CONCORD, N.C. – The last time Hendrick Motorsports and the NASCAR Cup Series took to a traditional 1.5-mile track, William Byron was the driver in victory lane.
That race, which was held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, saw Byron and the No. 24 team lead a race-high 176 laps and get the better of his teammate Kyle Larson in an overtime finish. The event also saw Hendrick Motorsports sweep the top-three finishing positions. Since then, Byron has led triple-digit laps during two other races (Richmond Raceway and Dover Motor Speedway), but did not come away with the victory in those races. He did, however, score the win at Phoenix Raceway, right after his Las Vegas triumph.
With the series pulling into Kansas Speedway for the 12th race of the season, the driver of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevy is looking to continue his momentum at 1.5-mile tracks and get a series-leading third win of the season. His recent results, both on the season and at Kansas, suggest that another win is right around the corner.
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The 25-year-old led 193 laps on Monday at Dover and is now leading the series with 579 laps led and an average running position of 8.92. He also has back-to-back top-seven finishes with a seventh-place run at Talladega Superspeedway and a fourth-place finish at the "Monster Mile."
"The No. 24 team has really been performing well so far this season," Byron said. "I think last week at Dover (Motor Speedway) showed that. While we didn’t get the win, we led the most laps, scored the most points and got another playoff point. Those days are beneficial to keep momentum going."
At the Kansas City, Kansas, track he has six top-10 finishes in his last seven starts there, which are the second-most among all drivers over that stretch of time. His six top 10s are also tied for his most at any one track (with Martinsville Speedway and Phoenix Raceway). In the most recent race at the Midwest venue (September 2022), he finished sixth. Since the start of the 2022, Byron has earned the third-most points on 1.5-mile tracks with 294 markers.
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"We’ve been strong at Kansas (Speedway) in the past and we’ve really improved on our immediate program," Byron said. "The race at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) earlier this year shows that improvement. As a group, we’re really excited to get to Kansas and show that speed again."
It's not just the driver that has been strong this season. The No. 24 pit crew has been a consistent force on pit road with an average four-tire pit stop time of 11.293 seconds, per Racing Insights. That is the best of all teams in the series. The crew consists of Spencer Bishop (jackman), Jeff Cordero (front-tire changer), Orane Ossowski (rear-tire changer), Ryan Patton (tire carrier) and Landon Walker (fueler).
Tune in to watch Byron and the No. 24 Liberty University team compete at Kansas on Sunday, May 7. The 267-lap race gets underway at 3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
