William Byron recalls when he felt “claustrophobic” during a NASCAR race

Hendrick Motorsports ace William Byron reflected on two past races during which he felt the most miserable inside a car. He elaborated on his unforgettable experiences at Daytona and Martinsville, where high temperatures inside the cockpit made him feel claustrophobic.

Byron explained that the inaugural Daytona Road Course event in 2020 and the 2023 Playoff race at Martinsville were two of his most miserable experiences in a racecar. The #24 Chevy driver said that in the latter race at the 'Paperclip Oval', he was battling intense heat and felt claustrophobic.

In the 2023 cut-off race at Martinsville, William Byron was fighting for a spot in the Championship 4. In his post-race interview, he revealed that he was battling an ill-handling car and had an issue with his helmet fan. With the high temperatures, he struggled with blurry vision in the final stage but managed to finish 13th and qualified for the season finale.

In a recent interview with The Athletic's Jeff Gluck, the 2x Daytona 500 winner recalled the most unforgettable experiences he had inside the cockpit. He said:

"Whenever it’s really hot, so there’s a couple. The Daytona road course in 2020 was really bad. And then Martinsville (in the 2023 playoff race) when I got overheated. I just wanted to get out, like claustrophobic."

William Byron Post Race Martinsville (Source: Getty)

Byron didn’t elaborate on his Martinsville experience, but shed light on the Daytona Road Course race. He revealed that many drivers were uncertain if they could finish the race due to the high temperature and humidity. He mentioned that a red-flag stoppage made the situation easier, as the temperature cooled off.

"Daytona was so hot that I don’t know if a lot of us would have made it to the end. It was that warm. But we had a rain delay and then the weather cooled off after that. It was still humid, but it wasn’t as hot. It was like 105 and humid before the break, and guys would have definitely had some trouble (making it to the finish)." he added.

The intense heat at Daytona took its toll on JJ Yeley, who was relieved by Bayley Curry before the second stage in the #27 Rick Ware Racing Ford. Chase Elliott took the checkered flag, while Byron was classified in eighth.

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William Byron admits Darlington loss will "sting a lot"

William Byron and the #24 HMS team were poised to take a dominant victory at Darlington, having swept both stages and led 243 of the 297 laps. However, once he lost the lead during the green flag pit cycle in the final stage, the #24 Chevy lost its advantage in traffic, as he had to settle for a second-place finish.

Byron was proud of his team for putting together an almost perfect weekend, but admitted that losing the race would sting a lot. He acknowledged that they lost control during the pit stop cycle when his rivals short-pitted to gain track position.

"We were going to lead every lap. So was really proud of that. Those guys could just be aggressive on the other side of the green-flag cycle, and we lost control there. And once we lost control, it was too late in the going to get back up there. It sucks. I’m sure it’ll sting a lot tonight." William Byron told NBC Sports.

Denny Hamlin won the race after stealing the lead off the pit road before the overtime restart. NASCAR heads to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend for the Food City 500 on April 13.