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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — William Byron will try to drive his way into NASCAR history Sunday when he attempts to become the first winner of three consecutive Daytona 500s.
He’ll have to do it in a backup Chevrolet after his preferred No. 24 was damaged in a qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway.
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No big deal, though: Byron won his first Daytona 500 in 2024 in a Hendrick Motorsports backup car.
“We’ve won this race with a backup car, so I’m not super worried on that aspect,” Byron said. “But it does suck that you put a lot of work into the primary and you don’t get to race it.”
He will start 39th in the 41-car field in NASCAR’s season opener but isn’t concerned about being in the back of the pack. Byron was hardly dominant in winning the last two Daytona 500s — he led a total combined 14 laps in both victories — and his success has been rooted in being in the right place at the right time.
No driver in 67 previous Daytona 500s has won “The Great American Race” three years in a row. Richard Petty in 1975, Cale Yarborough in 1985, Sterling Marlin in 1996 and Denny Hamlin in 2021 all came up short.
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“It’s hard. You’re going to need things to fall your way,” Hamlin said of Byron’s chances. “In 2021, I legit thought we were going to get (it). We led the most laps in that race, was really fast, but didn’t work out on the last pit sequence.
“There’s an element of fortune there that has to fall your way. Last year, he was fortunate on the last lap there, but if you put yourself in the top eight you can get fortunate at times. He puts himself in the top eight, which is what matters.”
Byron came from nowhere last year — he was ninth at the start of the final lap of overtime — when a monstrous wreck in front of him allowed Byron to squeeze through and snag the win after leading all of 10 laps the entire day.
He led only four laps in 2024 — and dropped as low as 34th during the race — but again was in position to pounce when it mattered. He navigated a last-lap scramble to take the lead right before a caution flag froze the field to win under…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/battered-car-forces-william-byron-183951485.html
Author : JENNA FRYER
Publish date : 2026-02-13 18:39:00
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