Latest news with #RaptorHighHeatChevrolet
Newsweek
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
William Byron Lost It All as Strategy Call Backfires
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. William Byron was on his way to a glorious NASCAR Cup Series victory at the Michigan International Speedway, but the same strategy that nearly helped him win backfired greatly. He led the race for 98 laps but had to go down pit road with just four laps to go. The Michigan race demanded drivers to be quick, but they also needed to conserve fuel at the same time. It turned out that the race strategy to maintain a dominant lead during the race consumed more gas from Byron's car, which then prevented him from winning. He had to pit to refuel and settle for a 28th place finish. Denny Hamlin passed him and claimed his third victory of the season. Speaking to Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports, Byron admitted that it was hard to save fuel and maintain the lead. He said: William Byron, driver of the #24 Raptor High Heat Chevrolet, enters his car during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on May 31, 2025 in Lebanon, Tennessee. William Byron, driver of the #24 Raptor High Heat Chevrolet, enters his car during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on May 31, 2025 in Lebanon, Tennessee."We end up running out there. We needed one and a half laps more fuel, so we probably saved three quarters of a lap, I guess. It was hard to save enough obviously and keep the lead, and also kinda drew him [Hamlin] in. "It seemed like he could just run hard, didn't seem like he had to worry about fuel at all. I was having [to] kinda do both. He got me there for sure, but I was going to run out. It was racing, and then it didn't really matter because we ran out." When asked if he would follow a more conservative approach for the regular season title or if he would just go for the win, Byron said: "Just try to go for the win. I felt like we had one of the dominant cars all day, and unfortunately, when you're so close to a window like that, you are right in front, you burn a lot more fuel. It was time to manage both. It sucks." William Byron was told to keep the lead and save fuel. He wasn't able to save enough. His thoughts after a potential win turned into a 28th-place finish. @NASCARONFOX — Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 8, 2025 Byron admitted in another interview that there was not much he could do in such a situation. He told Sports on Prime: "We didn't have enough. We were going to run out with a lap and a half left, we did run out with a lap and a half left. I was trying to manage both [and] manage the gap and save [gas]. It sucks, it really stings. Not able to do much about that. It is what it is." Running out of gas was the detriment for @WilliamByron today. #NASCARonPrime — Sports on Prime (@SportsonPrime) June 8, 2025 FireKeepers Casino 400 Cup Series Race Results 1. Denny Hamlin 2. Chris Buescher 3. Ty Gibbs 4. Bubba Wallace 5. Kyle Larson 6. Ross Chastain 7. Zane Smith 8. Kyle Busch 9. Ryan Preece 10. Brad Keselowski 11. Erik Jones 12. Josh Berry 13. Tyler Reddick 14. Daniel Suarez 15. Chase Elliott 16. Christopher Bell 17. AJ Allmendinger 18. Shane van Gisbergen 19. Austin Dillon 20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 21. Justin Haley 22. Joey Logano 23. Chase Briscoe 24. Ty Dillon 25. Riley Herbst 26. Cody Ware 27. Noah Gragson 28. William Byron 29. Carson Hocevar 30. Michael McDowell 31. Austin Cindric 32. Ryan Blaney 33. Todd Gilliland 34. John H Nemechek 35. Cole Custer 36. Alex Bowman
Gulf Today
04-06-2025
- Automotive
- Gulf Today
Ryan Blaney races to first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the year at Nashville
Ryan Blaney and Team Penske have been fast with his No. 12 Ford Mustang this year only to have races slip away when it mattered most. Blaney ran away down the stretch for his first Cup Series victory of the year Sunday night at Nashville Superspeedway, then he celebrated with a burnout in front of the roaring fans after what he called a rough year. "I'm ready to go celebrate,' Blaney said. The 2023 Cup champ had been racing well with five top-five finishes over the first half of this season. He finally got to victory lane for his 14th career victory and first since Martinsville in November after leading a race-high 139 laps. "I never gave up hope that's for sure," Blaney said. "We've had great speed all year. It just hasn't really been the best year for us as far as good fortune. But (No.) 12 boys are awesome. They stick with it no matter how it goes.' He became the ninth different winner this season and the fifth driver to win in as many races at Nashville. He also gave Team Penske a second straight Cup win at Nashville's 1.33-mile concrete track. Blaney, who started 15th, quickly drove his way to the front as he won the second stage. He easily held off Carson Hocevar by 2.83 seconds. Hocevar matched his career-best finish at Atlanta in February after complaining during the race that his No. 77 Chevrolet was undriveable. "Either I'm really dramatic or they're really good on adjustments," Hocevar said. "Probably a little bit of both, but, yeah, proud of this group proud of this car. A place that is really, really difficult to pass, we're able to go 26th to second.' Ryan Blaney celebrates with a burnout after winning the race. AFP Denny Hamlin finished third in his 700th career Cup Series race, matching the third-place finish by Jeff Gordon at Darlington in 2013 for the best finish in a driver's 700th race. Joey Logano, who won here last year, was fourth and William Byron fifth. Hamlin was hoping for one more caution that never came after seven cautions for 35 laps. "Just couldn't run with the 12 (Blaney) there in the super long run," Hamlin said. "After 40 laps, I could maintain with him. But then after that, he just pulled away and stretched it on us.' There was a sprint to the finish under green forcing teams and drivers to pick and choose went to pit. Blaney had led 107 laps when he went to the pits under green flag on lap 248. Hamlin took the lead before going to pit road on lap 256. Crew chief Jonathan Hassler said they decided on Blaney's fifth and final pit stop trying to make sure he could get back out into the cleanest air possible. "It was really nice just to finish off a race,' Hassler said. Brad Keselowski had the lead when he went to the pits on lap 269. Blaney took the lead for the final 31 laps. Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, William Byron, driver of the #24 Raptor High Heat Chevrolet, and Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Cardell Cabinetry Ford, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee. AFP Hamlin raced Sunday night hoping to take advantage of his starting spot spot beside pole-sitter Chase Briscoe. Whether Hamlin would chase his third win this season had been in question with his third child, a boy, due the same day. Hamlin practiced and qualified well, so he drove his No. 11 Toyota even as Joe Gibbs Racing had Ryan Truex on standby in case Hamlin got the call that his fiancee was in labor. Hamlin won the first stage and survived the final stretch without water or fresh air. Tyler Reddick beat his boss Hamlin, a co-owner of his 23XI Racing team, to new parent status, which Reddick announced on social media earlier Sunday. His family welcomed their second son at 2:20 am on May 25, then Reddick followed up hours later by finishing 26th in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. didn't finish his first race this year. He was the first out when Hocevar tapped his No. 47 Chevrolet, spinning Stenhouse into the wall between Turns 3 and 4 for the second caution of the race on lap 106. AJ Allmendinger started at the back of the field and served a stop-and-go penalty after the green flag for an unapproved adjustment to the splitter during Saturday's practice. His No. 16 Chevrolet was sent back to the garage and then the scanning station before practice and qualifying. The No. 66 Ford of Chad Finchum failed inspection twice leading to engineer Austin Webb's ejection. The Garage 66 team also lost pit stall selection. NASCAR heads to Michigan International Speedway for the Cup Series on June 8. Associated Press
