“Don’t Get Too Excited” – Hendrick Motorsports’ Latest Winner Delivers Reality Check about Racing in Wet Conditions

With the Quaker State 400 finally in the rearview mirror, it looks like NASCAR can’t catch a break with the weather. For the second consecutive time, the rain gods have put a halt on the Cup Series race in Atlanta, days after the extreme downpour in Chicago. Though the race ended on lap 185 with 75 laps more to go, the Superspeedway race indeed was a thriller as Hendrick Motorsports ace, William Byron clinched the win, becoming the driver with the most number of wins this season- 4.

The race itself was a high-speed thriller with positions changing hands rapidly as the threat of the weather forced the drivers to put on an aggressive yet unbelievable pace, making the fans watch the race from the edge of their seats. While the Fords of Team Penske and veteran Brad Keselowski put in an exceptional run in the early stages to dominate the front, the 25-year-old Byron came back right around to steal the win despite an early setback and a stiff pit road penalty.

William Byron Conquers Rain and Atlanta, Surpassing His Mentor and Guru Kyle Busch

The conditions were damp and cloudy with a 17-33% chance of rain and, as we all expected, the weather once again shortened the Speedway race much like what happened in Chicago. But this time, the fans were in for an epic thriller. With the playoffs at the door and the imminent threat of the rain, drivers put on a frantic and aggressive display, even taking a 3 lane approach on the tight high-flowing lanes of Atlanta.

Despite an early setback on stage 2, the #24 Chevy gained positions steadily until he chased down the race leader. While Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney looked to make the most out of the speedway, taking charge during the early stages of the race, Byron who suffered an early spin-off and a pit road penalty just did not give up as the Hendrick Motorsports driver claimed his 4th win of the season, surpassing his former KBM boss, Kyle Busch, who has 3 wins.

When asked about the chaotic and aggressive pace of the race and the looming threat of the weather, the #24 driver calmly explained his realistic approach to racing during the press conference.

He said, “I honestly don’t get too excited. I feel like for me, I’ve never had a rain win, so I was like, sure enough, with me leading, this isn’t going to happen like this. So I’m like, just thinking about what lane I’m going to choose.”

READ MORE: William Byron Sends Warnings Ahead of NASCAR’s Chicago Gamble, but Denny Hamlin Has “Got It Figured Out”

Though the #24 Chevy suffered front-end damages that needed a quick fix when he tried to hold ground, even that couldn’t stop him from making history, winning his first race in the rain and his second win at the 62-year-old track.

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Much like our pre-race preview, which predicted an all-out war between Ford and Chevrolet, the race indeed was a battle for the top spot amidst the chaotic race. While it was the Fords that got an early advantage with Ryan Blaney winning stage 1, things quickly went for a toss as positions were rapidly changing as drivers were speeding for a quick finish as the rain threatened to end the race any minute.

Unlike other Superspeedways like Talladega, where drivers were cautious, the revamped Atlanta Motor Speedway saw plenty of action with drivers going back to the old 3-lane setup to gain the top position. Following the race, Byron credited his #24 team’s teamwork for getting him the rain victory.

He said, “We went through so much throughout the night, spinning through the infield, destroyed the bottom of the car dragging it around the apron trying to stay on the lead lap and at the point you just don’t have the grip so I was real edgy back in traffic but we made a really good call to pit there and stay out,”

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Though “Rowdy” Busch was a betting favorite in most of the pre-race odd predictors, the Richard Childress Racing driver found his rhythm and quickly bounced back to finish the race 5th. Except for Michael McDowell of Front Row Motorsports who crossed the line 4th, the top 5 positions were claimed by Chevy.