After Phoenix Frustration, William Byron Uses Revamped North Wilkesboro to Gain Short Track Edge

The introduction of the new short-track package at the Phoenix race garnered mixed responses from drivers. Most of them were unhappy about it, as they claimed passing other cars was an ordeal under the modified conditions. William Byron, who had won the same race last season, was among the group of nay-sayers, who even found it difficult to pass cars in the practice session before the Phoenix race.

Byron’s performance at the half-mile track was not up to the mark. While he was very much in the race for the most part, a chaotic restart in the end dropped him to 23rd place. Ultimately, he scrambled to 18th place before the checkered flag was waved. Now, he is determined to buck up his talents in short-track racing, ahead of the Bristol race this weekend.

“one of our best” – William Byron is up for the challenges on short tracks

William Byron recently participated in Goodyear’s tire test at North Wilkesboro Speedway. He highlighted how this session aided his short-track expertise. “I thought it was probably one of our best test days of progress and getting to a spot where I feel like we were a lot better than where we started. Hopefully, that continues for us on the short tracks.”

Byron, who has made 32 starts on short racing tracks, has a short-track win under his belt, which he secured at Martinsville Speedway in April 2022. He is also well aware of the importance of these races, given that two of them conclude the Cup schedule. So he recently talked about his desire to work better on these tracks.

“We’ve been wanting to work on these tracks, so this lines up really well for us,” Byron said of the North Wilkesboro test. “We have a lot of speed on the mile-and-a-half tracks and a lot of speed on road courses last year. Phoenix was just OK for us, so this test comes at a really good time for us to improve.”

Aside from the United Rentals Work United 500 race, William Byron did not fare well in the Xfinity race at Phoenix Raceway either. Wielding the No. 17 Chevrolet Camaro, he got entangled in an 11-car wreck on lap 145, which eventually decided his fate as he rolled to a 23rd-place finish. However, it now looks like the Phoenix races are in the rearview mirror, with Byron’s full focus on the Food City Race.

William Byron is optimistic about the ‘special mix’ track at North Wilkesboro

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North Wilkesboro Speedway dressed itself with fresh asphalt last November. The resurfacing process of the 0.625-mile track used a special mix that was expected to age faster than traditional asphalt. Further, it quickly created a more worn-in surface. William Byron expressed positivity regarding the repave.

“It just feels very on edge to start, especially if you get out of the groove for sure and if you slip a tire,” Byron said. “As we started laying rubber down, all of that stuff got a little bit better. … A lot of grip. Even more grip than some of the other repaves that I have been to. I don’t know if I have tested one right off the bat. It will definitely be a lot different style of racing.”

William Byron is doing his homework to get better at short-track racing. Let us see if his hard work pays off in the upcoming race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Read More: William Byron Vents His Frustration After a Trash Bag Chops His Las Vegas Dreams