[autotag]William Byron[/autotag] enters the 2023 NASCAR playoffs with 36 playoff points, which is tied with Martin Truex Jr. for the most in the series. Byron also leads the NASCAR Cup Series with five victories, including a dominating performance at Watkins Glen International. Due to the Hendrick Motorsports driver’s performances, it is safe to consider him a championship favorite.
In fact, Byron was picked to win the 2023 Cup Series title in our NASCAR playoff predictions before the race weekend at Darlington Raceway. During his press conference on Playoff Media Day, Byron was asked if it feels weird to see people list him as a title favorite despite not having any experience in the Championship 4.
“Yeah, I don’t want to think about that until we get to that point,” Byron said. “I feel like we have to work our way through the rounds and do the best job we can at all the opening tracks. It’s nice to have good bonus points and it’s nice to have that in our back pocket.”
Repost to congratulate William Byron on his NASCAR Cup Series WIN at Watkins Glen! pic.twitter.com/0DzL5R2fq9
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) August 20, 2023
“But, I’ve seen how the playoffs have played out over the last few years, and you can’t get ahead of yourself. We have to do a good job in each round and take it one race at a time.”
Byron currently sits 29 points above the playoff cut-line as the field is closer than normal in the point standings. Nothing might be safe in the 2023 NASCAR playoffs; however, it feels like any driver who wants a chance at the championship will need to go through Byron due to his speed and consistency.
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