NASCAR CUP SERIES: GOODYEAR 400

May 14, 2023

William Byron

Press Conference

An Interview with:

THE MODERATOR: At the start of this press conference I shared an interesting stat with Jeff and Rick that I want to share with you guys, as well. This is the 100th win for the No. 24. Your reaction to that?

WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, we were well aware on the team. It's kind of that hump we wanted to get over pretty quick. I think I was a little bit anxious about it. Getting those two wins early in the year and then trying to get a third is tough. In this sport everyone is so competitive, as we saw today. You had four or five cars within a chance for the lead.

Yeah, just good to get over that hump and get to get that monumental win for the No. 24. It's been a really special number to me already.

RUDY FUGLE: Yeah, for sure. Like he said, we were well aware. Been working on it since Phoenix.

That number is iconic, and sitting next to the two that just left here, still got to pinch yourself to know you're working for them, with them, and winning races in the 24. Just proud to get win No. 100.

Q. For both of you, what is it about each other that has you finding where you are now, three wins this year? What do you see in each other that encourages the other, and how does all that work?

WILLIAM BYRON: I think that we just at our core, we trust each other in the decisions that we make. I think that goes a long way in this sport because a lot of times even if we don't make the right decision, the right choice on a restart or the right adjustment or whatever, like we finally -- we get back to where we need to be because of that trust. I think that's what it takes.

RUDY FUGLE: Yeah, the trust and then I think each one of us has picked each other up at different times. Each part of the team has picked each other up all year long, so you prove that it's a team. We've known that. We've tried to build that culture in year three, but it's getting there for sure.

Q. William, were you aware that Harvick's car was somewhat wounded there before the final restart, and did that factor into how you raced at all?

WILLIAM BYRON: No, but I was aware that the guys behind me had some damage, so I was kind of picking a little bit based on that, but also the history of how each person races. Every restart is different. You've got to understand the characters around you, and I felt like we went with the decision that obviously put a little bit in the hands of the people around us, but also was -- I would say in my head, coming to the restart was 75 percent the right choice.

I spent a lot of time debating in my head. You have a lot of time to figure it out. But I felt like I made the decision that made the most sense.

Q. You had a really good view of all the crazy stuff happening at the front there over the last 20 laps or so. It seemed at the green flag you really took off to get away from Harvick, which is obviously what you want to do, but were you concerned that he might attempt something that the other guys had racing for first over those last laps?

WILLIAM BYRON: No, because I feel like -- he's going to do whatever he can to win, obviously, but it does matter in this sport how you race others. I think with the 1, like he had done that move early in the race, and it had come back his way, and then on that restart with them lined up in front of me, I kind of knew what to expect. That was part of our decision making there.

Then coming to that final restart, you kind of have to put that in the memory bank and think about, okay, who are the people I'm up against in this situation, and we tried to make the best decision based on that.

Q. William, that's what I wanted to ask you about. Were you prepared before that next to last restart that Kyle and Ross were probably could get into a situation like that, and so you were prepared to just avoid whatever situation they were in?

WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, we talked about it. All those things -- like emotions, if they factor into decisions are important for us. We talked as soon as the caution came out about what we thought was going to happen, and Rudy did a great job filling me in. Obviously I can't listen but I can assume based on all the information.

We try to make the best decisions, and today I felt like we grinded our way through this race. It was a tough race for us, but we kept our heads in it, and that's what made us make good calls at the end to get us in a position -- I don't think we really thought we could win in the first restart when there was that big wreck. Then we started to get a glimmer of hope and then we started to go to work on what are the things we need to do to win it.

Q. How much did last year's finish here affect you coming in this year? Did you think about it a lot this weekend, or did you just put it out of your hand?

WILLIAM BYRON: No, no, I don't -- I think -- I came here being excited to race at Darlington. I felt like it would be a tough weekend because of some of our falloff the previous weeks, so I was hopeful that we worked on it, and we did, and we had a good long run car. I was just kind of thinking about those things, just really the things that matter to us and our team.

We went out and put together a great day. It wasn't going to be the day we hoped for, but that's how it goes sometimes. That's kind of what we said on the radio. We're like, man, we surprised ourselves.

Q. When you first got out of the car and they were asking you about win No. 100 for the 24, you said you were thankful to get the opportunity to drive that car, but you also said it felt like maybe you were too young at the time. I was just wondering, what is it years later now that has made you come to the realization that maybe that was the case?

WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, I think I'm just honest with myself and reflective, and I felt like -- I feel like I'm a different person than I was when I stepped in the car. It was a lot of pressure driving the 24, no matter what way you slice it. It's a big number and has a lot of meaning and being with a team like this.

Yeah, I feel like that growth process happened, and I don't really look back and say -- I don't compare myself to then. I have different people around me that really know me.

It's great what we've built, and yeah, it's different.

Q. Last year I want to say you won two in the first eight races and then didn't win again. I'm curious --

WILLIAM BYRON: Thanks for the reminder.

Q. I'm curious if those thoughts started going through your head after two early wins this year. I don't want to say 10 races or nine races is a long winless streak, but did you feel that this year was going any different than after your two wins last year?

WILLIAM BYRON: For sure. I think we had kind of a chip and a little bit of just trying not to let that happen again. So we've been probably overexerting ourselves a little bit just to make sure that we don't repeat.

Now I think we're safely in a groove here where we've got to continue our processes, continue what got us here, but it definitely feels different than what we had last year where I felt like after we won those couple races we were kind of -- we had just kind of a false confidence, I think.

We've learned from that. I have. I don't intend on doing that again.

Q. You look at the stats this year, laps led, average running position, that kind of thing, stage wins, do you guys feel like you should have more wins than you have right now?

RUDY FUGLE: I mean, this is the hardest form of motorsports in North America. It's hard. We run up front and we lead a lot of laps and put ourselves in position, but you don't always win. We'd like to win more, but to me it's the process. It's how do you put yourself in a spot to practice well and then qualify well and then race well and lead laps. That's what we're doing week in and week out, no matter the type of track. That's what we didn't have last year. We kind of -- Atlanta is a win, was what it was, and Martinsville is on its own and a night race that was 40 degrees.

We weren't dominating being in the top 3 or 4, but we consistently have the best running position of anybody in the series, and that's what we're doing. You don't always win those races, unfortunately.

I just want to know how to do -- that our team can compete like that, because if you do that and you put yourself in position to win, you're going to win the races like today where we weren't the best car but we were close.

WILLIAM BYRON: I mean, Richmond was hard to swallow because I think our MO together is get the best finish that we can, and at Richmond, we went from battling Martin for the win, probably going to finish -- maybe going to finish second and then go to 24th. So that one was the hardest year to go back on Monday and be like, what happened.

Yeah, other than that, I don't know, races can go any way I feel like, but certainly the statistics show, which I'm a big stats guy, I look at our running position, like he said, and stage points and it looks pretty good. We've just got to keep the process that we have going because it's obviously working.

Q. You look at the last few years, Harvick in '20, Larson in '21, you could throw Hamlin in that mix, as well. There's basically a group of guys that have dominated, asserted themselves way clear of anyone else. Do you guys feel you're capable of that and that's your ceiling?

WILLIAM BYRON: I think we'll look back at today and think about the things we could do better, and I think that's how we're going to get better. I think when we come back here in the fall if we apply all those things -- yeah, I think we're on a good trajectory, but I don't really look at potential as much as I look at, okay, how can we improve. There's still a lot to do, but think about North Wilkesboro. I've got a late model race on Tuesday, so I'm going to think about that.

THE MODERATOR: Rudy, thanks so much for joining us, and congratulations.

Q. You're going to Wilkesboro Tuesday night to race in the late model races. What do you think the fans' reaction is going to be to being back in that place and watching you and a bunch of other Cup drivers Tuesday and Wednesday, and what do you expect out of the weekend leading into the All-Star Race?

WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, the track looks juror I couldn't say. It really looks nice. The whole layout of the place has that feel of kind of a Wrigley Field or just a historic place that has a newness to it. I'm excited for it. I think the late model race will get me ready, running the truck race after that and running the Cup race on Sunday. Lots to do, and feel like we don't really know what we're getting into yet. I think I practice at 1:00 on Tuesday, so I'll tell you after that.

Q. We touched on this maybe a little bit the other day, kind of talked about the fighting and stuff, but you look at with Ross and everything today, what would it take for you to maybe want to confront him and send a message that this isn't how you want to be raced?

WILLIAM BYRON: I mean, I've got to preface it with honestly, Ross and I race pretty good. I think he was a little bit better than me at times today, and we kind of traded positions here and there. But I do think some of the things I've seen feel like they're a little bit over the line, and I feel like whatever that line is has to kind of come back down just a little bit. There's a certain point when wrecking is just not the answer.

I don't know what that would entail, but yeah, there's a line. Like we all have pedals and a steering wheel, so there's a way to give it back.

I saw a lot of wrecking today, so I didn't really like that. I thought we had some really good cars out there and could have maybe settled it out that way.

Q. Did you anticipate Ross trying to pinch Kyle up high, so were you thinking, okay, I'm going to stay promptly as low as I can and keep momentum on that restart?

WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, we talked about it under the caution. We talked about just what was going on and whether we felt like that was going to come into play again.

I was surprised that Ross got the lead on the restart. I guess they were really close side by side. So he got the lead, and when he chose the bottom, I wasn't surprised, so I chose the bottom, too. But I felt like what I really felt like was going to happen was somebody on the top was going to lose momentum because he was going to take that line away. I didn't think they would wreck, but obviously it happened, and we rolled on by. I was kind of hopeful that they'd get choked up and I'd just go to the bottom three wide and clear them all.

Q. You said you're a stats guy, so you know where you stack up against the competition, but do you feel like this team gets the respect or gets recognized as it should for what you guys are doing and where you should stack up in this garage?

WILLIAM BYRON: I mean, I've heard a lot of different opinions. But I think as a team, I think -- and statistically, I feel like we're right where we need to be. There's a couple other guys that are really close or even a little bit better in some categories. Kyle has been really strong. I feel like he's really fast on some of the bigger tracks. Ross has good stats.

Yeah, I look at all that stuff, laps led, average running position, all those things.

I feel like most of the things I've looked at, I feel like we're pretty good. I do have a couple areas where I feel like we could improve and we'll keep working on.

Q. You feel like you're a top-5 driver in this garage right now?

WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, for sure, definitely that. It's just really hard to separate at the top. I feel like there's a few guys that could win every week. Being in that little bit is tough, but sometimes they go your way, and you just try to stay up there and in contention.

Q. What about winning at Darlington? This is a place that gets a lot of recognition for how tough it is and there's always talk coming into every Darlington weekend that experience is going to win out. You're a relatively younger guy. What does winning at Darlington say or what does it mean?

WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, it's a track that takes a lot of patience, but also aggression. Like you can't run at 90 percent. You've got to run at 98 or 99. But that edge is really close, and I feel like that's what catches young guys out is, at least for me, I made mistakes and then try to back off and drive easier and it just doesn't work.

It's one of those places you have to be kind of on that edge and just have to really cut it close. But that's what makes speed. But also being patient enough to not overstep that edge because you really can't -- you can maybe do it a couple times, but it's tough.

Q. Where does it stack up for you?

WILLIAM BYRON: It's up there for sure. Probably not the win that sticks out just dominating the race or anything like that. But being up front, being in contention, and based on the past history we've had here, I think it definitely -- it stacks up pretty high.