AVONDALE, Ariz.: William Byron has an opportunity to deliver Hendrick Motorsports a NASCAR Cup Series championship on Sunday at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway in the team’s 40th anniversary.
And while that may be pressure for the Charlotte, N.C.-native in his second appearance in the Championship 4, Byron isn’t feeling it and is just steadily focused on climbing aboard his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and going to work.
“I feel less pressure, but at the same time it’s more about the result,” Byron said Thursday at Championship 4 Media Day at Phoenix Raceway. “Like last year, it was an honor to be in the Championship 4. It felt good to be here.
“This year feels like we know what the goal is: it’s winning the championship. Anything short of that is not going to be fun.”
The 40th anniversary of Hendrick Motorsports has been a year full of wins and strong performances. All four Hendrick Motorsports drivers, Alex Bowman, Byron Chase Elliott, and Kyle Larson, made the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
Bryon, Elliott, and Larson all advanced to the semi-final round with Elliott and Larson eliminated following Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
Byron, who opened the season with his first Daytona 500 victory, said bookending the season with the championship would be massive.
“I mean, it would be huge,” Byron added. “It would be a heck of a way to cap off this year. We’ve had a lot of special moments this year with the 40th year. Daytona, Martinsville, a lot of the wins from all of us.
“It would be huge.”
With back-to-back Championship 4 appearances and a fourth-place finish last year in the season-finale, Byron says he has learned a lot and is eager to apply what he has learned.
“A lot of little things,” he said. “I feel like I learned a lot of lessons last year. Hopefully, be able to apply some of those things.”
When pressed on what he actually learned, Byron said the elements were more technical.
“I mean, nothing without being too technical. I just feel like it’s the approach. I definitely learned a lot post-race last year that I feel like you try to approach coming here in the spring, then try to just learn for general things for this weekend.”
The Hendrick Motorsports team failed to showcase the speed in the spring as they did last November, but Byron reiterated that the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports has learned a lot since then and is eager to unload with a car worthy of contending not only for the championship but also for his fourth of the year.
“I feel like last year when we won the spring race, it was hard to change much coming here,” explained Byron. “We hadn’t really learned, like, anything new.
“Then this year we struggled a lot here in the spring and really went to work. I feel like we found some stuff at Iowa that was a good track for us. Just kind of feel like some of the mile tracks have been better for us since really this weekend in the spring.
I think we just continue to get better. Yeah, I’ll hopefully put all that stuff to the test.”
Overall, though, the 13-time Cup Series winner said he is a fan of racing in Avondale.
“I feel like this place has always been pretty good to me,” explained Byron. “It’s just trying to figure out those last couple little steps to be a little bit better. At the same time I feel like this week through my prep and things, I feel like I found some things that I want to work on in practice.
“Like I said, it’s always been a really good track for me. It’s just trying to figure out how to make it that little bit better.”
Byron expressed his appreciation to everyone at Hendrick Motorsports for being “all in” on helping the No. 24 team prepare for Sunday’s race.
“We have worked super closely on the setup this week with all the other teammates we have at HMS (Hendrick Motorsports); that’s one thing,” offered Byron.
“Just the hands on the car. We don’t have the dilemma of what Penske has where we’re trying to prepare two cars. It’s all focused on the 24. I feel like there were a lot of hands-on deck this week at the shop, which is really cool to see.
“Then we’ll have simulation going on back at the shop all the way up till the green flag. I think that’s what’s different, is just the fact that we don’t have really any other focus but this race.”
While Byron is focused on Sunday’s Championship 4 race, he has spent little time reflecting on last week’s Cup race at Martinsville.
Byron offered no comment about the penalties handed down to his Chevrolet teammates earlier this week for their decision to act as a barrier and not allow others to pass Byron, assuring the No. 24 team a spot in the Championship 4.
Byron, instead, praised his team, led by crew chief Rudy Fugle, for their ability to quickly leave last week in the rearview mirror and look ahead.
“I haven’t ever felt as bonded to my team as I am now,” Byron explained. “We had a meeting on Sunday night about it. I feel like we’ve turned the page really, really quickly.
“For me personally, I’ve blocked out a ton of the noise. I haven’t looked at social media. I don’t really care. I’m just focused on trying to get the 24-car as fast as I can.
“I think past experiences have probably helped fuel that where I’ve been through enough BS in my Cup career where I kind of know what to focus on and what to block out.”
Despite all the chatter from the Martinsville chaos, Byron said it still feels like Championship 4 weekend.
“It (Martinsville) doesn’t feel like it’s hanging over the sport at all,” offered Byron. “I don’t know what other people’s perspectives are. For me, it feels like a championship weekend. I learned a ton from last year out here. To me it just feels like another championship weekend.
I know the competition on the racetrack’s going to be really competitive. That’s all I’m focused on.”
Follow Chris Knight on X (Twitter) @Knighter01 or email at [email protected].
