Winning the Daytona 500 is one of the few events in motorsports that transcends a driver’s career.
For William Byron, Monday’s victory at Daytona Int’l Speedway cemented his legacy as a winner of one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events.
While the ramifications have been significant as he went on the annual Daytona 500 winner’s media tour in New York City prior to flying to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the second race of the NASCAR Cup Series season, what it means to be a winner in the Great American Race still hasn’t sunk in.
“I don’t think so.. not yet,” Byron admitted. “There’s just a lot of different aspects to it. I feel like the big thing for us is being able to start the year like that with a lot of momentum, for a lot of different reasons – for our team and to be able to lock ourselves into the playoffs, and also for sponsor engagement and things like that.
“I feel like for me personally, it’s a huge relief and something I’m really excited to carry down the road.”
The media tour, which begins less than 24 hours after the checkered flag at Daytona, was a positive aspect for Byron, despite the whirlwind schedule.
“I enjoyed all of the stuff that I got to do this week, especially because it’s something unique and different, and I felt like it was really interesting,” Byron said. “There were a lot of interesting questions and just different outlets trying to learn about the sport.
“I tried my best to do a good job. Obviously I was running off adrenaline for two or three days, and we’re back to the race track now and ready to get to work.”
Getting back to work aboard his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet is something Byron welcomes.
In fact, the 1.5-mile oval has been one of Byron’s top tracks of late since it was reconfigured. His last four trips to the superspeedway-style oval have seen the 26-year-old snag two victories, including the NASCAR Cup Series’ most recent visit last July.
“The first win, we were pretty dominate here – led over 100 laps and put ourselves in a good position,” Byron began. “But since then, it’s gotten even more chaotic. It’s two to three wide and it seems like everyone has really figured out the draft here. It’s unique, for sure.
While the reconfiguration has worked out in Byron’s favor, he feels back-to-back superspeedway races isn’t something he’d prefer.
“I wouldn’t want to do it every week, but I do enjoy the challenge of it,” Byron said.
However, the natural excitement that Atlanta has showcased recently certainly is a positive in Byron’s eyes.
“I think it’s a super exciting show for the fans. If you think about the attendance here when it was the old layout, and seeing how packed it was here in July – it seems like the fans like it,” Byron said.
“Like I said, I don’t want to do it every week, but I enjoy the aspect of drafting, lifting a little bit and all the different things that come with it.”