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| William Byron is 40/1 to win the Daytona 500. |
“We didn’t get to test this offseason, so our first real test as a team and with the car will be when we unload for Daytona Speedweeks. I think it’s going to be less of a learning curve for us though, hopefully. We’ve really jelled as a team so far, and now the rookie stripes are off and I have a better idea of what to really expect, not just at Daytona but at a lot of the tracks. I feel like last year we weren’t sure what to expect going into Daytona. We made progress when we went back to Daytona in the summer. I was even able to lead some laps, which helps. At the same time, though, no matter how prepared you may be, it's Daytona, and you can’t fully prepare for what may happen. It takes a little bit of luck to go along with it and being at the right place at the right time. Hopefully we have some of that go our way this year and start the year off on a high note. We have a full year with our equipment and we can start where we left off, which was pretty good at the end of the year. Who knows, it’s a new season and you never know what’s going to happen.”
Byron on working with new No. 24 team crew chief Chad Knaus:
“I think it’s a great learning opportunity for me. His experience is really extensive but he has not been set in his ways. That’s what I’ve noticed with him, he’s open to new things and I feel like that’s important. His work ethic is really high as well. I would say that’s really the biggest thing I’ve taken away from him. I feel like I will try to apply that as best I can. I don’t have to worry about him doing his job or worry about what the team is doing.
“The difference will be the expertise and his knowledge. He is very motivated to do it and that's really a great thing. We've got a lot of good, young people in our team, a lot of people who are ready to have a shot and win races. I'm looking forward to those things. I think the team is fresh and I think Chad’s expertise and knowledge will help us in the long term. So I'm really looking forward to work with him and the 24 team in 2019.”
Knaus on Byron and the 2019 season:
"I have a lot of respect for William. It’s amazing what he’s done in the short period of time that he’s been racing. It’s amazing to me. This is his first time in six seasons that he’s doing a repeat series. That is phenomenal. Think about that – nobody advances like that, so clearly he’s got a ton of talent and hopefully I can get him the product he needs and then extract more out of him.It’s definitely lit a fire back in me that I wouldn’t say died, but maybe helps transforms me into a more aggressive approach, which is definitely what we need.
“The goal is to win the Daytona 500, sit on the pole, win our 150 race, we’re the fastest in practice and lead every lap. That’s the goal. But the reality is it’s going to take a little time. My goal and our goal at Hendrick Motorsports is to have four teams that are capable of going out there and battling for wins and are in a position to battle for championships every single race and every single year. I feel that William has the ability to do that.”
DAYTONA DUELS: Byron will make his second start in the Daytona Duel qualifying races on Thursday, Feb. 14. In last year’s Duel, Byron started from the third position but was ultimately collected in a mid-race incident, relegating him to an 18th-place finish and a backup car for the 60th running of the DAYTONA 500.
TV TUNE-IN: National Geographic’s "Explorer" is in its 11th season of delving deep into untold stories from across the world, with host Phil Keoghan taking viewers into the ultimate mission of discovery. In 2018, Keoghan joined Byron and the No. 24 team to delve into the science of a race car. Make sure to tune in Monday, Feb. 11, at 6 p.m. ET to see what the "Explorer" group learned from their time with Byron and Hendrick Motorsports.
BACK AT THE BEACH: After making his Cup Series debut in last year’s DAYTONA 500, Byron had a long day after starting at the rear of the field in a backup car and fighting handling issues for the last half of the race due to body damage sustained in an earlier incident. He ultimately finished the race in the 23rd position. Byron returned to the 2.5-mile superspeedway in July, qualifying 18th and ultimately leading 12 laps before getting caught up in an incident, relinquishing him to 32nd-place finish. However, despite his limited superspeedway experience, Byron has one Daytona win on his racing resume. During his 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship campaign, Byron qualified third in the July Daytona race and found himself at the front of the field when it mattered most, leading 29 laps to score the victory, becoming the youngest driver with an Xfinity Series win at Daytona at 19 years, 7 months and 1 day. Aside from his two Xfinity starts at Daytona, Byron also has one Truck Series start and one ARCA Racing Series start at the venue to his credit.
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