“We’ve been sneaking up on it”: William Byron confident about Hendrick’s flat-track progress amid title chase 

Hendrick Motorsports' William Byron enters the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway looking to prove that their short-track work is paying off. The 1.25-mile oval outside St. Louis is the second race of the Round of 16, and for the regular season champion, it serves as a reality check on the team’s offseason efforts to improve on flat track ovals.

Hendrick’s last Cup championship came in 2021 with Kyle Larson. Since NASCAR moved the title race to Phoenix in 2020, Team Penske has owned the desert, winning the last three finales. Hendrick has been close - Byron was the lone 2024 title hopeful and finished third - but consistently a step behind on the flat, braking-heavy mile.

Byron’s record at Gateway also reflects the struggle: 19th in 2022, eighth in 2023, 15th last year. But he remains confident.

"I think we’ve been sneaking up on it. I think we’ve been making progress at those tracks. Definitely the focus point after last season was, how do we get better at those tracks? Because I feel like we were actually better in 2023 than we were last year at Phoenix, and we knew we had to go to work and just figure out this one-mile aero package and just how the car needs to drive," Byron told NASCAR.com.

Across 12 combined Cup starts at Gateway, Hendrick Motorsports owns only three top-10s, its poorest return at any venue with at least a dozen races. On similar tracks like New Hampshire, victory has eluded the team since Kasey Kahne in 2012.

Kyle Larson (5), Chase Elliott (9), and William Byron (24) during Duel 1 at Daytona. Source: Imagn

Meanwhile, Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske have turned the same low-banked layouts into championship leverage. Penske’s Joey Logano (2022, 2024) and Ryan Blaney (2023) have delivered three consecutive titles by being flawless on the mile. William Byron added:

"We put a lot of work into that this year, development-wise, behind the scenes, a lot of people back at the race shop, and it seems like we’re starting to see some of those gains in small ways at those tracks. Still got a ways to go, but I think we’re getting there."

Teammate Kyle Larson has echoed the belief, pointing to Gateway as a warm-up for Phoenix. Hendrick tuned its brake packages, refined aero balance, and mid-corner drive to mirror the demands of the desert’s long entry zones and tight exits. Whether that translates on race day will define their title ceiling.

A good finish at Gateway can erase the sting of Darlington, where Hendrick’s playoff quartet faltered - Chase Elliott 17th, Larson 19th, Byron 21st, Alex Bowman 31st. Clean execution in St. Louis is vital, as Bristol looms as an eliminator that rarely forgives a points deficit.

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Hendrick Motorsports aims for Gateway rebound as William Byron, Kyle Larson show qualifying speed

William Byron (24) and Kyle Larson (5) during the NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Corn 350. Source: Getty

Saturday’s time trials offered glimpses of the work William Byron spoke about. Kyle Larson fired off a 32.351-second lap to put the No. 5 Chevrolet on the outside pole, just 0.021 shy of Denny Hamlin’s pole run. Byron slotted sixth, a respectable starting spot.

Elliott’s 19th-place run and Bowman’s 25th underline the uneven depth Hendrick carries into the 240-lap, 300-mile test. The playoff math is straightforward. Byron sits +25 to the Round-of-12 line, Larson +38, Elliott +9, and Bowman is the most vulnerable at –19.

Larson’s cushion allows some leeway, and Byron’s keeps him comfortable but not immune. Elliott must outscore traffic, and Bowman needs a strong finish to avoid Bristol heroics.

The field around them is loaded with Joe Gibbs Racing locked on pole, Penske’s setups traditionally translate, and Trackhouse continues to lurk. Gateway’s flat corners demand braking discipline and traction off Turns 2 and 4, traits Hendrick has chased for three seasons.

Race distance is split across stages of 45, 140, and 240 laps, emphasizing long-run balance and pit execution. For William Byron and Co., a solid St. Louis afternoon can reset the tone of a postseason that began in an unstable manner.