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NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Practice & Qualifying Jul 22, 2023 Long Pond, Pennsylvania, USA NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron looks on during practice and qualifying for the HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway. Long Pond Pocono Raceway Pennsylvania USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMatthewxO Harenx 20230722_cec_bm2_138
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NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Practice & Qualifying Jul 22, 2023 Long Pond, Pennsylvania, USA NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron looks on during practice and qualifying for the HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway. Long Pond Pocono Raceway Pennsylvania USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMatthewxO Harenx 20230722_cec_bm2_138
William Byron has started from where he left off last season. After winning six races last season, Byron was really close to a championship win. This year, he started his campaign of wins with the very first race itself, i.e., the Daytona 500. He also emerged victorious at COTA and Martinsville, though. His Daytona win was also a special win because the win occurred 40 years to the date Hendrick Motorsports ran its first-ever race as a team in the 1984 Daytona 500.
Byron is a genuine contender to grab the title this season, and many are placing their bets on him. However, going ahead to the track of Darlington, he had his luck trying at the NASCAR Xfinity race. Despite a P11 finish, he got to learn a lot from the track, which might prove to be helpful for his upcoming Cup race.
William Byron had a mixed reaction to the tire update ahead of the Darlington race
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Notably, NASCAR Cup teams, equipped with 18-inch bead-diameter tires, implemented a distinct tire set-up. This was regulated by the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series at Darlington. They are using the same left-side tire that they used twice at Darlington in 2023. However, for the right side, the teams have updated to a different tire construction from what they used last season at Darlington.
Taking this into consideration, William Byron was asked to provide his views on the same in the pre-race interview. Byron expressed that his immediate concern was the team’s adjustment to the tire’s requirements. Byron said, “Yeah, I mean, just my immediate thoughts are for us as a team. Just working through the balance of what that tire needs you know. And we’ve I feel like, had good speed this year. But just trying to work on what that tire needs cuz it is different than what we ran here and different than what we ran at some of the mile half last year.”
USA Today via Reuters
Mar 27, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron (24) before the start of the EchoPark Automotive Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
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“So I think the racing will you’ll see pretty similar stuff. Um I think this tire has been really good though. I would say this tire has a bit more feel to it like you can slide the car and manipulate the car a little bit more. So I like that um but it’s not a huge difference I think. I think you know it’s the fall-off similar and all those things and then for next weekend.”
The effect of tire changes by Goodyear
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In 2024, the tire change significantly influenced Darlington’s race dynamics. NASCAR introduced a new right-side tire construction from Goodyear’s most favored set for that year. This resulted in several key developments. The abrasive surface at Darlington Raceway caused tires to wear down quickly, leading to a noticeable drop in lap times as the race went on.
Consequently, teams had to conduct frequent four-tire pit stops, sometimes choosing to pit earlier than their fuel strategy required to equip their cars with new tires. Drivers needed to handle their tires carefully at the start of a run to gain an advantage later. This increased overtaking and enhanced the entertainment value for spectators. The critical need for four-tire pit stops underscored the importance of teamwork, with pit crews becoming essential in efficiently returning cars to the race.
It would be interesting to see how this works out during the Cup race at Darlington. What are your views?
