LONG POND, Pa. — A season filled with missed opportunities and disappointing finishes nearly gained a measure of redemption for William Byron on Sunday. As the closing laps of the Great American Getaway 400 ticked away at Pocono Raceway, Byron knew what was at stake: a chance to turn the page on a difficult 2026 campaign.
But the early season woes crossed the mind of Byron multiple times while cruising inside the top five. He had seen this story before in recent memory.
“I was a little bit nervous in portions of the race because of the way the season has gone,” Byron said after the race. “Everything has started to click.”
Byron took the checkered flag in third position, three seconds behind race winner Denny Hamlin. Tyler Reddick passed the No. 24 car with a few laps remaining to take the runner-up spot.
The podium finish is Byron’s first top five effort since the end of March at Martinsville Speedway, a stretch spanning nine races. He had a similar lapse last year during the summer months before winning at Iowa Speedway in August.
“This was the first weekend where everything came together,” Byron added. “Everything started to make more sense for us with adjustments and the way we attack the weekend.”
Progress has been made internally at Hendrick Motorsports, Byron stated. Chase Elliott has delivered the organization its pair of wins in 2026, but Kyle Larson is amid a 40-race winless streak dating back to last May.
Effort hasn’t been the issue. Byron has seen firsthand the commitment from the No. 24 crew as it searches for answers after a difficult start to the year.
“We’ve been working our asses off,” Byron noted. “Everyone back at the shop. Every week, it feels like we come in and look at all the notes and everything is starting to click. Now, we can use this momentum and keep carving away.”
Byron’s 38-point haul at Pocono marked his third-best points day of the 2026 season. He spent much of the final run chasing down Denny Hamlin through traffic but ultimately equaled his best result of the season (Las Vegas Motor Speedway).
“I guess the last four laps you start to think about that but until then, you can taste a win,” he said. “So you feel like if you can just get the right run and my balance stays with me, I could have an opportunity.”
With 10 races left in the regular season, Byron sits 11th in the standings and trails his Hendrick teammate Elliott by 96 points.