CONCORD, N.C. – William Byron was one of three NASCAR Cup Series drivers to participate in Goodyear's tire test at North Wilkesboro Speedway, the site of the All-Star Race for the second consecutive season.
With on-track tests less prevalent than before, the driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was pleased to get the extra track time.
"I thought we made some improvements in the middle of the day and made a lot of progress through the afternoon," Byron said. "I thought it was probably one of our best test days of progress and getting to a spot where I feel like we were a lot better than where we started. Hopefully, that continues for us on the short tracks."
Byron has openly talked about his desire to be better on short tracks. In 32 starts on that track type, he has one win (Martinsville Speedway in April of 2022) and has seen firsthand how important success is on those tracks, given that two of them close out the schedule. The fact that this test came days after a disappointing finish at Phoenix Raceway (18th) proved to be a good opportunity to apply some short-track package learnings immediately.
PHOTOS: See all of William Byron's wins at Hendrick Motorsports
"We've been wanting to work on these tracks, so this lines up really well for us," Byron said of the North Wilkesboro test. "We have a lot of speed on the mile-and-a-half tracks and a lot of speed on road courses last year. Phoenix (Raceway) was just OK for us, so this test comes at a really good time for us to improve."
North Wilkesboro has fresh asphalt following a resurfacing of the 0.625-mile track that was completed in November. The process used a special mix that is expected to age faster than traditional asphalt and create a more worn-in surface at a faster rate. Byron expects the racing to have some added excitement thanks to the repave.
"It just feels very on edge to start, especially if you get out of the groove for sure and if you slip a tire," Byron said. "As we started laying rubber down, all of that stuff got a little bit better. … A lot of grip. Even more grip than some of the other repaves that I have been to. I don't know if I have tested one right off the bat. It will definitely be a lot different style of racing."
Last season, North Wilkesboro returned to the NASCAR schedule for the first time in 27 years with the All-Star Race. A lot of work went into bringing the once-dominant track back to life for a NASCAR weekend, and former Hendrick Motorsports driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. was among those championing a return to the venue. The event was hugely popular and featured multiple days and nights of action across national and grassroots racing series.
In Hendrick Motorsports' history, the team has won four points-paying races at the 0.625-mile track, including a season sweep of the final events (at the time) in 1996. Last season, Hendrick Motorsports swept the all-star events, with Josh Berry (filling for a sidelined Alex Bowman) winning the All-Star Open and Kyle Larson dominating for the $1,000,000 All-Star Race win.
PHOTOS: See every All-Star Race win for Hendrick Motorsports
"It is a great event and it is super exciting," Byron said of the All-Star Race. "I envied Kyle (Larson) last year winning this race and seeing how big of event it was. It would be cool (to win)."
The 2024 All-Star Race takes place at North Wilkesboro on Sunday, May 19, at 8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).