There are many turning points in a Cup Series driver’s season. One of the many important crossroads for a driver is qualifying for the playoffs. A phase that demands the best performance from the driver not just on the track but mentally as well. And even the best feel the pain. William Byron, one of HMS’s best drivers, was seen expressing the tough side of the playoffs.

The Rick Hendrick-owned team is in an ironic situation that remains to be resolved. While William Byron and Kyle Larson have already reserved their playoff spots, surprisingly the Golden Boy Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman find themselves in a precarious condition. Despite having secured a spot, Byron has not forgotten his struggles earlier. Speaking about the intense pressure of making it to the next stage of the season, he also goes deeper into the ways to avoid it.

Definitely first and foremost- William Byron on getting wins early in the season

Series-high 4 wins and 7 stage wins in the season. William Byron is definitely repaying all the faith and investment Hendrick Motorsports have done in him. Coming fresh off a win at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, the North Carolina native has been propelled to the top of the table. HMS has always believed in dominating the tourney as soon as it kicks off. Carrying the same thought process, the Atlanta race winner speaks about the goals they had as a team on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

“Being locked in the playoffs is definitely the number 1 priority that we have as a team. And I feel like, that starts the season that’s you know kind of why February and March were so critical for us. I feel like that’s why we win early, typically, because we. are so focused on that goal and the best way to do that is to score a bunch of points.”

Although theoretically speaking that sounds like the easier way to avoid being in a fix for the playoffs, it is not that easy with the level of competition on display these days. Staying at the upper half of the point standings might be something that many drivers in the Cup will be targeting.

“You know, I feel like we show up with that mindset of trying to go and get a bunch of points in the beginning of the season and get ourselves up the leaderboard. Sometimes that leads to wins so yeah, that’s definitely first and foremost.” adds Byron.

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William Byron’s rapid evolution on the biggest stage has probably made some fans forget about his struggles. The 2018 Rookie of the Year did not always have it easy. On top of that, the pressure of filling in Jeff Gordon’s boots in the iconic #24 Times were sweaty for the 25-year-old back then. Recalling the dreadful times on the verge of qualification, he says,

“I’ve lived it where you’re on the bubble of the playoffs and you don’t sleep very well. It’s a very tough two months because you’re always thinking about racetracks that are weaknesses or what’s gonna happen next week and is everything gonna go smooth. It’s a tough thing to deal with.”

Acknowledging the team’s success this season and clearing out the mental block of the playoffs early in the season, William adds,

“Lucky for us, we’re locked in and kind of race freely. You are definitely aware of the guys that are on the bubble, atleast I am. I know what the situation is somewhat so, especially as we get closer to Daytona.”

The situation has not quite been the same for Elliott and Bowman. The duo missed out on a lot of points earlier this season with injuries. Their injuries occurred during the same period when William Byron and Larson racked up points and wins. Elliott finds himself 23rd behind Alex Bowman. Although both of them have been granted playoff waivers, a lot more needs to be done with only seven races left.

With 628 points, even though William Byron is ahead of the pack, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch have been knocking on his door, competing for the regular-season title.

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