The 267-lap race at the intermediate track in Texas again showed NASCAR nation what the youngest driver from the Hendrick Motorsports camp is capable of. Not only did the 25-year-old sensation defy all odds with a spectacular late-race maneuver to outgun 2 cars but he also avenged his teammate, Kyle Larson, bringing HMS their 300th Cup Series win.

The HMS Chevy smoked the tires in victory lane as Rick Hendrick’s team became the first-ever team to rack 300 Cup Series wins. While the late crash sealed the deal for Larson who was in the battle for the lead with Bubba Wallace, the #24 Chevy pranced into action out of nowhere, outgunning both Wallace and the fellow Chevy of Ross Chastain to advance into the round of 8.

Reflecting on his monumental win, the HMS star shared his thoughts about the upcoming races including the superspeedway race in Talladega and the technical road race in Charlotte. Despite being at the pinnacle of his career, atop the standings, the humble HMS driver not letting pride get to his head also got real about his chances in the upcoming races, revealing his team’s vulnerability.

Hendrick Motorsports driver exposes the chink in the team’s armor

The scene was electric for HMS fans in Texas on Sunday as NASCAR’s most winningest team got their 300th win in grand style owing to its youngest driver’s heroics. It all came down to the final laps of the race, 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace and HMS’ Kyle Larson were battling for the lead when the Chevy spun out of control into the wall.

With the Chevy receiving major damages, it was deemed out of contention. It looked like it was going to be a thriller when Wallace was dealing with SHR’s Chase Briscoe when out of nowhere William Byron who had the fresher tires blasted his way between the two. Cutting both drivers on the inside, capitalizing on the narrow opening, Byron held on the lead till the final lap, finishing the race and earning his 10th career win.

Despite bringing his boss, the team’s 300th win, the 25-year-old known for his humble self mentioned the team’s vulnerability in the post-race presser. When asked about the upcoming race, he said, “Yeah, I mean Talladega (Superspeedway) has been hit-or-miss for us in the last couple of years. We’ve had solid finishes. We’ve been good at avoiding crashes with my spotter and we’ve been good at managing our way to the front.” 

He further briefed up on his preparation for the 2.5-mile speedway, saying, “I think we can get a little bit better at getting some stage points here and there. So I look at that – try to make better decisions. Definitely, a lot of studying that’s going to go into this week to figure out what we need to do a little bit better for Talladega, based on Daytona (International Speedway) and Talladega in the spring. I’m a little nervous about that one.”

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Byron’s contradictory take on ROVAL and Wallace’s anti-climatic finish

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After revealing his not-so-great track record at Talladega, Byron also dropped a fascinating comment about Charlotte’s ROVAL road course. While the rest of the roster despises the technical and tight course in Charlotte, Byron feels like he has an edge given his first-ever road course win in Watkins Glen.

He said, “The (Charlotte) ROVAL, I’m confident in it. I think we’ve always been fast there. It’s always been a good track for me, and just winning Watkins Glen (International), I think we’ve got a good road course feel. We just have to get through Talladega, really.” While the 25-year-old made a mark for himself, advancing into the round of 8, Wallace felt like he let everybody down. 

The final laps of the race certainly were a thriller for fans who saw two bitter rivals going neck and neck, battling for the lead. 23XI Racing’s #23 Toyota and Larson’s #5 HMS went side by side as both drivers refused to back down until Larson his way off the track in the wall. This gave Wallace the lead.

Seeing both #23 and #14 cars engaged in the duel, Byron smoothly went on the inside, passing Briscoe first before outpacing Wallace who failed to keep his car in line. Despite getting the pole and leading 111 laps of the race, Michael Jordan’s driver seemingly choked up on the final laps as he himself admitted his mistake.

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“Third time I fooled myself starting on top,” said the driver disappointed in himself. He added, “I should’ve just kept my line in the 3 and it forced William (Byron) to get tight but you’re still vulnerable,” concluding his take he painfully admitted his mistake saying,” I know what I did and I choked.”