Daytona Beach – Before preparing to win another Daytona 500, William Byron wanted to escape – far, in a place where he could blend and leave behind the version and the garage.
An unaccompanied December trip to Japan provided byron with a restart, a time of reflection, a self -sufficiency lesson and an education.
“It was really cool because I went there by myself, and I was really nervous about it,” said Byron late Sunday after being consecutive in the great American race. “The first and a half day was really crazy, to be there and try to understand where to eat and what to do. But at the end of the trip, I had such a different perspective on my life and what I want to do at home and what I could learn from their culture.
“It was just cool to be completely anonymous in another country and not knowing anyone.”
When Byron returned to work a few weeks ago, he was rejuvenated and ready, as evidenced by the unlikely victory of Sunday evening of ninth place in Victory Lane in the last round.
Despite this, the absence of Byron’s off -season was still a shoemaker at Hendrick Motorsports.
“I still do not believe that he went himself,” joked the legend of Nascar Jeff Gordon, now vice-president of society. “I always try to get all the answers to that.”
Whatever Byron worked to deliver Hendrick Motorsports a record victory for the 10th Daytona 500, one more than small businesses.
“I spoke to him on the phone, and this is one of the first things he said:” We got the number 10 “,” said Gordon about the owner of the Hall of Fame Rick Hendrick. “It means a lot for him.”
With the apparently out of reach race while the Chevrolet n ° 24 underperform, Byron kept its head and took an 11th hour opportunity similar to its victory in 2024.
“I kept getting upset over the course of the race,” he said. “I don’t take advantage of it because my car was really good.”
But during a Dash Furious at two rounds in overtime, an accident eliminated the leader Denny Hamlin – in a position to win his fourth Daytona 500 championship – and the winner in 2022, Austin Cindric, who led a 59 -round summit, To erase a path for Byron during the last section of the 201-Tours on Sunday, eight hours, delayed more than 3 and a half hours.
“Last year, this victory made me cry,” said the longtime crew chief Rudy Fugle. “And then this victory made me laugh because I looked up and we are preparing to win. It was simply incredible.
Two hours after Byron overshadowed Gordon’s brand as a younger winner of the Nascar showcase event, the 53 -year -old fame was always stunned.
“I was quite shocked,” said Gordon. “You get the accumulation and anticipation of”, guy, I think we are able to win this thing “, and you are tense because you want it for them, and you want it for the organization. But today, I was not at all like that.
“I said to myself: ‘Oh, well, damn. I guess we are not going to get it this year. Then we are there. It was a kind of wild ride.
The rise of Byron at the top of his sport was a wild and unpredictable walk in itself.
Similar to his recent excursion to Japan, the 27 -year -old arrival trip to Nascar was a trip to a foreign country.
Having grown up in Charlotte, Byron became interested in car races in stock at the age of 6 and became an irrabling phenomenon in her teenagers who was finally transformed into cars at the age of 15 – long in the tooth in relation to his peers.
“I was really a stranger,” he said.
But Byron’s talent quickly became clear.
In 2019, at the age of 21, he won the Daytona 500 pole and in 2020 won the Coke Zero Sugar 400 to obtain a place in the 16 -cars qualifiers.
Byron followed a season of six victories in 2023 with his 2024 Daytona 500 victory, driving the emblematic car n ° 24, Gordon led to three victories and 93 in total in the Cup series.
“We are talking all the time about the speed with which he increased in the ranks and won races and championships and continues to do so at the elite cup level,” said Gordon.
Fugle, a 40 -year -old man from West New York, was there at every stage.
“This is our 20th victory together,” he said. “It’s special just because of our relationship and our confidence in each other and how we respect each other and grow.”
However, Fugle admitted a little frustration, if not separation anxiety, when Byron left for the Far East.
“It was difficult,” said Fugle. “I used to see it a little more.”
But when it counted mostly on Sunday evening, Byron appeared again from the peloton.
He soon offered Sayonara to the rest of the field and Konnichiwa – Japanese for Hello – in history as one of the five men to win the Daytona 500 consecutive, leading Byron to celebrate with donuts on the field followed by a Jump from his car foot in the arms waiting for the waiting arms of the waiting arms of the waiting arms of the waiting arms of the arms waiting for the waiting arms of the waiting arms his crew at the stand.
“It worked lucky for us,” he said. “But it’s not all the chance to win twice in a row.”
Edgar Thompson is contacted at egthompmpson@orlandosentine.com
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