NASCAR CUP SERIES: QUAKER STATE 400 AVAILABLE AT WALMART

July 9, 2023

William Byron

Pit Lane Interview

Q. I don't even know where to start with your day. You said it was so much fun early on, then the penalty on pit road, then the spin. How did you come back and make this happen?

WILLIAM BYRON: Just teamwork. Honestly I don't completely understand this one. It's a really good feeling. I've never had a rain victory like this. But just thanks to AXALTA Chevrolet. It's cool.

We went through so much throughout the night, spinning through the infield, destroyed the bottom of the car dragging it around the apron trying to stay on the lead lap. At that point you just don't have the grip, so I was real edgy back in traffic.

Rudy made a good call to pit there and then stay out, and once we got towards the front it was okay. We could honestly make the right decisions, block okay, and got the lead from AJ and just was able to manage the run.

Just a crazy night.

Q. The guys in the booth were saying some of the most amazing racing they have seen. Behind the wheel, how was the racing tonight?

WILLIAM BYRON: It was awesome. I think that's all you can ask for on a superspeedway. We want handling to matter. We want to be able to drive the things.

I felt like the first stage was really fun. I was able to make some moves on the bottom, and you're lifting every corner, so it's really -- it's different than a 550 old style race, but it's more packed up, but it's still handling matters and guys can make aggressive moves.

I was certainly edgy back in traffic, but Rudy made, like I said, a good call, and we got it towards the front, and sometimes that's what it takes. Just thankful for the whole team and just staying in it because we were a lap down and it could have been over.

Q. You and I talked a few weeks ago and you said all the success early in the year, the summer is very important to us. We need to show up. We need to be able to win races. How significant for the 24 team and this championship hopeful run that you are going to go on here to get a win here in the summer?

WILLIAM BYRON: Yeah, it's really important. We're just keeping our heads in it. Over the last few weeks, we'd finish in the top 15 when we don't have good cars, and the days we have really good cars we finish in the top 5.

It's just a matter of staying with it, and today was definitely a lucky break. I can't overstate that. We were in the lead, but certainly a lot of laps to go.

But just thankful for a good team to make good decisions, and like I said, to stay in the race when it's easy to kind of give up and pack it in.