{"id":92553,"date":"2023-09-25T13:08:06","date_gmt":"2023-09-25T20:08:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/?p=92553"},"modified":"2023-09-25T13:08:06","modified_gmt":"2023-09-25T20:08:06","slug":"sixth-nascar-win-of-23-for-william-byron-comes-at-texas-hendrick-motorsports-gets-300","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/sixth-nascar-win-of-23-for-william-byron-comes-at-texas-hendrick-motorsports-gets-300\/","title":{"rendered":"Sixth NASCAR Win Of \u201923 For William Byron Comes At Texas; Hendrick Motorsports Gets #300"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
FORT WORTH, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 24: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #23 McDonald’s Toyota, and Chris Buescher, driver of the #17 Fastenal Ford, lead the field to start the NASCAR Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway on September 24, 2023 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports picked up their historic 300th career NASCAR Cup Series win.<\/p>\n

However, it wasn\u2019t the dominant driver of the day, Hendrick\u2019s Kyle Larson, who was standing in victory lane.<\/p>\n

That honor was bestowed upon William Byron who reaped the benefits of a crash that took Larson out of contention and a late-race restart to drive around Bubba Wallace and record his series-leading sixth win of 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cI finally got a good restart at the end,\u201d Byron said. \u201cHappy to get #300 for Hendrick Motorsports. Kyle really deserved this one. The 5 team was really fast all day and I hate it for them not to get the finish they should have.\u201d<\/p>\n

While he wasn\u2019t in contention for the win until the end of the race, Byron knew how important being up front was during the course of the event.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was awesome to get our car to the front,\u201d he said. \u201cI loved clean air so we fought through traffic all day and our car was just tight back in traffic. It was a hot day, a grind it out day and I\u2019m glad our team was there at the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick team owner of Hendrick Motorsport (L) and William Byron, driver of the #24 Liberty University Chevrolet, celebrate Hendrick Motorsports’ 300th NASCAR Cup Series win after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway on September 24, 2023 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On the other end of the spectrum, Kyle Larson. Larson, who led 99 laps on the day, looked like he was on his way to punch his ticket to the Round of 8 for the 2023 Playoffs. However, it was for naught as the California driver spun after a door-to-door battle for the lead with Bubba Wallace just 20 laps from the end and finished 31st.<\/p>\n

\u201cBubba did a good job to stay with me on the restart,\u201d Larson said. \u201cI was trying to open up my arch into turn one. With these cars, compared to the old ones, you don\u2019t really get sucked around and spin like that. I wasn\u2019t really expecting it.\u201d<\/p>\n

You could see the dejection on Larson\u2019s face post-race.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I was going to be fine,\u201d he said. \u201cWe just went in there side-by-side. I lost it really quickly and crashed. I\u2019m pretty bummed but am happy for William (Bryon). Happy for Mr. Hendrick. Getting 300 Cup Series wins is incredible so happy it was a great night overall for our organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

Larson, who averaged just over a second-place finish in the first round of the Playoffs, looked like he was on his way to continue that streak Sunday, and was quick to give the credit for how fast he was to his team.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a super-fast car today,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve had a fast car at every Playoff race so far. Now, we\u2019ll go to Talladega, try to have a good day and get some good fortune before we head to the Roval.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ross Chastain was able to come out of nowhere late in the race and drove his Trackhouse Racing #1 to the runner-up spot at the finish. After having a throttle position sensor go bad on a pit stop, the team rallied and came home in second.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was terrible,\u201d Chastain said. \u201cI was pushing the gas pedal down and there was nothing. On that pit stop, it failed so the team walked me through what I needed to do on pit stops and restarts to get to the finish.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chastain knew his car wasn\u2019t a winning car, but the team played strategy perfect to get him to the front when it counted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe weren\u2019t fast enough to run second with two tires,\u201d he said. \u201cWe were with four. Early in the race, I thought we were one of the best cars but we worked out way back into contention with taking four tires a lot. There were some bad restarts on my part but we showed we had the speed and showed it all weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wallace came home in the third position after leading a race-high 111 laps. The 23XI Racing driver was leading on the final restart but just couldn\u2019t hold it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the third time starting on top (the outside lane) and I fooled myself,\u201d Wallace said. \u201cMy guys gave me the right information that the 14 (Chase Briscoe, starting inside) was tight. He sent it off into the corner and he knew it wasn\u2019t going to stick but did what he had to do. We were racing for a win.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick team owner of Hendrick Motorsport (L) and William Byron, driver of the #24 Liberty University Chevrolet, celebrate Hendrick Motorsports’ 300th NASCAR Cup Series win after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway on September 24, 2023 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That was the chance that gave Byron the lane to the inside down the backstretch to clear Wallace and take the top spot for good.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just upset with myself,\u201d he said. \u201cWe really needed a win but it was a good showing for our team. We grinded it out today, came away with a solid points day and now it\u2019s on to Talladega.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin came home with fourth and fifth, respectively.<\/p>\n

A multitude of drivers in the Playoffs had troubles on Sunday.<\/p>\n

In addition to Larson, Kyle Busch crashed out on lap 74 while running seventh. He was credited with 34th at the finish while Ryan Blaney and Tyler Reddick were involved in a crash with 12 laps to go in the event. Blaney was done for the day and finished 28th while Reddick continued but wasn\u2019t a factor, coming home 25th.<\/p>\n

Heading into the second race of the round, next Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, the four drivers on the outside looking in include Wallace (-2), Reddick (-3), Blaney (-11) and Busch (-17).<\/p>\n

Even with his troubles, Larson, on the other hand, is hanging on by the skin of his teeth after his misfortune. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Champion is currently two points to the good as the Series heads to the biggest track on the circuit.<\/p>\n

NASCAR Cup Series Race \u2013 AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400<\/strong>
\nTexas Motor Speedway
\nFort Worth, Texas
\nSunday, September 24, 2023<\/p>\n

1. (18) William Byron (P), Chevrolet, 267.<\/p>\n

2. (5) Ross Chastain (P), Chevrolet, 267.<\/p>\n

3. (1) Bubba Wallace (P), Toyota, 267.<\/p>\n

4. (9) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota, 267.<\/p>\n

5. (10) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota, 267.<\/p>\n

6. (22) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 267.<\/p>\n

7. (3) Brad Keselowski (P), Ford, 267.<\/p>\n

8. (8) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 267.<\/p>\n

9. (24) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 267.<\/p>\n

10. (31) Chase Briscoe, Ford, 267.<\/p>\n

11. (29) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet, 267.<\/p>\n

12. (14) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 267.<\/p>\n

13. (28) Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 267.<\/p>\n

14. (2) Chris Buescher (P), Ford, 267.<\/p>\n

15. (17) Michael McDowell, Ford, 267.<\/p>\n

16. (19) Carson Hocevar(i), Chevrolet, 267.<\/p>\n

17. (16) Martin Truex Jr. (P), Toyota, 267.<\/p>\n

18. (21) Aric Almirola, Ford, 267.<\/p>\n

19. (26) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 267.<\/p>\n

20. (30) Harrison Burton, Ford, 267.<\/p>\n

21. (20) Joey Logano, Ford, 267.<\/p>\n

22. (34) BJ McLeod(i), Chevrolet, 267.<\/p>\n

23. (25) Ryan Preece, Ford, 267.<\/p>\n

24. (33) Zane Smith(i), Ford, 267.<\/p>\n

25. (15) Tyler Reddick (P), Toyota, 267.<\/p>\n

26. (27) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet, 262.<\/p>\n

27. (32) Austin Cindric, Ford, Accident, 261.<\/p>\n

28. (23) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford, Accident, 258.<\/p>\n

29. (6) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, Accident, 255.<\/p>\n

30. (12) Erik Jones, Chevrolet, Accident, 255.<\/p>\n

31. (11) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet, DVP, 248.<\/p>\n

32. (35) JJ Yeley(i), Ford, Accident, 241.<\/p>\n

33. (4) Ty Gibbs #, Toyota, Accident, 77.<\/p>\n

34. (7) Kyle Busch (P), Chevrolet, DVP, 73.<\/p>\n

35. (36) Todd Gilliland, Ford, Accident, 52.<\/p>\n

36. (13) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, Accident, 40.<\/p>\n

Average Speed of Race Winner: 123.569 mph.
\nTime of Race: 3 Hrs, 14 Mins, 28 Secs. Margin of Victory: 1.863 Seconds.
\nCaution Flags: 11 for 55 laps.
\nLead Changes: 22 among 13 drivers.<\/p>\n

Lap Leaders: B. Wallace (P) 1-38;A. Allmendinger 39;A. Bowman 40;T. Dillon 41-43;C. Elliott (P) 44;B. Wallace (P) 45-57;R. Chastain (P) 58;B. Wallace (P) 59-76;C. Buescher (P) 77-78;T. Reddick (P) 79-114;J. Yeley(i) 115;B. Wallace (P) 116-142;K. Larson (P) 143-167;E. Jones 168;A. Cindric 169;K. Larson (P) 170;E. Jones 171;K. Larson (P) 172-210;E. Jones 211;J. Yeley(i) 212;K. Larson (P) 213-246;B. Wallace (P) 247-261;W. Byron (P) 262-267.<\/p>\n

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Bubba Wallace (P) 5 times for 111 laps; Kyle Larson (P) 4 times for 99 laps; Tyler Reddick (P) 1 time for 36 laps; William Byron (P) 1 time for 6 laps; Erik Jones 3 times for 3 laps; Ty Dillon 1 time for 3 laps; JJ Yeley(i) 2 times for 2 laps; Chris Buescher (P) 1 time for 2 laps; Austin Cindric 1 time for 1 lap; AJ Allmendinger 1 time for 1 lap; Alex Bowman 1 time for 1 lap; Chase Elliott (P) 1 time for 1 lap; Ross Chastain (P) 1 time for 1 lap.<\/p>\n

Stage #1 Top Ten: 45,17,20,24,34,9,12,14,11,23
\nStage #2 Top Ten: 5,43,11,12,17,9,6,1,23,99<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hendrick Motorsports came out on top at Texas Motor Speedway, but not with the NASCAR driver they expected.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":92556,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3424,3470,5029,22],"tags":[9249,127,674],"class_list":["post-92553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nascar","category-news","category-racing","category-event-coverage","tag-2023-nascar-cup-series","tag-nascar","tag-texas-motor-speedway"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1699433308-min-scaled.webp","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p42YSK-o4N","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92553"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92553\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":92565,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92553\/revisions\/92565"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/92556"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}