William Byron's right-hand man makes feelings known after back-to-back Daytona 500 triumphs: "Little bit of luck but a lot of execution"  

Crew chief Rudy Fugle recently expressed his thoughts on how luck and execution played a part in lifting back-to-back Daytona 500 victories with William Byron. The No. 24 Chevy driver for Hendrick Motorsports punched his ticket to the playoff, like last year, with a win at the season-opening race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season at Daytona International Speedway.

Byron's shot caller, Fugle, addressed how the win at Daytona Beach, Florida turned out to be a surprise for him and the Chevrolet roster on the rain-delayed race on Sunday (February 16).

Speaking to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, the crew chief of the winningest organization recalled his thoughts on the closing moments of the iconic 500-mile race. He said:

"I can imagine us having a good enough car to win and really proud of how we execute but with 8 [laps] to go, I had no idea. We were 20th and even with one lap to go I thought maybe it's a top 5 and somehow we end up with the lead and win the race."

Fugle added:

"So it was a little bit of luck but a lot of execution to be there when we needed to be."

Furthermore, William Byron's right-hand man highlighted how the No. 24 managed to avoid Ryan Preece's horrifying wreck with four laps to go, followed by the last-lap chaos where the 27-year-old Byron passed through the Denny Hamlin and Austin Cindric tangle on the final lap.

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"It worked out in our favor": William Byron shares honest thoughts after his second Daytona 500 victory

Rick Hendrick's ace driver William Byron shared his elated reaction after trusting his instincts in the final moments of the Great American Race. The Charlotte, North Carolina native sneaked past the last-stretch wreck caused by the frontrunners Hamlin and Cindric for the checkered flag.

In a post-race conversation with Fox Sports reporter Jamie Little, Byron revealed how he ended up defending his Harley J. Earl trophy and saved himself from the mayhem. He said:

"Yeah, obviously some good fortune, but just trusting my instincts on the last lap there, I felt like they were getting squirrely on the bottom and just tried to... I was honestly going to go third lane regardless because I was probably sixth coming down the back. So just obviously fortunate that it worked out in our favor, but just really proud of this team. Worked super hard all week and had an amazing car."

Byron now has 14 Cup wins under his belt including two Daytona 500 triumphs. Starting another season on a high note, the Hendrick Motorsports driver will next head to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Ambetter Health 400 race on February 23.