LONG POND, Pa. – Saturday afternoon, William Byron captured his second-straight pole victory at Pocono Raceway.
This pole victory marks the driver’s third of the season, accounting for half of the six poles won by Hendrick Motorsports this year. The pole win gives the organization 13 poles, most of all teams at Pocono Raceway.
Byron is now tied for the most pole wins this season and is the second youngest pole winner at the Pennsylvania track. The driver, however, is no stranger to the front row, making his sixth front-row start this season.
Following his front-row qualifying effort, Byron took the opportunity to speak with members of the media.
This qualifying session saw a slightly different format then what the Cup drivers are used to. With Byron’s history of racing in other series, he believed that experience gave him an advantage.
“It’s somewhat similar to the package we had in the trucks. I went back, and I watched that race and Ryan (Fugle) really had a good truck for me and we won that race. Hopefully, we can lean on some of those notes that I had there, and some of the things I wanted in the car, and just translate that to the race this weekend. I do have some confidence coming into this racetrack. I feel like it is a place that feels like home for me.”
“Our goal at the beginning of the year was qualifying better, and to qualify well. That was one of Chad’s (Knaus) goals and one of my goals too because it just improves your ability to control the race. Last week was a 600-mile race so it didn’t really matter where you started but this week it does matter for pit strategy and things like that. That’s a good thing for us I feel like we just focused on it. I also feel like single-car qualifying is helping me because that’s what I grew up doing, late model and legend car. I was always single-car qualifying and I always had one lap to get it right and I kind of like that.”
“It’s all about execution I feel like. It’s on me to know what I need throughout the race. I’m starting to learn a little bit of what it takes on the last 100 laps rather than the first 80, which we have been pretty good. But this is a great qualifying, it’s an impound race so it’s good to see our speed is there. I’m just really excited. The guys have worked really hard on this No. 24 car, everybody at Hendrick Motorsports in our engine shop, chassis shop, it means a lot. I’m excited for it, pole day is a good day for us. Hopefully, we can keep racking those up and hopefully rack up a better race on race day too.”
The “Tricky Triangle” brought solid qualifying efforts for the other Hendrick Motorsports drivers. Jimmie Johnson qualified in eighth followed by his teammates Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman in 12th and 15th respectively.
Sunday’s race will take place at 2 p.m. ET on FS1.