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Last weekend's NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway saw Hendrick Motorsports' William Byron solidify himself as a frontrunner in the sport. The #24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driver looks to be one of the favorites to contend for the 2023 Cup Series title in what could be his breakthrough season.
Bryon stole a victory from Bubba Wallace and Chase Briscoe during the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400. He saw the checkered flag in P1 after passing the two cars with less than five laps to go.
William Byron didn't have the raw pace in his racecar to have competed for the lead during the first race of the Round of 12. He still managed to make use of his excellent racecraft as he saw an opportunity on the 1.5-mile-long track.
Byron's crew chief Rudy Fugle elaborated on the team's morale after their win. He shared how they have been boosted by what the #24 crew believed to be their inherent pace with a lack of results to show. He said in an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio:
"We feel like we can win any session, that's what we talked about this weekend. Whether it is a practice, a qualifying, or a race. We have the car, the driver, the team, the pit crew to win any session. We kind of get off here and there and we don't win every session but we have the capability. If you give us a chance there's no race that we can't win."
William Byron's victory at Texas Motor Speedway solidified his berth in the next round of the 2023 postseason as well.
William Byron's team owner Rick Hendrick on his victory at Texas last Sunday
Businessman and team owner of Hendrick Motorsports, Rick Hendrick also spoke about William Byron's surprise victory at the Texas Motor Speedway last Sunday. The first race of the Round of 12 saw the young driver take to victory lane, passing two cars during the final laps of the 400-mile-long event.
Rick Hendrick elaborated in a post-race interview about his driver's performance and told Bob Pockrass:
"Didn't think the #24 was going to be up there, and they worked their way up through pit sequence. How about William Byron with 6 wins this year."
Byron has already secured a berth in the upcoming Round of 8. Hence, he can take the upcoming races at Talladega Superspeedway and Charlotte Roval with a calm yet purposeful mindset.
