So close, yet so far. That’s what William Byron will feel after finishing runner-up at the 2024 Hollywood Casino 400. Having started the race in sixth place, the 26-year-old racing driver got off to a solid start at Kansas Speedway, finishing first at the end of Stage 1 and fourth after 165 laps. Such was his dominance on the 1.5-mile tri-oval that he secured the highest number of points in the opening Round of 12 playoff race and could have entered the Victory Lane for the fourth time this season, had he not run out of time and laps.

While it may not be a victory, the result will send a warning sign to his Cup Series rivals during the business end of the season. Only six races remain before the 2024 season ends and it seems like Byron is finding his stride at just the right time to make a dominant playoff run.

Byron hoping to build on his impressive performance

William Byron is often overlooked in comparison to his teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott. In some ways, it’s understandable, given how the No. 24 Chevy driver’s season has been so far. He hasn’t won a race since the 2024 Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway and struggled to replicate his early season form, where he secured three race wins in the opening eight races. However, the result in Kansas was Byron’s way of reminding his rivals that he remains a force to be reckoned with and will be looking to make a deep playoff run with the hopes of lifting the title later this year.

Speaking in the post-race interview, Byron was asked if this was a statement result for the rest of the field. The 26-year-old replied, “It’s just what we can do. We know how important these tracks are and we’re excited to keep building. We got off a little bit of times during the race but we got it back. We’re proud of that. We have work to do but the effort today was really good.”

Hendrick Motorsports‘ William Byron will be pleased with his improved results after a string of disappointing finishes. His last runner-up finish was at Michigan’s FireKeepers Casino 400, five races ago, and he’ll aim to carry this momentum through the final six races of the season. Currently leading the standings, Byron sits 34 points above the elimination line with Talladega ahead, where he finished 7th earlier this year.

Despite positives from Kansas, William Byron couldn’t match Ross Chastain’s pace, finishing 0.388 seconds behind after struggling to close a three-second gap in the final laps.

William Byron rues missed opportunity at Kansas Speedway

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NASCAR is a sport where the finest of margins can make all the difference, so it should come as no surprise that William Byron wasn’t too happy about falling short at the 2024 Hollywood Casino 400. The North Carolina native had the opportunity to automatically qualify for the Round of 8 with a win at Kansas Speedway but it simply wasn’t meant to be, despite making a strong start to the race. Rather than celebrating that he is currently the playoff leader, Byron couldn’t help but feel that he let a valuable opportunity slip by on the 1.5-mile oval.

Expressing his frustration after the race, the 26-year-old said, “Dammit, I wanted that one really bad. So close. Going to Talladega, you know what that is. Proud of the effort, proud of the car. Proud of all my guys, they’ve been working their tails off and we’ve got a lot of BS over the summer from the outside and I know how good this team is and what they’re capable of. Look forward to Talladega and let’s see how it goes.”

With two more races to go before the next round of the playoffs begins, William Byron has the time to make amends. He seems to be in good form and will hope to secure a result on a wildcard track like Talladega Superspeedway before moving on to the Charlotte Roval.

While Byron isn’t a favorite to win the championship, the Hendrick Motorsports driver will have plenty of self-belief going into the upcoming races.

Do you think Byron will make a deep playoff run and remain in contention for the title at Phoenix Raceway?