The Las Vegas race boiled down to a two-man face-off on the track. Kyle Larson led most of the laps while being hotly pursued by Tyler Reddick. However, during the initial laps of the race, people had the impression that an interesting battle would ensue between Larson and teammate William Byron. But nobody could guess what lay in store for Byron that day.

Getting impeded by crashes, the paucity of fuel, or the flouting of track rules are all very understandable. However, as it turns out, a simple garbage bag can also seriously wreck your chances of winning a race. William Byron clutched his head in frustration as his Las Vegas troubles magnified unexpectedly at the Pennzoil 400 race.

William Byron’s beer debacle downplayed by fans

The No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was really fast. But its driver, William Byron, came face-to-face with an unforeseen dilemma. A rogue trash bag latched onto the front end of his racecar. It raised the engine’s water temperatures to over 350 degrees, thereby forcing him to head to the pit road.

Byron’s crew chief, Rudy Fugle, then added to this strange occurrence. He told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio the bag had a beer can in it. Alex Cavanna tweeted: “On @SiriusXMNASCAR, crew chief Rudy Fugle said the enormous trash bag that ruined the 24-car’s day had a beer can in it. ‘There was a Silver Bullet in our air filter.‘” 

This prompted fans to draw parallels with NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt. Some people said how ‘The Intimidator’ would never yield to such a minor inconvenience. 

Fans took to Reddit with a touch of humor, saying, “Back in my day, Dale Earnhardt could hit a full damn seagull and still manage a top five!” and “Dale would have reached out the window at full speed and drank that damn beer, then won the race!”

Alan Cavanna (@AlanCavanna) on X On @SiriusXMNASCAR, crew chief Rudy Fugle says the enormous trash bag that ruined the 24-car’s day had a beer can in it “There was a Silver Bullet in our air filter” @TeamHendrick @WiliamByron
byu/Beerguy2727 inNASCAR

Another fan recalled a wild incident involving Dale: “Somewhere in East Alabama, a Dale fan is grinning and reminiscing that nearly 19 years ago, he hurled his Coors at the 24 after the Talladega win and it finally killed the car’s chances at a W”.

Dale Senior still reigns supreme among NASCAR fans. When Jeff Gordon passed him in an all-time win record at Talladega in 2007, Dale fans answered in their own way: using beer cans. They pelted Gordon’s car with beer cans. 14 people were arrested that day.

The two incidents might vary significantly, but the uncanny similarity of beer cans and disappointment was sure to make fans think. William Byron too was disappointed as he missed his chance at a second early-year win in Las Vegas. But, he did have positive remarks about his car. 

Byron and the crew chief are optimistic about their ride

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Even after a Silver Bullet beer can trashed Byron’s odds of winning the race, Byron still managed to race his way to 10th place. It seemed a miracle that the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team was still able to run competitive lap times after the trash bag fiasco. 

Byron gave all the credit to his car. “The second half [of the race] was just sloppy. Me sliding through the box, and the whole thing,” Byron stated with disappointment. “Still to get a top-10, the car was super fast. And we’ll go to Phoenix”. Rudy Fugle also added, “It’s amazing. I was surprised [the engine made it] as well. The water stayed in, it’s just a good engine shop. And a little bit of luck.” 

William Byron scrambled out of the garbage bag dilemma with a 10th-place finish. Let us see what fresh problems the incoming races bring, and how Byron battles through them.

Read More: After His Breakout Season, Will William Byron Fit the Jeff Gordon Mold or Will He Drop Off?