Byron earns first road-course win after ‘years and years’ of hard work
William Byron dominates Watkins Glen, flexing the years of hard work that he says the entire team has put into his success at the track.
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00:00 Boy, Hendrick motorsports knows how to get it done.
00:04 First career road course win for William Byron.
00:08 Rudy Fugel told you earlier this week, treat these last two regular season races, William,
00:12 like they're preseason NFL games.
00:14 That looked like a postseason warning shot more than anything else.
00:18 Maybe the most dominant win of your career, William?
00:21 >> Yeah, I'd have to think about it a little bit.
00:23 But definitely feels really good, man.
00:26 It's, you know, just a huge credit to the race team behind me.
00:31 I want to thank Max Pappas.
00:32 This first road course win.
00:34 We've worked years and years for this.
00:36 Just thanks to him.
00:37 I know he's watching back home.
00:40 Thanks to all the guys on the team.
00:41 Valvoline, Liberty, Exalta.
00:42 I did a lot of laps on iRacing this week.
00:47 I got a new simulator at home.
00:50 Thanks to those guys.
00:51 And just thanks to everyone back home for the guys who support me.
00:55 It's a great win.
00:56 I don't know what it means and all that.
00:57 I don't read into that.
00:58 But I think, you know, it shows that when we're at our best, we can perform like this.
01:03 >> Getting it done in front of the Watkins Glen fans.
01:05 I don't think anyone is going to cry poor with your fifth win of the year, William.
01:09 But how needed was this for the 24 team after the summer slide?
01:13 >> We just -- >> Let's go!
01:16 >> Pit crew coming in.
01:23 >> How needed was this, William?
01:24 >> Yeah, it's -- you know, we seem to go through that summer slump in July and August.
01:29 For some reason we just can't quite put the races together.
01:32 I think it's the racetrack itself.
01:34 Yeah, just came this weekend with a good mindset.
01:38 You know, focusing on trying to get ready for the postseason.
01:42 We've had fast cars.
01:43 We just haven't executed races.
01:45 But today was flawless.
01:47 Just Rudy, everybody, all the spotters.
01:49 So just thanks, everybody.
01:50 This is a cool win.
01:52 Like I said, road courses have been tough.
01:53 So it's fun to get a win.
01:55 >> It's Rudy's hometown race.
01:56 He's from Livonia nearby here.
01:58 So how about his call to get you that track position running one lap further on that first
02:02 run than everybody else?
02:03 >> Yeah, it's just really good strategy by those guys.
02:05 Brandon McSwain on the box.
02:07 So those two guys work really well together.
02:09 Ryan Kelly back at the shop.
02:11 It was kind of like the old F1 style.
02:13 Stay out, get clean air.
02:15 Get a good lap in.
02:16 And we pitted there and got the lead.
02:18 And it was kind of ours from there.
02:20 So just really proud of the team.
02:24 Really awesome to get a road course win.
02:25 >> William Byron, Rudy Fugel stocking up those playoff point tricks.
02:29 They put another five, actually six after that stage win in the bank today.