By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Each week, Kickin’ The Tires will highlight the 20th-place finisher from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Standing as the middleman in weekends with 40-car fields, there is sure to be a story behind each one.
William Byron enters this weekend at Daytona International Speedway with a few things to prove. Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 will be the first time rookie Byron will return for a second Cup start at a track and it comes after a tough day in Chicagoland Speedway.
In last Sunday’s Overton’s 400, Byron fell off pace to finish 20th, one lap down. His No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet started off well, qualifying in the eighth position, however, the long green-flag runs, turn of strategy and natured track surface proved to be of difficulty for team No. 24.
He wasn’t alone in the Hendrick camp, as teammate Chase Elliott, despite starting third, fell to 19th while Alex Bowman and Jimmie Johnson came home 10th and 14th, respectively.
A 20th place doesn’t contain much for an organization like HMS. It was Byron’s 11 top 20 in 2018 but only one of them was in the top 10 (10th at Texas).
The circuit’s stop at Daytona marks the halfway point of Byron’s rookie Cup campaign. A spot in the playoffs is well in the distance, and with runs like Chicagoland, that may be tough to grasp in the final eight regular-season races. Perhaps Daytona will be the start of a power run for Byron and HMS.
List of 20th-Place Finishers So Far in 2018
Daytona: Gray Gaulding
Atlanta: Alex Bowman
Las Vegas: Trevor Bayne
ISM: Trevor Bayne (2)
Auto Club: Darrell Wallace Jr.
Martinsville: William Byron
Texas: Gray Gaulding(2)
Bristol: Landon Cassill
Richmond: Ty Dillon
Talladega: DJ Kennington
Dover: Chris Buescher
Kansas: Michael McDowell
Charlotte: Kasey Kahne
Pocono: Clint Bowyer
Michigan: Jimmie Johnson
Sonoma: Kasey Kahne(2)
Chicagoland: William Byron(2)
Mid-Pack With Zach: William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Each week, Kickin’ The Tires will highlight the 20th-place finisher from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Standing as the middleman in weekends with 40-car fields, there is sure to be a story behind each one.
William Byron enters this weekend at Daytona International Speedway with a few things to prove. Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 will be the first time rookie Byron will return for a second Cup start at a track and it comes after a tough day in Chicagoland Speedway.
In last Sunday’s Overton’s 400, Byron fell off pace to finish 20th, one lap down. His No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet started off well, qualifying in the eighth position, however, the long green-flag runs, turn of strategy and natured track surface proved to be of difficulty for team No. 24.
He wasn’t alone in the Hendrick camp, as teammate Chase Elliott, despite starting third, fell to 19th while Alex Bowman and Jimmie Johnson came home 10th and 14th, respectively.
A 20th place doesn’t contain much for an organization like HMS. It was Byron’s 11 top 20 in 2018 but only one of them was in the top 10 (10th at Texas).
The circuit’s stop at Daytona marks the halfway point of Byron’s rookie Cup campaign. A spot in the playoffs is well in the distance, and with runs like Chicagoland, that may be tough to grasp in the final eight regular-season races. Perhaps Daytona will be the start of a power run for Byron and HMS.
List of 20th-Place Finishers So Far in 2018
Daytona: Gray Gaulding
Atlanta: Alex Bowman
Las Vegas: Trevor Bayne
ISM: Trevor Bayne (2)
Auto Club: Darrell Wallace Jr.
Martinsville: William Byron
Texas: Gray Gaulding(2)
Bristol: Landon Cassill
Richmond: Ty Dillon
Talladega: DJ Kennington
Dover: Chris Buescher
Kansas: Michael McDowell
Charlotte: Kasey Kahne
Pocono: Clint Bowyer
Michigan: Jimmie Johnson
Sonoma: Kasey Kahne(2)
Chicagoland: William Byron(2)