Byron hopes third time’s the charm for a Cup Series title

NASCAR’s Cup Series title race is old hat for William Byron.

“When I hear you say that – third straight – it’s really cool,” Byron said of his consecutive appearances in the Championship 4. “We should take pride in that as a team, honestly, because it’s hard to do, especially with this Next Gen car. It’s exciting. It’s awesome that our team’s been here and done this before.”

That level of experience makes the motions of race weekend – even a finale – routine. The focus is narrow and clear. There are no surprises with the racetrack; Phoenix hasn’t changed.

Byron and his Rudy Fugle-led No. 24 team were among the last two (along with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson) to earn a spot in the Championship 4. It took rising to the occasion at Martinsville Speedway last weekend when they had to win the race to advance. It was the first time they’ve won in the Round of 8, something Byron admitted had been eating at him to have not yet done.

“It’s a huge blessing to be in this position again, and you try to make the most of it and try to do the work that it takes to win,” Byron said. “I look at it as it’s all over in a few days, so you try to leave here with no regrets.”

At 27 years old, he's the youngest of the four title contenders, but he's one of three who go into Sunday looking for his first Cup Series championship. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin are the other two; Larson is the only former champion.

The opportunity to again compete for the championship comes in Byron’s eighth full season, after winning 12 races over the last three – second-most only to Larson.

“I think we’re glad to be here,” Byron said. “In some ways, throughout the year, we kind of expected to get to this point, but I think that’s a dangerous feeling, right? You don’t want to expect anything because this sport is very unpredictable, and there’s a lot that you have to work through.

“We wanted to be in this position. We wanted an opportunity, and it’s cool to be here.”

A championship triumph would cap off one of the most impressive seasons in his career. Byron started the year winning his second consecutive Daytona 500 and then earned the regular-season championship after leading the point standings for 21 of the first 26 races. He is one of seven drivers who have won three or more races.

Byron is tied with Larson for the most stage wins in the series (10) and the second-most playoff points (32). He also has the second-best average start (10.2) and fourth-best average finish (14.0).

“I don't think it would prove anything,” he said of winning both the regular season title and the overall championship. “They're two totally different races. Trying to win the regular-season championship takes a different mentality than trying to win in this playoff format. I think [they’re] very different, but at the same time, being able to excel at different characteristics, different formats ... is really important.”

Byron finished third in the championship standings the last two years.