Byron holds off Briscoe and Keselowski in a strategic stunner as chaos erupts in second half of 350-lap showdown
In a masterclass of fuel conservation and strategic patience, William Byron pulled off an incredible victory at Iowa Speedway, stretching his final tank of fuel for a staggering 144 laps to take the checkered flag over pole-sitter Chase Briscoe and stage dominator Brad Keselowski.
“Man, we deserved that one,” Byron radioed to his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team. “Thanks to everybody. Appreciate it.”
Byron Bounces Back from Fuel-Heartbreak
The win marked Byron’s second of the season, and first since his triumph at the Daytona 500, capping off a comeback story after a fuel strategy collapse at Michigan cost him a victory just two months ago.
ADVERTISEMENT
“How about that for some fuel mileage?” Byron joked post-race. “We’ve been on the wrong end of that before. Today, we nailed it.”
Final Top 5 – Iowa Speedway
William Byron (Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports)
Chase Briscoe (Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing)
Brad Keselowski (Ford, RFK Racing)
Ryan Blaney (Ford, Team Penske)
Ryan Preece (Ford, Stewart-Haas Racing)
The Strategy That Won It
Byron’s final pit stop came on Lap 206 of the 350-lap race. With green-flag runs traditionally maxing out around 110 laps, Byron and crew chief Rudy Fugle rolled the dice—banking on caution flags and careful pace to stretch the tank farther than most thought possible.
The gamble paid off: Byron led a race-high 141 laps and coasted across the finish line, reportedly running dry in the closing seconds.
Race Dynamics: From Clean to Chaos
Stage 1 & Stage 2: Clean and methodical. Keselowski swept both stages, leading 68 laps early and appearing to be the class of the field.
Second Half: All bets were off. 11 caution flags in the final 180 laps created a strategic minefield, shuffling front-runners and trapping several teams—including Keselowski—on the wrong side of pit cycles.
Keselowski’s Pit Gamble Backfires: After pitting from the lead on Lap 231, the No. 6 Ford got buried outside the top 20, unable to recover position despite dominant pace.
“The cautions just didn’t fall our way,” Keselowski said. “We had a rocket, but track position was king today.”
Next Race: Watkins Glen International, Sunday, August 10 Start Time: 2:00 PM ET on USA Network Preview: Expect road-course ringers and playoff contenders to shine as the regular season winds down.
From heartbreak in Michigan to heroics in Iowa, William Byron flipped the script with a gutsy fuel gamble and took home a win that might define his 2025 season.
