William Byron snapped a 22-race winless streak Sunday by capturing a fuel-saving victory at Iowa Speedway, marking a critical turnaround in his William Byron midseason momentum. The 27-year-old driver and his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team had endured months of near misses and missed opportunities before finally securing their second win of the NASCAR Cup Series season, just weeks before the playoffs begin.
Strong Start to the Season Gives Way to Midyear Challenges
Byron’s season started with a strong performance, including memorable back-to-back Daytona 500 wins that placed him at the front of the Cup Series standings for 17 of the first 18 races. However, as the summer progressed, his dominance began to fade. Despite consistently competitive runs, outright victories proved elusive, leading to growing uncertainty around when or whether the team might find Victory Lane again.
“Haven’t gotten many good finishes, and you get constantly — we kind of joked about it today — you constantly have these questions of what’s going wrong, what’s wrong, what’s wrong,”
said No. 24 crew chief Rudy Fugle.
“This year, I don’t know that there’s a ton wrong other than circumstance, and sometimes that’s the way these races play in the summer is that way.”
Relief and Confidence from End of Slump
Byron’s win at Iowa was not just a relief but also an emotional uplift. After nearly five and a half months of trying, the victory ended a frustrating drought that had included several close calls and tactical misfortunes. This win marked Byron’s 15th career victory in the Cup Series and provided a much-needed morale boost as the team prepares for the postseason.
“I really feel like we needed to win a race. I feel like we deserved to win a race based on how we’ve run all year. It just wasn’t happening,”
Byron stated.
“I felt like we were trying to — we had to learn how to do basically everything right, and things were still not really working out in our favor. This was just a big relief to have one go our way, and we’ve just been running so well this year, I feel like this is going to be a big momentum boost for our team just to be able to check that one off the list and keep carrying the speed that we’ve had.”
Strong Performances Mark the Season Despite Few Wins
Although the No. 24 team struggled to convert speed into victories during this midseason period, their competitiveness never waned. Byron frequently ran near the front, registering four second- or third-place finishes prior to Iowa and leading the most laps in Sunday’s Iowa Corn 350—141 laps—reclaiming the season lead in that category. These consistent performances kept Byron and Hendrick Motorsports firmly in contention.
Some near victories were especially painful. At the Coca-Cola 600, Byron led a dominant 283 of 400 laps but ultimately finished second to Ross Chastain. Later at Michigan, a miscalculation left Byron’s car running out of fuel just before the final lap, robbing him of another potential win. This Michigan incident began an eight-race stretch without a top-five finish and included three DNFs as well.
Navigating Late-Race Challenges and Fuel Strategy
Byron’s recent struggles often involved fuel management and timely pit strategies, issues underscored by Fugle’s observations. Multiple times in recent months, being just fractions of a gallon short of fuel cost Byron victories or top finishes. Sunday’s Iowa race saw a late flurry of caution flags that complicated fuel-saving tactics, but ultimately Byron’s team managed to save enough fuel to secure the win.
“Yeah, in two of the races, three to four tenths of a gallon of gas would have gotten us a win in the past couple months, and then just these weird — even today I felt like the hammer was dropping on us,”
Fugle said.
“We were going to run in the top five and then all these cautions come and I was like, it’s all going against us. Thankfully, that last caution, and thankfully we had a good enough car that we were able to save gas and get there.”
“It’s a credit to everybody on the team, but yeah, it’s been tough because you’re just waiting for that next thing to drop, so that’s why we were all sitting up there like, when is something to go wrong today, and it just didn’t. Thankfully, that gives us more confidence, and it’ll give us a boost for sure,”
Fugle added.
Team Effort and Setting Sights on the Playoffs
Byron’s victory bolstered his position atop the Cup Series standings, with teammates Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson close behind, giving Hendrick Motorsports a commanding 1-2-3 hold in the points. This internal competition serves as motivation rather than distraction, as Byron emphasized the strength it takes to maintain a lead amid fierce rivals within his own team.
The Regular Season Championship and the 15 playoff points it awards remain coveted goals for Hendrick Motorsports. Jeff Andrews, Hendrick Motorsports president and general manager, stressed the importance of confidence and consistency in the team’s car preparation as the race to collect these crucial points heats up.
“When you get in these times, you just can’t question yourself,”
Andrews said.
“You’ve got to know that you’re putting the very best race cars on the race track you can, and I firmly believe that. The men and women of Hendrick Motorsports do an incredible job and build amazing race cars. We get to come to the race track and execute that great product. It’s been not that far off. It’s incredibly close right now. … It just doesn’t take much to go from top 2 or 3 and a little hiccup here or there and all of a sudden you’re outside the top 10, and once you get back there these days with this car, it’s tough. It’s a struggle to claw your way back up there.”
He continued,
“I love our race teams. I love where our mindset is right now. We’re rolling through the late part of the summer here, which typically hasn’t been our strongest time of year, and I just love what we’ve got going on right now, and we’re focused on that 1, 2, 3 in that Regular Season Championship and getting all those bonus points that are available. That’s another big one for us.”
Playoff Implications and Byron’s Growing Reputation
Byron’s victory at Iowa also prevented another new winner from entering the playoff picture, maintaining the current drivers’ hold on the limited postseason spots available. As the regular season nears its final three races, Byron’s resurgence makes him a formidable competitor with a strong chance to reach the Championship 4 for the third straight year.
Rudy Fugle praised Byron’s overall abilities and maturity, noting his resilience and well-rounded skill set as crucial factors for his success.
“I think he’s the best driver all around in the field right now,”
Fugle said.
“Of course, he’s mine, and I should say that, but I really think he’s maturing and getting the experience to show that off. He’s very well diversified, and then he’s a fighter. He’s got a heart of a lion and fights through everything. There’s no quit. Those are things that he’s gotten better at as well over the years is just rolling with the punches and what happens next, and next thing you know, you’re leading and you’ve got a chance to win.”
