DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.– William Byron snaked his method through a smoky crash late Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway and narrowly prevented another melee a couple of laps later on.
Those moves got him to Victory Lane for the very first time in his young NASCAR Cup Series career and back in the playoffs for the 2nd consecutive season.
They likewise assisted knock out Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time series champion whose last season will not end with another title.
1 RelatedWinless in 120 races, Johnson made a trip to Victory Lane to congratulate Byron and the No. 24 group, the one now directed by Johnsons long time and former team chief, Chad Knaus.
” Its a big win for Chad Knaus and William Byron,” Johnson said. “I really seemed like we had a method to move, to win, or point our way in and things simply got awful. Unfortunate, however thats plate racing.”
Byron won the race in overtime after 2 late warns and locked up among the three postseason berths offered going into the ending. Matt DiBenedetto completed 12th and protected the last area. Clint Bowyer finished up a berth at the end of the opening stage.
” It was too eventful,” stated DiBenedetto, whose moms and dads drove below North Carolina to enjoy from the stands. “Im psychologically worn out. Im gon na sleep excellent tonight, however there was a lot going on there at the end.”
Chase Elliott ended up second, followed by Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Bubba Wallace.
Johnson looked as if he would land one of those three playoff spots. However he got shuffled back in the last and then got captured up in a wreck in the closing laps that began when Hamlin reached Joey Logano. Byron squeezed between the two, took the lead and held on after a green-white-checkered surface.
It was the ninth overtime finish at Daytonas summertime race in the past 13 years.
Byron didnt care how he got it, simply that he lastly did.
” Its been a difficult number of years in the Cup Series and attempting to get my first win and trying to jell with this group,” Byron said. “These men have done a remarkable job and to be in the playoffs is amazing, male.”
About 20,000 fans spread out throughout Daytonas massive motorsports stadium and were treated to a frantic finish. The race was pretty tidy for most of the night, but got stressful down the stretch.
William Byron takes the checkered flag to win Saturdays Cup Series race at Daytona. Byron protected an area in the playoffs with his first Cup Series triumph. Brian Lawdermilk/Getty ImagesTyler Reddick began the very first multicar crash by attempting to obstruct Kyle Busch after getting a huge push to take the lead. Busch clipped Reddicks bumper, sending him into the outdoors wall and gathering numerous other cars.
Busch, Erik Jones, Kurt Busch, Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and others were knocked out.
” [Reddick] simply ran out of skill,” Newman said. “All it takes is one goofball to make a mistake.”
Reddick accepted obligation for the wreck.
” If somebody made that carry on me, I d be pretty mad, too,” he stated.
Byron swerved his way through clouds of smoke to remain in the mix there. He was even luckier after Hamlin and Logano got together.
” I wasnt going to lift,” Byron stated. “It was remarkable.”
” Its a big win for Chad Knaus and William Byron,” Johnson stated. Byron won the race in overtime after two late warns and locked up one of the 3 postseason berths available going into the ending. He got shuffled back in the final stage and then got captured up in a wreck in the closing laps that began when Hamlin made contact with Joey Logano. Byron squeezed between the 2, took the lead and held on after a green-white-checkered finish.
William Byron takes the checkered flag to win Saturdays Cup Series race at Daytona.
He did a smoke-filled burnout that consisted of a couple of spins through Daytonas damp infield turf and then headed to Victory Lane for the very first time.
Johnson met him there, rather possibly a visual altering of the guard at Hendrick. The 22-year-old hotshot is headed back to the postseason with the 44-year-old veteran and a long-awaited victory is sliding into retirement without the storybook ending he talked all week about desiring to a minimum of preserve as a possibility.
LIBERTY CONNECTION
Byron has actually taken remote classes at Liberty University, and the winning cars and truck carried sponsorship from the school. The offer was brokered in between Hendrick Motorsports and Jerry Falwell Jr., who stepped down today shrouded in scandal as head of the university.
UP NEXT
The playoffs begin next Sunday at Darlington Raceway.
