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Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson recently shared his thoughts on the progression of his teammate William Byron in the Next Gen era. Byron, who has won 11 races in the last three seasons, emerged as one of the top championship-contending drivers last season.
And while Larson too is a top driver who is touted by almost everyone to be a championship contender every season, he too has fewer wins than Byron with eight victories in the Next Gen era.
But the #5 driver isn't sure what it is that makes Byron so much better. He had a few guesses ahead of the race in Talladega and largely put down the #24 driver's success to his talent and the relationship he shares with his crew chief.
"The Next Gen car, he’s obviously been really good in it. I don’t know what has made him so good in the Next Gen car, if it’s the prep work or just suits his style. But I know he’s been really good," Larson was quoted as saying on Byron by Frontstretch. [00:33]
"I think too having him and Rudy (Fugle) work together even more each year, they seem to get better and when you’re running better you get more confidence and that always helps. He’s extremely good and kind of got it all figured out right now," he added.
Could the 10-win season of Kyle Larson from 2021 be replicated in the Next Gen era?
In his first season with Hendrick Motorsports in 2021, Kyle Larson not only won the Cup Series championship, but he won it in a spectacular way. Larson won 10 races in the season which was the most wins by a driver in one season since Jimmie Johnson in 2007. Of course, Larson's 10-win tally didn't include his All-Star win.
But while such a feat might seem unachievable in the Next Gen era, Kyle Larson believes it's not impossible.
"I think it's always possible. You look at William (Byron) won, what, 6 races last year, and probably could have won more, so if things are going right you can do it. It'd be tough, maybe tougher than before. But there's always an opportunity," the #5 driver said.
With that said, it'll be interesting to see how William Byron continues to progress in his NASCAR career. The #24 driver is only 26 years old and already has 13 Cup wins to his name.
This season he has already won thrice and will undoubtedly be looking to add more wins to his name as the season progresses.
