Drivers Glaring Reality Comes Forward as Rick Hendrick’s Next Jeff Gordon Looks to Sweep the Round of 8

Amidst the playoff round of 12 opener post-race drama, huge hats adorned the heads of Rick Hendrick and his merry crew. These obnoxious trucker hats could only mean one thing: celebration! William Byron had just snatched his 6th season victory and an epic 300th win at Texas for the Hendrick Motorsports team. It was like music to their ears.

Byron’s Texas triumph didn’t spell a speed slump; it was just the prelude. Shifting from the 1.5-mile speedway to the wild, wild Talladega Superspeedway, Byron raced to an astounding P2 finish. Last week, on the treacherous road course at ROVAL, he chased race winner AJ Allmendinger, missing the checkered flag by a devilish 0.666 seconds, securing yet another P2. An average finish of 1.67 over this trio of races. But for the 25-year-old prodigy in the Hendrick camp, hailed as the next Jeff Gordon, it seems like the beginning of what promises to be a glorious championship fight.

Byron’s Texas triumph: A prelude to a championship symphony?

As the dust settles on the Round of 12, Byron is on a roll, cruising into the Round of 8 with ease, thanks to his playoff opener victory. The grid had undergone a reset, and there he stood, second to none, enjoying a comfortable 20-point cushion above the dreaded cutoff line. A safety net, though, is just that, and even a slight mishap could turn his fortunes sour. But when you crunch the numbers, Byron probably won’t be biting his nails but rather gearing up for a championship run.

This season was scarce on the usual 1.5-mile tracks, with just five on the roster. However, the next two races in Nevada and Miami would bring the tally up to seven. Byron’s 20-point bonus was a gift from his Texas triumph, boosting his 1.5-mile average finish to a remarkable 4.4. His playoff average finish, a sweet 5.5, earned him a staggering 234 points, towering above the competition.

Byron’s seven top-10 finishes in the last eight races instill confidence as he heads into the Round of 8 opener at Las Vegas Speedway, defending his win from earlier this season. All signs pointed to a North Carolina native poised for the Championship 4 race. In Byron’s words, “It’s definitely us against ourselves. It’s us executing races. It’s us putting together good performances and top-five performances that we know we’re capable of. With that being said, the points are really close.”

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William Byron’s championship dreams are at warp speed

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William Byron, standing tall as Hendrick Motorsports’ leading star, appears poised to waltz into the championship four races. This sentiment was echoed by former NASCAR driver Dale Jarrett. Speaking on the Motorsports on NBC Podcast, the 3 rime Dayton winner delved into the reasons why both Byron and teammate Kyle Larson were prime candidates for the championship four.

“I think it’s a lot because of the way that the tracks are set up here,” he began. “You’re in this round of eight. William Byron and Kyle Larson both are just phenomenal at these racetracks.” Jarrett continued, emphasizing their track record: “You know, they’ve won races at these tracks. They perform at a high level, they lead a lot of laps, they cook themselves right into the mix, and when they don’t win, they finish in the top two or three.”

“So I think that speed is something that is wonderful to have at your disposal. And these first two races that line up at Las Vegas and Miami Homestead are gonna be that exactly. They both have shown that they have the talent to win at Martinsville also.” With only four races left to determine the 2023 champion, who’s your bet for the ultimate triumph?

Read more: Joe Gibbs Needs Martin Truex Jr’s Las Vegas Redemption to Establish Domination Over Rick Hendrick in Playoffs Round of 4