In a thrilling display of speed and skill, William Byron took to the historic Darlington Raceway and set a new record during the qualifying session for the upcoming race. With a blistering lap time of 28.774 seconds, Byron not only secured the pole position but also paid homage to the legendary Jeff Gordon with his vibrant throwback scheme on the No. 24 Chevrolet.
A fierce competition
The qualifying session was nothing short of exhilarating, with just over a tenth of a second separating the drivers from second to tenth place. Byron’s performance stood out, as he outpaced Ryan Preece by a narrow margin of 0.084 seconds, marking Preece’s best qualifying effort at Darlington and only his fourth front-row start in his career. Byron’s achievement is particularly impressive as it marks his 15th career pole and his second of the 2025 season.
Byron’s reflections on his lap
Despite his record-setting lap, Byron expressed a sense of humility and a desire for improvement. “The lap — I felt like (Turns) 1 and 2 were really good,” he remarked. “I felt like I gave up a little bit in (Turn) 4. You can kind of see that on the tracker, which was good enough to get through there.” His focus on refining his performance showcases the drive and determination that has propelled him to the top of the charts.
The competition heats up
As Byron prepares for the race, he will face strong competition from seasoned drivers like Denny Hamlin, who qualified third after a dominant win at Martinsville the previous week. Other notable drivers, including Chase Briscoe and Bubba Wallace, secured fourth and fifth positions, respectively. The session remained clean, although a few drivers collected their ‘Darlington stripes’ by brushing against the outside wall, a common occurrence at this challenging track.
While Byron’s performance was stellar, his teammates faced challenges, with Chase Elliott qualifying 15th and Kyle Larson in 19th. Even Christopher Bell, a contender for pole position, could only manage 17th. This unpredictability adds to the excitement of the race, as fans eagerly await to see how the drivers will perform on race day.
As the race approaches, Byron’s record-breaking lap serves as a reminder of the talent and potential within the younger generation of drivers in NASCAR. With his eyes set on victory, Byron is ready to take on the challenge at Darlington, aiming to convert his pole position into a triumphant win.