- William Byron's fourth win of the season marks the first time the No. 24 Chevrolet has recorded that many victories in a season since 2014.
- In 2014, Jeff Gordon drove the 24 for Hendrick Motorsports.
- In the last 10 races, Byron has produced two victories, five top-five and eight top-10 finishes.
Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon walked into the facility the day after Christmas last year and didn’t expect to see anyone, but to Gordon’s surprise there was crew chief Rudy Fugle working in his office.
Gordon immediately told Fugle: “If you’re working, you’re going to have a good year.”
They both laughed, but so far, Gordon’s prophecy has proven true.
Fugle and his driver William Byron now possess a season-leading four victories with their fourth coming Sunday night in the rain-shortened Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The win marks the first time the No. 24 Chevrolet has recorded that many victories in a season since 2014 when Gordon drove it.
Also, in the last 10 races, Byron has produced two victories, five top-five and eight top-10 finishes. With seven races remaining in the regular season, Byron leads the driver standings, holding a 21-point advantage for the second place Martin Truex Jr.
Gordon believes Byron and Fugle show the same commitment and dedication to their profession and that “spills out throughout the whole team.”
“When somebody sees others putting in extra effort, then they don’t want to be the weak link,” Gordon says. “I think we’ve always known William had the talent, it was just about getting the experience as a young driver racing at this level, getting him with somebody that believes in him and is providing the car.”
Byron says Fugle is good for him because he’s a “no-nonsense” person.
“It’s just facts,” Byron says. “I don’t have to worry about him. He just shoots me straight. He just talks about what we need to do better, and I feel like that works really well for me because I’m honestly similar.
“On a personal side, we keep up with each other, but we’re not hanging out getting beers. But we certainly have grown closer on that side. I think in a professional sense, we just work really well.”
Byron had to overcome a one-lap deficit to win Sunday night’s race that was shortened from 260 laps to 185 due to rain. His eighth career victory was the 2,000th for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. Ironically, it was Gordon in the No. 24 that provided the tire company with its 1,000th victory in the series.
McDowell Running on Fumes
With rain bearing down on Atlanta Motor Speedway Sunday night, Michael McDowell knew he had to gamble on fuel mileage if he wanted to collect his first top-five and fifth top-10 this season.
However, if NASCAR hadn’t called the cars to pit road when it did, McDowell’s top-5 finish would probably have evaporated into the steamy Georgia night.
“With two (laps) to go, I had to flip the switch to the reserve,” McDowell said. “We probably had one or two more pace laps left of reserve. It never stumbled or ran out, but I was starting to lose a little bit of fuel pressure. So, we were close.”
NASCAR Drivers Head to Slinger Nationals
William Byron didn’t take much time to celebrate his Sunday night victory in the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Less than 24 hours after winning the rain-shortened race, Byron and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott, who finished 13th at Atlanta, headed to Slinger Super Speedway in Wisconsin for the July 11 Slinger Nationals super late model event.
Erik Jones, who placed 11th at Atlanta, also was entered in the event at the quarter-mile track as was Wisconsin native and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Ty Majeski.
NASCAR Hall of Fame member Matt Kenseth, who is an eight-time Slinger Nationals champion, is scheduled to seek another title.
Byron won the prestigious short-track event in 2022 and Majeski in 2018 and 2020.
Allmendinger Snares Third Place In Chaotic Racing
A.J. Allmendinger’s third-place finish in the rain-shortened Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway was his best performance this season, but the intense, chaotic racing that occurred wasn’t something he liked.
“Sometimes I’d love to watch it more than be in it, but it’s the nature of the beast of this race,” Allmendinger said. “That’s why I always say I hate it with all the passion in my life, but I’m still going to try and stuff it three-wide and go for the win because I hate losing more.
“The car I had today made it somewhat fun because I didn’t have to hold my breath and be on the ragged edge. My car was stable, and I could make moves. There’s just moves at times that you’re holding your breath and hoping you get through the rest of the corner.”
