Byron says Daytona 500 luck and randomness 'makes me chuckle'
Yesterday at 03:17 PM
William Byron typically stays within the bubble of what he has going on in life and of those closest to him. Some outside chatter got through this week after his victory in the Daytona 500, though.
Byron went from running seventh off Turn 2 on the final lap to having the race lead by Turn 3 when those in front of him were collected in a crash. It cleared the way for Byron, who stayed to the outside wall, to lead Tyler Reddick to the checkered flag to make it back-to-back wins in the Daytona 500.
"It just makes me chuckle," Byron said.
The chatter – or insults – has been about Byron being lucky, or that he didn't earn the victory. Denny Hamlin, on his Actions Detrimental podcast, was among those who spoke about luck and how random the Daytona winners have been.
Byron is the first repeat winner in the Daytona 500 since Hamlin did so in 2019 and 2020. Michael McDowell (2021), Austin Cindric (2022), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2023), and Byron (2024) were all first-time winners in the ensuing years.
There have been three overtime finishes in the last five Daytona 500 events.
"When I started superspeedway racing, I treated it as luck and strategy didn't really work out very well," Byron said. "I go into it and try to control the things I can control. Obviously I was fortunate in that situation, but I made moves leading up to that put me in that position, and I sensed that it was coming and just tried to position myself.
"I don't really read too much into stuff outside my circle of people. Obviously I'm proud of the win, I'm not going to apologize for it, and I'm excited for my team."
Byron celebrated his 2024 victory with a late-night flight to New York on Monday (after the race was delayed due to rain). This week, however, he spent Monday morning in Daytona for the champion's breakfast and then attended WWE Raw in Charlotte that night. Tuesday was the New York media tour.
Thursday, Byron spent time around Atlanta for more media and celebrations consisting of stops at CNN, The Weather Channel and touring the Atlanta Braves clubhouse, including doing donuts in the outfield.
"I think every one is a little bit different, but this one I tried to take in a lot as I went through it and thought about what it meant," Byron said. "I feel like the Daytona 500 is a win that, over time, you grow more and more fond of. I feel like that's unique. I haven't really had any win like that in my career."
