William Byron's crew chief looks to play "a points game" as the #24 crew tries to punch their Championship 4 ticket

William Byron finds himself in the spotlight, heading into the penultimate NASCAR Cup Series weekend at Martinsville Speedway. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver remains in third place in the playoffs standings with a 30-point advantage above the cut line.

With a tight battle for two spots in the championship finale, Byron emerges as the top contender among the six drivers vying for a spot at Martinsville. This places him and his crew in a strategic position, looking to capitalize on their points margin.

Rudy Fugle, the crew chief behind William Byron's campaign, recently disclosed their game plan for the Cup race in Martinsville.

Speaking to RACER, Fugle elaborated on the significance of playing the points game early on. He highlighted that opportunities in the initial stages of the race cannot be revisited later.

"It’s definitely always a points game... So, if they’re available and there’s a chance to go get some extra points, you’re going to take that chance to make sure you can get paid early because you don’t know what’s going to happen later," Fugle said.

However, Fugle maintains a practical approach for the Cup Series race in Martinsville, given the track's unique nature. The crew chief hopes for his team to contend for the top positions. He aims for a spot within the top five or six throughout the race.

He stated:

"Hopefully, we can just be near the front and in the hunt for the top five or top six all day and that stuff comes easy. But if not... we’re going to be looking to get the points."

---

William Byron and Co. are "ready to attack", affirms crew chief Rudy Fugle

Ahead of the race, Rudy Fugle shed some light on JGR's strategies. He highlighted the team's focus on the advantage that William Byron could gain from the race in Martinsville.

"It’s super focused. Everybody is laser-focused. Nobody feels comfortable, but we have comfort in our process is correct, and we’ve done the right things," Fugle stated.

He noted the team's prior experience, having faced the cut race with a five-point lead the previous year. This year, there is no room for complacency inside the Joe Gibbs Racing camp.

According to William Byron's crew chief, the team is set to approach the challenge and determined to do better than the previous seasons. He said:

"I think last year we went into the cut race with a five-point lead and probably overachieved, and now that we have experienced of not getting through, there’s no taking anything for granted. We’re ready to attack."