“Had some weird stuff going on”: William Byron reflects on Daytona run with Rudy Fugle’s replacement

Hendrick Motorsports Ace William Byron faced grave penalties during the Coke Zero Sugar 400 held on Saturday, August 23, 2025, at Daytona International Speedway. Following that, during a post-race interview with NBC Sports, Byron shared his thoughts on Brandon McSwain replacing Rudy Fugle for the race.

According to reports, the #24 Chevy Camaro ZL1 passed the pre-race inspection on the second attempt. However, NASCAR officials discovered an unauthorized adjustment had been made to the car's splitter.

As a result, Byron was penalized, and he began the 160-lap race from the back of the pack along with a start-and-go penalty. Additionally, his crew chief, Rudy Fugle, was ejected for the main event, and the #24 team also lost its pit selection. Following Fugle's ejection from the 250-mile race, Brandon McSwain replaced him in the main event.

Reflecting on the same, William Byron got candid about McSwain filling in the shoes of his crew chief. During the post-race interview, he told the media (via NBC Sports):

“Yeah, everybody back at the shop, thanks to them, but I thought Brandon did a really good job stepping in tonight. And really we’ve worked together for probably a decade, really, since JRM days. I thought he did a good job, and I’m sure all the work Rudy was doing back at the shop and everything was great as well. Just really proud of the effort. We had some gremlins there in the beginning of the race. We had some weird stuff going on."

"Then really nothing was wrong with the car, we just kind of got in that early crash and thought we might have had some damage. But overall, our car was good enough to compete for the win, just wish I could have had a couple decisions back in the third stage, and really that caution hurt us because we just were kind of mired in the back and it’s hard to pass. Overall, thought our weekend was smooth, all things considered, and just excited for Darlington," he added.

After a P19 finish during the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, William Byron is set to compete in the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. The 367-lap event is scheduled for Sunday, August 31, 2025. USA, MRN, HBO Max, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90 will broadcast the event live at 6 p.m. ET.

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"I definitely wanted to be here": Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron got candid about extending his contract with the team

In May, the NASCAR 2025 regular season champion, William Byron, extended his contract with Hendrick Motorsports, signing a four-year contract to drive the #24 Chevy Camaro ZL1. The two-time Daytona 500 champion joined HMS back in 2016 when he was 18.

Despite being in his debut season, Byron gave the seasoned drivers on the track tough competition and won the 2018 Rookie of the Year title. Additionally, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has been consistently landing a spot in the playoffs for the past six years and has competed for the Cup Series title in the Championship Four race in the past two seasons.

Reflecting on the same, William Byron told the press (via SpeedwayDigest.com):

"I definitely wanted to be here, and really for me, just want to focus on winning races. That’s what it's all about at Hendrick Motorsports, and that's what I personally enjoy and want to be here to do. So, for me personally, I try to just kind of keep my head down this year and focus. I’m just really happy that it's done… it's a bit of a relief, I guess you could say, just to be able to focus on what we're doing here."

The #24 Chevy Camaro ZL1 driver, William Byron, ranks second in the Cup Series points table with 2032 points. Additionally, he has secured two wins, 13 top-ten finishes, and nine top-five finishes with two pole positions in 26 starts this season.