed everything. He returned from his pit stop and found himself back in the top five, trailing Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, and Denny Hamlin. He was not able to lead again and managed a second-place finish, while Elliott finished the race in eighth place.

Speaking to NASCAR after the race, William Byron said:

"First off, just really proud of my team to bring that level of effort and preparation and have a car like that and for us to execute like that. It was looking like we were going to have a perfect race and we were going to lead every lap. So, I was really proud of that."

He added:

"Those guys could just be aggressive on the other side of the green flag cycle and we just lost control there, and once we lost control, it was too late to get back up there. It sucks and I am sure it will sting tonight, but there are still a lot of positives. It just stings in the moment for sure."

Hamlin jumped ahead with the fastest pit stop of the day and held on through two overtimes to steal the win after leading only for ten laps. Even with the bitter ending, Byron retains a 49-point lead over second-placed Hamlin in the points table.