NASCAR CUP SERIES
PLAYOFF MEDIA DAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 31, 2021
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Teleconference Transcript:
WITH THE HIGH DOWNFORCE PACKAGE, IT SEEMS TO HAVE BECOME A BIG TASK TO OVERTAKE THE RACE LEADER. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO PEOPLE THAT CLAIM THAT IT PUTS LESS EMPHASIS ON DRIVER SKILL AND MORE ON RANDOM LUCK?
“I don’t think that’s true at all. I feel like it’s just honestly just been the same race teams and drivers are kind of up at the front at the 550 tracks as they are at the other tracks. So, not a huge difference there. There are a couple of teams that are better at the 550’s than the 750’s, but really we approach it just like every other race.”
HOW MUCH DOES PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE HELP COMING INTO THE POST-SEASON AND HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LEARNED THAT YOU CAN BRING FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR?
“The only thing I’d say is just the format not changing. Just kind of knowing what it takes to advance through the rounds. But as far as cars go and the race team itself, a lot has changed since last year on my race team alone. So, I don’t really compare it to previous years.”
BECAUSE BRISTOL IS NOW ONE OF THE CUTOFF RACES, IN THE FIRST THREE RACES, HOW AGGRESSIVE DO YOU THINK THAT RACE CAN BECOME?
“Yeah, I think it’s going to be aggressive. The thing about Bristol is that things happen really fast, so you just have to stay on your toes. You have to be mentally and physically prepared. It’s a really tough track, physically because you’re constantly loaded up in the bankings. So, not a lot of time to breathe and think. Things just happen fast. With it being an elimination race, it’s going to be challenging and you’re going to have to stay on your toes all day.”
THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME IN THE PLAYOFFS WITH RUDY FUGLE, HIS FIRST TIME AS A CUP CREW CHIEF. WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS ALLOWED HIM AND YOU, TOGETHER, IN THIS FIRST-TIME SITUATION IN GOING FROM TRUCKS TO THIS HIGH LEVEL?
“I think it is. I think if you asked him, he would say that some things are different, and some things are the same. I definitely think it’s a big step for him, but he’s taking it in stride. I think we all knew that he had all the characteristics and traits that it takes to be a really good Cup crew chief. Those characteristics don’t change, whether you are setting up a truck or a car. But I feel like, for him, he’s done a great job handling the adversity and pressure of the season. I think he’s going to continue to do a really good job with that as we go on down the road in the Playoffs. I’m really confident in him as my crew chief and I feel like he’s going to do a great job kind of rallying the troops and getting us ready to go.”
THE FORDS WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY THINK THEY WILL BE A LOT MORE COMPETITIVE ON THE 750 TRACKS. WITH SEVEN OF THE 10 PLAYOFF RACES BEING 750, DOES THAT THROW ANOTHER ASPECT INTO THINGS? DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT MORE?
“I don’t know. I feel like we can be just as competitive on the 750 tracks. I think, if anything, we started the year with not as good a notebook on the 750’s as we needed. We’ve kind of slowly progressed into having more notes and a better idea of what we need to put in our race car for those tracks. Yeah, I think we can be just as competitive. We might not have shown it yet, but I feel like Darlington is a good track for us. We finished fourth there in the Spring, so I don’t see why we can’t be a little bit better than that.”
NOW THAT THE POINTS ARE RESET, DOES IT MOTIVATE YOU TO TURN IT UP ANOTHER NOTCH LIKE THE LEVEL YOUR TEAMMATE, KYLE LARSON, IS ON IN THESE NEXT 10 WEEKS?
“Yeah, I’ve been motivated all season. And I feel like we’ve put ourselves in good positions. We’ve prepared really hard for every weekend and every race. I’m really proud of how we’ve done that all year. I don’t think anything changes in that aspect, going into the Playoffs. But just make sure we cover all the boxes and make sure that we’re doing all the things that we need to do to get as prepared as possible.”
YOU WERE ABLE TO LOCK YOURSELF IN THE PLAYOFFS EARLY THIS SEASON. HOW MUCH OF A BENEFIT DO YOU THINK THAT WAS TO YOUR TEAM?
“It was huge. I think we didn’t start the first two races like we thought, or like we should have. We finished in the 30’s, I think. So, for us to win the third race of the season kind of got us up in the points. I think we were 13th after Homestead and then we just went on that stretch of really good finishes for ten weeks in a row, and that really kind of put us up in the top 5 in the points and we kind of stayed there the rest of the year. I think we’ve had really good moments and we’ve had some moments where we learned some things. But honestly, the consistent thing has been we’ve had the speed to win races. And we’ve had the ability to drive up there to the front and lead laps. So, I don’t see that changing.”
YOU JUST LEFT DAYTONA, AND THERE’S ALWAYS A ‘BIG ONE’ THERE. ON A SMALLER SCALE, AT BRISTOL, HOW EASY IS IT TO GET CAUGHT UP IN SOMEONE ELSE’S MESS?
“Yeah, I mean, especially with lapped cars, I feel like the pace of the lapped cars is so different than the pace of the leaders. At times, it can be 10 to 15 mph different. So, just try to avoid them and make efficient work of some of those lapped cars is really important. It’s also an opportunity to pass. I try to just stay heads-up, and my spotter spots a little bit more out of the front than normal, just to make sure I’m staying heads-up with what’s going on.”
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
