{"id":152651,"date":"2025-08-17T08:14:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T08:14:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/152651\/"},"modified":"2025-08-17T08:14:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T08:14:09","slug":"transcript-william-byron-press-conference-08-16-25-speedway-digest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/152651\/","title":{"rendered":"Transcript: William Byron \u2013 Press Conference \u2013 08.16.25 – Speedway Digest"},"content":{"rendered":"

THE MODERATOR: <\/strong>We\u2019re now joined by William Byron. William clinched the regular-season championship tonight during the race at Richmond Raceway. We\u2019ll open it up to questions.<\/p>\n

Q.<\/strong> From a top-level thing, being involved in a wreck to winning the regular-season championship, how big of a swing was that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

WILLIAM BYRON: <\/strong>Yeah, I was kind of losing my mind there for a minute. Just felt like there was so much going on. Just such a balance of trying to manage tires all night. It just got crazy on those couple restarts. That one restart was kind of the tipping point.<\/p>\n

We had honestly some really good runs tonight. Was happy with, like, the end of stage one, the beginning of stage two. Throughout stage two was pretty good. Beginning of stage three, we climbed, had that one set of tires that we put on, we fell way back.<\/p>\n

Feels great. I think, like I said in my interview, it\u2019s really the best 12th-place finish I\u2019ve ever had. We came in here and really just did a solid job. We qualified solid. We always want more, but this is definitely our toughest racetrack. We just kind of came in here, had a solid plan and executed it.<\/p>\n

Feels really good. This team has worked extremely hard. All the guys have worked hard through the summer months. Feel like this has been the best summer we\u2019ve ever had speed-wise. Had a lot of tough things happen throughout probably really early July. We had a lot of speed, but some crashes in practice and qualifying. Just some car issues and things that happened.<\/p>\n

But yeah, just really, really cool. Looking forward to the Playoffs.<\/p>\n

Q.<\/strong> Now that that pressure is off, what is the approach for next week? Just ride around, try to go for another Daytona win?<\/strong><\/p>\n

WILLIAM BYRON: <\/strong>Yeah, I think I\u2019m going to have to figure out the game plan there, for sure. I mean, I only feel like I know one way, and that\u2019s just to go as fast as I can. Going to try to really be up front, do all the things it takes to win the race, just knowing that that\u2019s \u2014 the potential is there to be in a crash or whatever.<\/p>\n

Yeah, you can\u2019t really, like, drive around in bubble wrap. You just kind of got to go out there and do your job, try to get a good finish. Usually you crash more when you\u2019re conservative.<\/p>\n

Yeah, just go out there, be aggressive. I don\u2019t know, take the week off, most of the week, probably, good race (smiling).<\/p>\n

Q.<\/strong> How do you go from 16 points down four weeks ago to clinching it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

WILLIAM BYRON: <\/strong>Yeah, pretty awesome. I think just finally some things went our way. I think honestly we\u2019ve been doing a really good job on strategy, execution. We\u2019ve brought good speed in August. I\u2019d say our speed was the best in mid to late June.<\/p>\n

I would say in May we were super-fast. Then June we were really fast. I crashed probably our best car at Pocono. Then July we just had some really bad finishes, really bad things happened to us. Ran out of fuel a couple times.<\/p>\n

I think we buckled down and really got back to the team we\u2019re capable of being. Pretty impressive August probably. Probably our best August we\u2019ve ever had just executing, thinking outside the box, bringing fast cars.<\/p>\n

Q.<\/strong> This should put you on pace with Hamlin and some of the others, Larson, as far as Playoff points. How important do you feel that is going forward?<\/strong><\/p>\n

WILLIAM BYRON: <\/strong>Yeah, it\u2019s huge. No one\u2019s really pulled away in a sense. I feel like we\u2019ve let some races slip where we could have gotten another five bonus points.<\/p>\n

All in all we\u2019ve had a really good year, which shows in the stage wins, the amount of points we\u2019ve had.<\/p>\n

I think the 11 has been extremely fast all year. The 12 has been really fast. The 5 has been really fast. There\u2019s the 20. There\u2019s a number of guys that have been really quick throughout the year. No one\u2019s running away with this thing, which is going to create a really crazy Playoffs. Nothing we don\u2019t expect to have.<\/p>\n

Just got to kind of close this chapter, enjoy it for a few days, because it\u2019s something to celebrate. 25, 26 races that you have to perform. Really proud of that.<\/p>\n

Q.<\/strong> Tell me a little bit about the accident. How were you able to recover from that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

WILLIAM BYRON: <\/strong>Yeah, I mean, I don\u2019t think our car was as good after. We had some splitter damage. The splitters are really sensitive on these cars. We had some door damage, which I don\u2019t think was a big deal honestly.<\/p>\n

But yeah, I mean, it never helps getting damage like that. I felt like, I mean, it was another example of making something out of nothing. We put on that set of tires, and we kind of burned that set of tires, got some track position from that. We got back to the top 10.<\/p>\n

Then that kind of set us up for a really good stage three. All of a sudden we were in the top five. We just had that bad run where we just couldn\u2019t hang on to all four tires really.<\/p>\n

Yeah, I don\u2019t know. It just was a crazy night. I think that wreck, it was building. Everyone was starting to be really aggressive on restarts. That wreck I think was just kind of the last thing to go. Some guys got into each other.<\/p>\n

Yeah, it seemed like it kind of calmed down, normal Richmond after that.<\/p>\n

Q.<\/strong> What does it say about the strength of you, Rudy, this whole team, that you can take a period of the schedule that has been your Achilles\u2019 heel and now all of a sudden turn it around that it seems like a ton of momentum is in your corner?<\/strong><\/p>\n

WILLIAM BYRON: <\/strong>Yeah, it says a lot. I think we knew within our team that we were different this year, different towards the end of last year, just really kind of buckled down and started to make some really good moves, good decisions. I started driving the car pretty well.<\/p>\n

Yeah, I think it all has kind of come together. So we had confidence, even when we lost the lead or whatever. Just kind of some random stuff, right? I spun out in qualifying. Cost us at Pocono. Chicago was a mess. Through all that stuff, we were fast, so\u2026<\/p>\n

It\u2019s kind of speed was always there. Feel like that\u2019s always what you need. We\u2019ve been able to make something out of the races where we don\u2019t have as much speed, too.<\/p>\n

Q.<\/strong> Since the pressure is off for you, impossible to go in and think you can execute a whole game plan at Daytona, knowing the only Hendrick car that\u2019s not locked into the Playoffs is Bowman. If the opportunity exists towards the end of that to be able to help him, is that something that could be on your mind?<\/strong><\/p>\n

WILLIAM BYRON: <\/strong>Yeah, I mean, I\u2019m definitely going to try to help all those guys at Daytona. Just the Chevrolets in general. That\u2019s your best bet. Going through the Playoffs, I\u2019ve learned that. You just have to have allies. They\u2019re never going to be like the ones \u2014 you\u2019re always racing, but it\u2019s good to be racing teammates.<\/p>\n

Yeah, I think try to be stronger within the group and try to help those guys out at Daytona, for sure.<\/p>\n

Q.<\/strong> What has been the difference for you and the crew this year, for your success?<\/strong><\/p>\n

WILLIAM BYRON: <\/strong>Yeah, I think this was kind of building since the round of 12 last year. We really hit our stride and started to run really consistently well.<\/p>\n

Then this year it was kind of getting frustrating that we weren\u2019t converting some of those things, but we were still doing a really good job. I think it\u2019s kind of been building.<\/p>\n

Probably I would say May was our strongest month. Darlington, then the 600 was really good. Yeah, I think we have just kind of been building it. Kind of strong on all fronts.<\/p>\n

We can always get faster. Hopefully these next few weeks we can work on that.<\/p>\n

Q.<\/strong> You talked about some of the deficits during the season, things you could have done better. Moving into the Playoffs, what are the takeaways from the regular season that you think will transfer into the final races?<\/strong><\/p>\n

WILLIAM BYRON: <\/strong>Yeah, I don\u2019t know. I think we just got to keep kind of shoring up some loose ends, I guess.<\/p>\n

This team, this is probably our toughest track. New Hampshire is that way, as well. It\u2019s really tough. I feel like New Hampshire is different. It\u2019s more of a speed track. It\u2019s a little bit like this, but it\u2019s more speed-based. This place is just kind of more long runs and managing tire wear.<\/p>\n

I feel like today especially we had a car that was very tough on the tires. I think if we had today to do over again, we\u2019d definitely work on that. Going towards these next few weeks, it\u2019s just about having speed. Darlington has been really good for us.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know, I\u2019m really excited about Darlington. I think we can always improve on pit road, rolling time, in and out, all that stuff. Yeah, we\u2019ll just see.<\/p>\n

Q.<\/strong> What would you say is the difference between your mental fatigue and the momentum now that you\u2019re in the lead versus coming into the back? Do you feel it\u2019s easier or a stressor for you, or do you feel you\u2019d rather have the momentum going in chasing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

WILLIAM BYRON: <\/strong>Yeah, I mean, I feel like we\u2019ve had summers where we\u2019ve been kind of under the radar, just completely out of it, not running well. Then we just turn it on in the Playoffs.<\/p>\n

This year we\u2019re coming in, I feel like we\u2019re in rhythm, in sync. I feel like it\u2019s better this way honestly. I feel like the years we\u2019ve been on the other side, it\u2019s a lot of questions, a lot of doubt sort of that things are going to work out.<\/p>\n

I feel like now we\u2019ve been kind of through the wringer of a lot of different things this year. I mean, every race has kind of been different in terms of what we fight. There\u2019s been some easier races with speed.<\/p>\n

Yeah, just kind of feels nice to go into the Playoffs hitting on all cylinders, just operating well. I don\u2019t feel like we\u2019ve ever really slowed down, so it\u2019s been good.<\/p>\n

Q.<\/strong> How does Rudy make you better?<\/strong><\/p>\n

WILLIAM BYRON: <\/strong>I feel like our relationship has really evolved this year. Like, I feel like we communicate to each other like we\u2019re more on the same age. I feel like that has helped us just push each other.<\/p>\n

I think there\u2019s a lot of accountability between the two of us. He holds me to a high standard of my prep during the week, what is expected of me, how I execute. Like, he can see. He can see the small details that maybe a lot of people can\u2019t.<\/p>\n

I appreciate that. I appreciate that he can tell if I had a good qualifying lap or if I did little things with changes in my driving style. Yeah, I think \u2018accountability\u2019 is probably the world. That\u2019s the evolution of the relationship this year. I even do that sort of back to him on strategy decisions or whatever it is. I kind of want that clarity and that picture.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve evolved. We\u2019ve worked together since I was 18. He was teaching me everything. I was just driving and executing. He was giving me that balance I needed.<\/p>\n

Now it\u2019s like more of an equal footing. He\u2019s just a great crew chief, works extremely hard. His work ethic is just incredible. He wants it more than anybody.<\/p>\n

Q.<\/strong> Because he worked with you at such an early age, it was a different relationship than it is now. Why has it continued to work as well as it has? Sometimes when the driver gets older, they want more things or look at things differently, which can create friction.<\/strong><\/p>\n

WILLIAM BYRON: <\/strong>Yeah, I think it\u2019s just any relationship: you just keep working on it. You just know that\u2019s your person. Okay, that\u2019s my guy. I\u2019m just going to work with him. So we just sit down, we talk things out, we get better.<\/p>\n

I think we\u2019ve had maybe two, three times this year where we\u2019ve kind of sat down. I don\u2019t remember exactly when the last one was. Sometime this summer. Yeah, it just works. We kind of keep talking.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s not as much of a talker as I am. I\u2019m always the one initiating. He always gets it out. Yeah, he\u2019s just a great person.<\/p>\n

Yeah, it\u2019s fun to work with him. He\u2019s got a lot going on. I think his son Blake just started playing high school football. I think he started on Friday night. That was pretty cool. Hated that he missed that.<\/p>\n

Cool to work with him. Cool to work with all the guys on the team. We have a lot of good personalities. Pretty tight-knit group.<\/p>\n

THE MODERATOR: <\/strong>Thank you, William. Congratulations.<\/p>\n

WILLIAM BYRON: <\/strong>Thank you.<\/p>\n

NASCAR PR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"THE MODERATOR: We\u2019re now joined by William Byron. William clinched the regular-season championship tonight during the race at…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":152652,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[45765,12440,5169,1406,20966,6180,16972,9651,62,67,132,68,22880],"class_list":{"0":"post-152651","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nascar","8":"tag-crew-chief","9":"tag-daytona","10":"tag-group","11":"tag-nascar","12":"tag-qualifying","13":"tag-racing","14":"tag-richmond","15":"tag-speed","16":"tag-sports","17":"tag-united-states","18":"tag-unitedstates","19":"tag-us","20":"tag-william-byron"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115043111323304375","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152651"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152651\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/152652"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}