Indianapolis weekend will be 'a little bit more about survival than other road course races', feels William Byron's crew chief

Coming into this weekend's NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Rudy Fugle, William Byron's crew chief, thinks survival is key during the Verizon 200 at The Brickyard. After struggling earlier this year at road courses, Byron and his #24 crew have struggled to get the hang of the Next Gen car on the twisty tracks. The 24-year-old's P12 and P16 finishes on prior road-course outings speak for themselves.

However, Byron's crew chief is confident that if the Charlotte, North Carolina native can survive the course of the race and be present at the end to capitalize on opportunities, the team can have a good result. Fugle further elaborated on how the preservation of the car itself will play a key role in the 200-mile-long race, and said:

“I think this weekend’s road course race at Indianapolis (Motor Speedway) will be a little bit more about survival than other road course races. There’s a lot more run off areas there and they have changed the curbing in some places around the track to try avoid what happened last year. With the Next Gen car, it’s going to be critical to minimize running over those to keep the underwing intact and not tear up the diffuser.’’

Fugle is also of the opinion that if William Byron manages to ace the transitions in the 82-lap-long race, he will be in a position to capitalize on opportunities. He said:

“The other big thing will be managing the transition areas of the track from the road course sections onto the oval, similar to how the (Charlotte Motor Speedway) ROVAL is set up. We haven’t run a course like that this year with this car or this tire. I think that if you can keep your car in one piece throughout the weekend, and can manage your usual pit strategy and track position on a road course, you’ll be in a good position. You have to be around at the end, though, to be able to capitalize on that.’’

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New footage of William Byron's hauler fire emerges online

William Byron and the #24 crew at Hendrick Motorsports had a rocky start to their weekend in Indianapolis when the official hauler for the team caught fire after reaching the track earlier this week.

Although major damage was averted in the fire, it stirred doubts about the state of the #24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that Byron drives in the Cup Series. Rudy Fugle, Byron's crew chief, later went on to confirm minimal damage to the property in the incident.

Notable NASCAR journalist Bob Pocrass posted new footage of the fire on Twitter, writing:

“More video from the William Byron hauler fire, courtesy of Adam Taylor.’’

Watch the video below:

Watch the Verizon 200 at The Brickyard go live from Indianapolis Motor Speedway tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. ET.