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Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron recently shared insights on how the #24 team has emerged as the most successful team in NASCAR's next-gen era, setting the benchmark for the rest of the field.
Since NASCAR introduced the next-gen car, Byron has clinched 11 victories, the most in this era. He clinched two race wins in 2022, followed by a breakout season in 2023 where he secured six victories. He has already won three races in the first eight rounds of the ongoing season.
William Byron elaborated on the team's success, highlighting that the introduction of the new car provided the #24 team an opportunity to reset and begin with a clean slate. The 26-year-old said he did face a few teething issues in the early tests, but felt comfortable in the subsequent tests.
Speaking on the team's success in the next-gen era, Byron said in a recent press conference in Texas, via Bob Pockrass' X/Twitter account:
"The next gen car was just a good reset for us to go in and have a clean slate and we really attacked it head on. There was a little bit of discomfort early on, when we were testing the car because we just weren't sure how it was gonna go. But we just kind of took that challenge and we had speed at the first few tests...Then we just hit the ground running when we started with that car."
William Byron insisted that attention to detail has helped the team evolve with the car and win races even when the competition is closer than ever. He added:
"And then you just work with what you have, the next-gen car has continued to evolve, the competition's closer than ever. So I feel like attention to detail has really been where we could put our focus."
Byron, who reunited with crew chief Rudy Fugle in 2021, credited Fugle's return as one of the key factors behind the team's rise to the forefront.
William Byron unfazed by Toyota threat
Both Toyota and Ford introduced new bodies for their next-gen cars this season, with the new Camry XSE making three trips to the victory lane. Chevrolet has continued with its Camaro ZL1, with Hendrick Motorsports continuing to trade victories with Joe Gibbs Racing.
William Byron acknowledged Toyota's speed on short tracks but said he is not concerned about the developments as he remains focused on extracting the most out of his Chevy. He said in the aforementioned press conference:
"I just worry about the Chevy I’m in. I don’t care… we just race against our competition and just try to make the most of it. I mean obviously they have a lot of speed."
Hendrick Motorsports seemed lost at Phoenix Raceway, where the Toyota drivers dominated the event. However, the team has bounced back in the subsequent short-track races, with William Byron and Kyle Larson leading the charge.
