The Daytona 500 winner came close to a top-10 finish while his teammate emerged victorious. William Byron made headlines by winning the race in Las Vegas on Sunday. At the opposite end of the field, another driver finished 10th after a strange incident. After the race, the Daytona race winner shared an unusual story.
The 26-year-old driver had to make a pit stop on lap 47 due to a garbage bag stuck in the front grille of the car. As a result, the engine temperature increased significantly, posing a major obstacle for him. This setback diminished the chances of the 11-time race winner reaching the podium. In the end, the HMS driver finished over 7 seconds behind his teammate.
The 26-year-old driver explained that the car quickly overheated, putting him at a disadvantage, despite being one of the contenders for victory in the race after his impressive performance in the first race of the season. Looking ahead, Byron will be cautious of flying garbage bags that may hinder his progress during the next race in Phoenix.
At Hendrick Motorsports, two drivers have already secured a victory this year. Following Byron’s lead, Larson also entered the mix and won in Sin City. As a result, two of the three race winners belong to the HMS team. This raises the question of which driver will have the advantage within the team.
Both drivers have secured their spots in the playoffs. However, they and their teams aim to accumulate more points in the stages before the start of the playoffs. This mentality could lead the drivers to inadvertently hinder each other’s progress if they are not careful.
Currently, the situation at HMS is balanced, but it can become unstable if the drivers prevent each other’s success. As a result, fans will closely follow the drivers in Phoenix, where Larson currently leads the championship standings and Byron holds fourth place. The dynamics can change if either of the drivers secures another victory this weekend.
