Joey Logano blew the field out of the water with his Las Vegas win. A driver who was out of the round of 8 after Charlotte Roval is in the driving seat for the championship. Looking at the rest of the championship contenders, it is easy to mistake it as a simple points fight. William Byron’s crew chief Rudy Fugle, however, has different ideas.

Among the three drivers, Kyle Larson and William Byron are more likely to make it into the playoffs, and to explain the mindset of the team, Byron’s crew chief Rudy Fugle had a few words to say.

Rudy Fugle’s take on the upcoming playoff races

William Byron has been a favorite to win this year’s title, as he has managed to win this year’s season-opening Daytona 500 and showed a strong performance during the season’s early stages. Though he had some inconsistencies in the middle, he picked up his game in the playoffs with a top-5 finish in every race since round 2 began. Now that the upcoming races at Homestead and Martinsville hold high importance, the team is looking out for all the competition that can get in its way.

Rudy Fugle recently spoke to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and that’s where he shared how confident the team is heading into the final races. About the upcoming races, Fugle told SiriusXM, “I think we’ve got to win the next two weeks.” Winning will directly put William Byron in the finals at Phoenix and Fugle believes that a victory is the only right way to go. Although Byron is 27 points above the cutline, anything can happen in NASCAR, and to keep in the safe, Fugle has decided on winning as a strategy.

The No. 24 crew chief explained why they aren’t going to try to chase points to get into the championship race as he said, “One person can make it on points, but there’s two cars ahead of us, you know, that have a bunch of points already—the 20 and the 5. And we’re not going to catch them; most likely, you’re not going to catch those.” Fugle spoke about the two drivers ahead of Byron, stating that Larson and Bell were quite ahead in points. So instead of giving them or other drivers a chance to eliminate Byron due to points, he believes that winning is a better strategy.

William Byron’s crew chief explained, “Even if you score 50 points a race, it’s going to be hard to do. That’s just the, you know, quality in the garage right now and who we’re racing.” The top 8 this year is quite strong and with one driver being faster than the other, according to Fugle, the most risk-free strategy would be to try to secure a win. Luckily for Byron, the upcoming races are on Fugle’s favorite track and NASCAR will be using new tires for the next two races, which the No. 24 team seems confident about.

Going for wins seems like the better option, especially since Byron’s nearest competitor and teammate Kyle Larson’s history with both tracks. Homestead Miami saw Larson finish in the top 5 twice in 2021 and 2022, with 2023 spoiled with an accident. Martinsville is no different. Kyle Larson has top 5 finishes in his last three races at the track.

Fugle’s excitement is visible as he concludes the interview, saying, “Emily and I won there in trucks and won our first Cup race there, so it’s a place we can go compete and win. I’m excited to get down there and do that.” Although it might sound like Fugle is not confident about going up against Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell in the next two rounds, the driver’s consistency is why fans still have faith in his chance to win the title. So let’s take a look at how his consistency brought him to the third last race of the season.

Will William Byron’s consistency help him make it into the finals?

William Byron has found his pace in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, bagging four back-to-back top-five finishes after a summer slump. His latest result came at the South Point 400 in

Las Vegas, where he finished fourth despite starting with an ill-handling car. Thanks to smart strategy and adjustments made by his crew chief, Rudy Fugle, Byron was able to secure crucial stage points and improve his pace throughout the race.

Byron was in a position to challenge race leader Christopher Bell, but the final stage turned into a fuel mileage battle. While Joey Logano stayed out to win, Byron and Bell opted for a different strategy, ultimately landing Byron in fourth place. Although he didn’t take the victory, Byron’s performance keeps him in the fight, but he’s aware that consistency alone might not be enough to secure a spot in the Championship 4.

Looking ahead, Byron knows that a win at either of the next two tracks—Homestead, where he won in 2021, or Martinsville, where he’s triumphed twice—could punch his ticket to the final round. With the competition as fierce as ever, Byron is determined to continue running up front, knowing that a victory will give him the best shot at his first championship. Do you think that he has a shot at the title this year? Share your thoughts in the comments below.