For the second time in his career, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron will have the opportunity to race for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship. In a race all the way to the checkered flag, Byron drove his No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 to a sixth-place result. Ending the race with a four-point advantage over the playoff cutline, Byron took the fourth and final position in the Championship Four.
· Despite a valiant effort all race long, Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott and Kyle came just short of a ticket into the Championship Four – ultimately driving their Camaro ZL1’s to a second and third-place finish, respectively, in the Round of Eight elimination race at Martinsville Speedway. While each endured challenges throughout the race, the pair of teammates proved to be contenders throughout the 500-lap event – collectively leading 200 laps en route to their podium finishes.
· Chevrolet will have the opportunity to race for a driver championship in all three NASCAR national series next weekend, with Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill and JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier advancing to the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship four, and CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger and McAnally Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes racing for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship.
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:
Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1
Finished: 3rd
“I’m proud of the effort from this No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevy team. This whole Round of Eight has been a fight, really. From the first stage at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) on, it’s been a fight. I feel like we made the right pit call to give ourselves the best opportunity. I’m proud of my team; the car, the pit crew, everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. We just didn’t have enough. I actually thought that when Chase (Elliott) got to second, I thought he was going to drive right to me and pass me easily. I was surprised I held on as long as I did, so it gave me hope. But then we just fell off the last 30 laps or so.”
Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1
Finished: 2nd
How do you sum up the strategy call?
“It was a great call. It got us right there in the mix and we had an opportunity. I just made a couple mistakes there past halfway and got some damage on our car. I think that hurt a little bit. Just little things started stacking up. I was pushing really hard trying to get to the No. 5 (Kyle Larson). I just felt like Ryan (Blaney) had been really good. I was scared to give him an opportunity to get to the No. 5 first. I just really wanted to try to get the lead. And then you never know, maybe a caution comes out or something. It just didn’t work out for us. We’ll go to Phoenix (Raceway) and try to put together a good weekend.”
You were so confident coming into this race, but you never know with how these races go. There was a lot going on there at the end.
“Yeah, I don’t know what all was going on there, to be honest. All I know is that we came up one spot short and it’s unfortunate.”
How would you summarize this race for yourself and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevy team?
“Really solid. Like I said, I just made a couple mistakes there and got some damage on our car. I think that hurt us, and I just didn’t manage the last run very well.”
William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1
Finished: 6th
What are your emotions here at the end of this race?
“Yeah, I’ve never been a part of anything like this, so I don’t really know how to feel. I hate it for everyone involved, but I’m happy for this No. 24 Liberty University Chevy team. I’m happy for us moving on, and we’ll go on and focus on Phoenix (Raceway).”
I know your mind is on Martinsville here, but from a broader perspective, what’s your thoughts, expectations, optimism heading to Phoenix?
“I have not gotten there yet (laughs). I’ll think about this one here at Martinsville (Speedway) with my team. We had a lot of adversity through the second half of the race there. Yeah, I mean we know what the rules are, right? So it is what it is. I wouldn’t say I’m happy, but I’m excited to race for a championship, that’s for sure.”
Daniel Hemric, No. 31 High Point Paint Services Camaro ZL1
Finished: 13th
“Really fast No. 31 High Point Paint Services Chevrolet all weekend. We kept our track position and made some gains during the first stage. Getting spun by the 77 set us back a bit. Fortunately, a timely caution and some solid adjustments helped get us some track position back, and we were able to get a top-20 finish out of it.”
UP NEXT: The NASCAR Cup Series will head to Phoenix Raceway next weekend for the 2024 Championship Race. Coverage of the 312-lap event can be found on Sunday, Nov. 10, at 3 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
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