William Byron reflects on loss to Tyler Reddick and what he could’ve done differently

William Byron spoke on his defeat to Tyler Reddick at the Firekeepers Casino 400 at the Michigan International Speedway. The Hendrick Motorsports driver felt that his choice of lane following the overtime restart might have cost him his fourth win of the Cup Series season.

William Byron took the top lane in Michigan but Reddick was able to clear the former's No. 24 Raptor Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 right as the pack entered turn 1. The 28-year-old marched to victory while Byron ended up being the runner-up.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver spoke to journalist Bob Pockrass after the race and said that he was torn on which lane to choose.

"Just was torn on top or bottom. I felt like the bottom gives you a chance for sure but it seems like the leader always takes top here and it seems like gets speed pretty often. I don't know...I just feel like lane choice is really difficult here," Byron said.

"If you are the leader, the safe bet is to take the top but I feel like I'll replay the fact that I maybe could have won from the bottom. He had a better car than us; he was faster on the long run. He deserved it, but would have liked to steal one for sure," he added.

Bob Pockrass then asked Byron if conserving fuel had mattered at any point following the second overtime restart. Thanks to an early pit call made by crew chief Rudy Fugle, the 26-year-old was able to save just enough fuel to last throughout both overtime restarts.

"There was definitely a lot of talk about fuel," Byron explained. "But I knew what the objective was there, whether to choose the top or the bottom. He might have beaten me anyway but it would have given me a shot.

With two races to go till the Round of 16 opener kicks off at Atlanta Motor Speedway, William Byron currently sits sixth in Cup Series standings with 728 points to his name. He has led a combined 256 laps this season, amassing eight top-five finishes and 13 top-10 finishes.

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"It's all about the push"- William Byron recalls last-lap disappointment at Firekeepers Casino 400

Moments after the field took the green flag, Brad Keselowski slowed down all of a sudden, pushing Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, Carson Hocevar, and Harrison Burton behind in an accordion-like effect. This cleared the field for Reddick, who won just a lap later. Needless to say, William Byron did not get the push that he needed from Keselowski's No. 6 Mustang.

On the other hand, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs gave Reddick the push that helped him grab the lead. Unfortunately, Gibbs wasn't able to clear Byron and therefore, finished third.

"The top is definitely preferred, but it's all about the push (and) the timing of the push," Byron explained in the same conversation with Pockrass.

"Second sucks but really proud of the effort, though," Byron said (via Hendrick Motorsports). "I feel like we’ve been trying to put weeks together like this and this is a really good step. Everyone did a great job on the team; strategy was awesome, car was awesome all day and really proud of the team."

William Byron led 25 laps in the race and earned 15 stage points. He collected a race-high 50 points, which was ten more than what Tyler Reddick secured.