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William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, is not outwardly expressing concern regarding his current 13th-place standing in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings after the initial three races of the 2024 season. While a top-three seed is widely considered advantageous for contending for the championship, Byron indicated that the early part of the season often requires a period of adjustment before the true rhythm of the championship battle emerges.
"Yeah, it’s funny. (Christopher) Bell and I were talking about this at driver intros last week," Byron stated during a press conference on Friday. "It just feels like the longer we do this, the more it takes a few races to kind of get into the meat of the season and what really makes up our season and the tracks. So, for me, it’s felt super long this year just kind of getting into the rhythm of the season. I don’t want to classify it as a ‘real racetrack’, but these places that really make up the finesse and the speed that it takes to win a championship.”
The opening stretch of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule has historically featured a diverse array of track types. This year’s initial three events included Daytona International Speedway (superspeedway), Atlanta Motor Speedway (superintermediate, often influenced by drafting dynamics), and Circuit of The Americas (road course). Byron’s sentiment suggests that the series’ true championship-caliber tracks, characterized by demanding cornering and high-speed execution, are only now beginning to feature prominently in the schedule. The upcoming races in Phoenix (short track), Las Vegas (intermediate), and Darlington Raceway (intermediate, known for its abrasive surface and historical significance) are more indicative of the types of venues where championship contenders typically solidify their positions.
Despite his measured perspective, Byron acknowledged that starting outside the top-10 is not an ideal scenario, emphasizing that every race holds significance within the current playoff format. "To answer your question on where we stand, I think what’s frustrating for us is feeling like we’ve given up a few points the last couple weeks," Byron commented. "You know, I crashed the week before at Atlanta. We had some damage, and then I crashed, and so that gave away a handful. And then last week, I felt like we gave away a handful at the end there in the last run. I just feel like those sting a little more than they used to probably. Our goal last year was to win the regular season championship, and we got off to a good start and made that a little bit easier. But, yeah, we’ve just been kind of middle of the road right now. We’ve scored 25-26 points on average. We’d like to score, you know, 35 to 40 on average. So definitely below average right now, but I think we’re going to see what we have this weekend, that’s for sure.”
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Byron’s pursuit of a strong regular season performance has been further amplified by the exceptional start to the season by Tyler Reddick, driver of the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing. Reddick has secured three consecutive victories at Daytona, Atlanta, and COTA. This early success is particularly noteworthy given the increased point value awarded for wins in the current season. Each victory now contributes 15 points, a five-point increase from previous seasons, and represents a significant advantage in the standings. Reddick’s performance has placed him at the forefront of the championship battle, amassing a substantial lead over his teammate Bubba Wallace, who sits in second place. Byron is currently over two full wins behind Reddick in the point standings.
"Yeah, I mean look — they’ve hit a home run on two drafting tracks," Byron said, referring to Reddick’s victories at Daytona and Atlanta. "To score the points that they did is phenomenal. If you start the year and you say, man, if we could score 40 to 50 points on drafting tracks, that’s going to be a huge advantage. So they’ve accumulated a big advantage in those drafting tracks. And then COTA, I don’t think was any surprise to me that Tyler ran so well. But they executed really well, and that momentum was big."
Byron stressed that his team’s focus remains internally driven, rather than fixating on the performance of competitors like Reddick. "So I think for us on the 24 team, it’s not really about looking at anyone else. It’s looking at ourselves. If we get to race 26 and that gap is still there, then shoot, you know, wish we could have had a couple things back. But there’s so much circumstance in those first couple weeks that you’ve got 26 weeks to figure it out. I think there’s going to be plenty of ebb and flow in the next, I don’t know, 20-22 weeks.”
The Hendrick Motorsports organization, a perennial contender in the NASCAR Cup Series, has a history of strong performance throughout the season. Byron and his No. 24 team will be looking to leverage the upcoming races on intermediate and short tracks to improve their standing and build momentum as the regular season progresses. The team’s performance at Phoenix Raceway this weekend will be a key indicator of their ability to rebound and contend for wins.
The NASCAR Cup Series season is a marathon, not a sprint, and while early-season results can provide an indication of a team’s form, Byron’s perspective suggests a long-term view. The emphasis for the No. 24 team will be on consistent execution and capitalizing on opportunities as the schedule unfolds, aiming to secure a strong playoff position by the conclusion of the regular season. The performance of drivers like Reddick early on serves as a benchmark, but the ultimate goal remains to be competitive when the championship battle intensifies.
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