William Byron expressed strong frustration with the tires provided by Goodyear during the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 13. The Hendrick Motorsports driver vocally criticized the tire performance over team radio, highlighting his difficulties in managing the new tires throughout the event.
Goodyear, as NASCAR‘s exclusive tire supplier, introduced softer right-side tires to address the high-banked oval’s tendency for rapid tire degradation. Despite Friday’s practice sessions showing extended tire runs of 70-80 laps, the race revealed much quicker tire wear than expected. This discrepancy led to challenges for several drivers, including Byron.
Pole-sitter AJ Allmendinger experienced early struggles when he dropped from the lead only 24 laps into the race, complaining about his right-side tires. He eventually pitted from 12th place to replace a set of tires that had become corded. Meanwhile, Ryan Blaney utilized a two-stop pit strategy and overtook Ty Gibbs to claim the Stage 1 win.
William Byron faced similar tire issues and dropped out of the top 10, unable to maintain pace. NASCAR reporter John Newby shared parts of Byron’s radio exchange, capturing the driver’s blunt dissatisfaction with the tires.
“These, these are bad. These are sh*t,” William Byron says. “I was obviously stuck up there, but these are terrible.” Rudy Fugle responds by saying that everybody will have to use every set of tires and that they will get through it.”
—John Newby, NASCAR Reporter
“This is f*cked, this is f*cked. Our right rears are f*cked,” William Byron complains. Rudy Fugle says his current lap times are fine and that he needs a few more laps before they pit. “This is your lap time, 17.60. We gotta keep going until we get an 18.0,” Newby further reported.
—John Newby, NASCAR Reporter
Byron’s teammate Kyle Larson was able to advance to the Round of 12 in the playoffs despite finishing 24th in Stage 1. Larson’s previous accumulation of playoff points in earlier rounds helped secure his progression. In contrast, Byron entered Round 3 of the playoffs sitting comfortably in sixth place, holding a 39-point cushion over the cutoff line.
Byron Highlights Bristol’s Unique Stadium-Like Environment
Before the 500-lap event, Byron reflected on Bristol’s distinct atmosphere, likening it to a football stadium. Known as the ‘last great colosseum’, Bristol Motor Speedway offers a rare, intense environment where fans are close to the action, creating an energized setting for drivers and spectators alike.
“It’s cool. I think it’s just a really unique place… kind of has that football stadium atmosphere, which is rare for us, I feel like. So, it just kind of gives you that little bit more adrenaline boost before the race than some of the places that are more spread out, like if you were to go to Pocono or something. It’s a little bit… the fans are really distant from you,” he said via NASCAR’s Instagram channel.
—William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Driver
“So I would say just a much different feel here, like more of a stadium feel than other places we go,” he added.
—William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Driver
Byron previously finished sixth in the spring Bristol race after climbing from a 26th-place start, battling through the challenge of low tire wear which made passing difficult. Although he has not yet claimed a win at the half-mile concrete track, his career-best finishes at Bristol are two third-place results in 2021 and 2022.
The ongoing frustration with Goodyear’s tire performance on this demanding oval underscores the delicate balance teams must strike between tire longevity and speed. Byron’s candid remarks reveal the challenges Hendrick Motorsports faces as they try to maximize their equipment in highly competitive playoff conditions.
