The chances for a repeat Daytona 500 win in 2025 for William Byron are extremely slim. Solely 4 drivers within the 67-year historical past of the five hundred have ever received it back-to-back: Richard Petty did it first in 1973-1974, adopted by Cale Yarborough in 1983-1984, Sterling Marlin in 1994-1995, and most lately Denny Hamlin in 2019-2020.
The defending Daytona 500 champion might turn into the fifth driver to hitch that record, however he is aware of that historical past is not fairly on his facet. In per week the place he introduced a brand new partnership with Celsius Power Drink, a product he is used for years, Byron took a while to talk solely with Motorsport.com concerning the problem forward of him.
“It is actually powerful,” stated Byron. “There’s loads that goes into this race and it is troublesome to make it to the tip, a lot much less to win. I feel the objective must be to have a extremely good week main up (to the five hundred) and with the ability to type of handle it from there. I do know why it has been so troublesome however I do not know why it hasn’t occurred extra typically. I simply suppose it is the character of the race and the way loopy it will get in the direction of the tip of the race.”
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Photograph by: Meg Oliphant / Getty Photographs
Byron has plenty of expertise with how risky this race may be, having failed to complete 4 of his seven Daytona 500s — crashing out of the race greater than half the time. Earlier than his 2024 triumph, his finest end within the season-opener was solely twenty first.
The driving force of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet additionally shared that it feels totally different returning as a Daytona 500 champion, noting that “I really feel like I am more energizing and a little bit bit extra excited to be down right here in Daytona and simply expertise every little thing. The week is off to a superb begin … it simply feels good to be down at Daytona and I really feel optimistic concerning the week.”
He has good cause to really feel that manner. Regardless that this interview passed off earlier than any on-track motion at Speedweek, Byron was in competition for the win in his Duel qualifying race, ending second in a outcome that places him fifth on the five hundred grid. Successful in 2025 for Byron means “simply as a lot if no more” this time round, regardless of already amassing the primary Harley J. Earl trophy. Fortunately, he is already forward of the place he was one yr in the past, as he crashed out of the 2024 Duel and was pressured right into a backup automobile and to the again of the grid that Sunday.
Nowhere to cover?
In latest historical past, drivers which have led essentially the most laps at Daytona have struggled to keep away from crashing out, not to mention win the race. Final yr, Byron by no means led the five hundred till simply 4 laps to go. Although the common variety of laps led by the final 4 winners is simply 9, the HMS driver nonetheless desires to be as far up the sector as a lot as potential.
“The objective is to be on the entrance, however it simply works to the place there’s plenty of shuffling and biking,” he advised Motorsport.com. “In the event you might be on the entrance and management the race, you are gonna have an important alternative to win, and in addition it simply provides you confidence if you happen to’re main 50+ laps on Sunday. So I’d say the objective is to guide a bunch of laps.” Byron believes essentially the most harmful place to be in with this package deal is within the tenth – fifteenth spot vary.
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Photograph by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Photographs
Nonetheless, main laps has some drawbacks at Daytona, and it isn’t simply the fixed menace of being taken out by an ungainly push. Gasoline-saving has been an integral a part of the fashionable Daytona 500 and Byron expects that to be no totally different this yr. “(Main) burns essentially the most gasoline and that is not good with that automobile as a result of it is all about observe place,” he famous. “Everyone seems to be getting smarter with the fuel-saving and it is getting loads more durable to be additional again and leapfrog. You are gonna have fuel-saving, however it’s type of naturally constructed into the technique now and never as a lot of a shock.”
Because the race will get nearer to that closing lap — awaiting that wave of the white flag, being in the direction of the entrance might work finest in a driver’s favor. Final yr, controlling the race labored nicely for Byron as a crash proper on the white flag ended the race. The defining second got here when he moved as much as take the run from a surging outdoors lane, led by Ross Chastain. The aggressive Trackhouse driver despatched it up the center in a daring go that ended with him spinning and Byron celebrating.
Photograph by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Photographs
Reflecting on that pivotal second, the Celsius-backed driver stated: “I did not really feel like I made an aggressive block. I simply made a block that I’d have made 100 occasions so it is what I assumed was the very best share transfer. I knew (that) even when I obtained handed, I used to be going to be repositioned in a distinct line and possibly the road I wished to be in by the point the vitality type of cycled again round to the front-straightaway. For me, it was type of the plain transfer, seeing him [Chastain] coming with a run and I used to be too far out from my assist so I used to be gonna go backwards (if he stayed in line). I wasn’t going to have any assist to have the ability to keep out entrance.”
It turned out to be the fitting transfer for 2024, however each race at Daytona is totally different. The lead is usually a superb place to be, however we have additionally seen leaders get turned earlier than, and the drivers from third and even additional again go on to win this race. Heck, there was as soon as an Xfinity race the place each single automobile contained in the top-ten piled up in a crash exiting off Flip 4, permitting the motive force in eleventh to squeak by and declare victory.
Drivers plan and Daytona merely laughs. And though the chances are in opposition to Byron in his pursuit for a uncommon repeat this weekend, the chances are all the time evolving within the ever-unpredictable Daytona 500.
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