There are days in NASCAR when everything just clicks for a driver – the car’s fast, the team’s locked in, and the chequered flag feels like it’s already got the driver’s name on it.
And yet things go down from there. That’s precisely what happened with William Byron on Sunday in Michigan — right up until it all fell apart, with about one lap to go.
A Day That Looked Like a Dream for William Byron, Until It Wasn’t
Byron, driving that iconic No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, had Michigan in his hands. He looked calm, confident, and ready to grab his second win of the season. But racing isn’t always fair, and this time, it was fuel that did him dirty.
With just over one lap left, Byron’s car simply ran dry. After leading 98 of the 200 laps and fending off a late push from Denny Hamlin, the fuel tank gave up on him. From the front of the field to a highly disappointing 28th-place finish — it happened in a blink.
A late surge for @WilliamByron, and he takes Stage 2! pic.twitter.com/89u2POLwDi
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 8, 2025
Still, it’s not all doom and gloom. Byron’s pace was scary fast all day, leading him to win a stage and collect the 12th highest points of the day. But in the post-race chat, anyone could tell he’d already made peace with it, even though he was bummed.
Byron’s Calm After the Chaos
“We needed one and a half laps more of fuel. It was hard to save enough, obviously,” Byron said after the race, speaking to Bob Pockrass with the kind of calm fans don’t always see after a heartbreak like that. “I was gonna run out, so yeah, it was all racing and it didn’t really matter because we ran out.”
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 pic.twitter.com/aSdAGOD0OG
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 8, 2025
That’s Byron, steady as ever. The 26-year-old may not have parked it in Victory Lane yesterday, but he’s still sitting on top of the regular-season standings, 41 points clear of teammate Kyle Larson. He’s been leading laps relentlessly lately, but he just hasn’t had the luck to seal the deal.
This was the third time in recent weeks where Byron led the most laps and came up short — first at Darlington, then Charlotte, now Michigan. It stings, no doubt. But what stings more is knowing he’s been that close every single time.
The only good thing is that he’s not panicking. His crew knows they’ve got speed. The strategy will eventually line up, and when it does, others need to look out.
Byron didn’t lose much in the big picture. He bagged 29 points, which was the 12th-highest tally on the day. And the cherry on the top is that he still looks like a title favourite.
He might’ve missed out on a win or two, but Byron’s still one of the hottest drivers in the garage. And if the last few races are any sign, it’s only a matter of time before he gets another win.