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William Byron's crew chief Rudy Fugle has his sights set on upcoming NASCAR Cup races in Richmond (Mar. 31) and Martinsville (Apr. 7).
Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron is off to a stellar start to his 2024 campaign. The 26-year-old, who finished third in the Cup Series standings last season, has now secured two wins in six races so far, securing a playoff berth.
After a historic Daytona 500 victory, Byron went quiet for the next few races to come, failing to leave his mark. However, the No. 24 Chevrolet driver was back to his sparkling best during the qualifying session for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix race at Circuit of the Americas, winning the Busch Light Pole award.
Successfully converting his impressive start, Byron clinched the victory in the Cup Series race. Reflecting on his win, crew chief Rudy Fugle spoke to reporters at a recent presser, shedding light on the No. 24 team's strategy for upcoming races in Richmond and Martinsville. He said:
"The next two are circled big time. We talked about it, there’s different types of wins. We’re going to shoot for the stars, but we’re going to get a win out of the next two weeks one way or another. It doesn’t have to be a victory or a trophy.
"But we have not been good at Richmond, we have not been good at Martinsville and we need to be. Right away. That’s all we’re focused on right now."
William Byron reflects on COTA victory
William Byron also shared his thoughts on their recent triumph and the team's performance going forward. Acknowledging the ups and downs of racing, Byron highlighted the importance of consistency and improvement, particularly on off days. He said, via the aforementioned source:
"I feel like it kind of ebbs and flows. We’re on a good flow right now in some ways. In the win category. I’d like to finish better on the off days, too. I’m working on that every week. There are a few guys in the series – Chase [Elliott] does a really good job when he doesn’t have the day he wants and he still finishes well."
The 26-year-old Charlotte native added:
"I’m still trying to look at those days and how I can improve, like last week (at Bristol). But I feel like the ups are up right now, and we just got to keep it going."
After the win, Byron finds himself sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with 183 points to his name. Meanwhile, Martin Truex Jr. of Joe Gibbs Racing leads the standings with 220 points.
