William Byron secured a dramatic NASCAR Xfinity overtime win at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, shortly after signing a new four-year deal with Hendrick Motorsports. Byron overtook Justin Allgaier on the final overtime restart, using fresher tires to pull ahead as the field took the white flag.
Byron’s Strategic Victory and Reflection on Home Track Success
Byron, the Hendrick Motorsports Cup star, admitted his confidence was tempered by the race’s long green flag runs that delayed his chance to lead. Speaking to The CW broadcast, he said,
“I felt like if we got some yellows, we’d be good but man, that didn’t work out the way we thought it (would). Just had a lot of green flag running and couldn’t really get back to the front. But man, feels awesome to win. This is my home track. It feels really good. Restart merchant there at the end. It’s fun to be back in Victory Lane. I feel like I haven’t won in a while.”
Byron’s ability to capitalize on the late-race overtime restart showcased his skill in high-pressure moments.
Allgaier’s Gambit on Older Tires Falls Short
Justin Allgaier’s decision to stay out on older tires during a late caution ultimately cost him the win. Despite leading 101 of the 205 laps and being in control for much of the race, Allgaier defied his crew chief’s advice by not pitting when most of the field opted for fresh tires. This choice kept him out front temporarily with the help of various caution periods, but the fresher tires of his rivals gradually erased his advantage.
Byron, along with Connor Zilisch and Nick Sanchez—both on four fresh tires—were able to overtake Allgaier on the final restart. Allgaier finished in fourth place, visibly disappointed by the outcome.
“Being the leader is a tough spot in that regard,”
Allgaier explained.
“I saw the #00 [Sheldon Creed] was staying out anyway and to be honest with you, I should have just come down pit road. All things aside, I thought there was going to be a lot of games played on pit road. And I felt like if things got settled out and they had to travel through all of that traffic, we were going to maybe net okay. And then all of those cautions, one after another — it was great because we were able to hold those guys off but it really just hurt us because they were able to get a spot or two every restart.”
He added simply,
“I’m heartbroken.”
Post-Race Adjustments and Disqualification Shake Up Results
Sammy Smith, who originally crossed the finish line in fifth place, was later disqualified after his car failed the minimum weight requirement during post-race inspection. This disqualification promoted Dean Thompson to fifth place, followed by Josh Williams in sixth and Austin Hill in seventh. Ryan Ellis, Christian Eckes, and Sheldon Creed completed the top ten finishing order as a result of this adjustment.
A Tumultuous Final Stage Defined the Race Outcome
After dominating the early stages, William Byron faced adversity late in the race. A speeding penalty on pit road pushed his No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to the back of the field. Meanwhile, Justin Allgaier remained at the front, controlling the race pace and leading comfortably.
With just over 50 laps remaining, a debris caution triggered by Taylor Gray’s tire failure impacted the race dynamics. Byron found himself a lap down and was forced to take the wave-around to rejoin the lead lap.
The turning point arrived with 22 laps to go when Allgaier’s JR Motorsports teammate, Carson Kvapil, spun on track. As most drivers pitted under this caution, Allgaier chose to stay out despite his crew chief urging him to pit for tires.
“I know this isn’t what you wanted,”
Allgaier said over the radio.
“If it doesn’t work, I’ll take the blame for it, but I feel like I got you on this one.”
The restart caused a chaotic pile-up, resulting in damage to Harrison Burton’s car and several crashes including an incident involving Katherine Legge and JJ Yeley, who both spun after contact.
Meanwhile, drivers with fresher tires began closing in. Connor Zilisch aggressively pursued Allgaier despite rubbing a tire, intensifying the battle at the front.
However, before Zilisch could make a decisive pass, the race saw another big crash on the backstretch, involving Brandon Jones, Leland Honeyman Jr., and Kyle Sieg. This accident forced the race into overtime.
Overtime Restart Decides the Winner
On the overtime restart, Byron made a bold move to the outside of Allgaier. The two cars made slight contact as they accelerated toward the white flag lap, nearly spinning Allgaier. Byron managed to avoid trouble and accelerated ahead, pulling away as Allgaier fell back during the final lap, which concluded under caution after a severe collision involving J. Burton and Brennan Poole.
This win marks Byron’s fifth career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory and his first since the 2017 season. It capped off a weekend of milestones for the driver and further solidified his status after his contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports.
