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Byron Fastest at Martinsville in Final Truck Practice

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — William Byron topped the chart in final Camping World Truck Series practice at Martinsville Speedway.

The driver of the No. 9 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 19.687 and a speed of 96.185 mph. Johnny Sauter was second in his No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet with a time of 19.749 and a speed of 95.883 mph. Daniel Suarez was third in his No. 51 KBM Toyota with a time of 19.757 and a speed of 95.845 mph. Cole Custer was fourth in his No. 00 JR Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 19.765 and a speed of 95.806 mph. Tyler Reddick rounded out the top-five in his No. 29 Brad Keselowski Racing Ford with a time of 19.799 and a speed of 95.641 mph.

Ben Rhodes was sixth in his No. 41 ThorSport Racing Toyota. John Hunter Nemechek was seventh in his No. 8 NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet. Spencer Gallagher was eighth in his No. 23 GMS Chevrolet. Daniel Hemric was ninth in his No. 19 BKR Ford. Christopher Bell rounded out the top-10 in his No. 19 KBM Toyota.

Ben Kennedy was 11th, Matt Crafton was 12th and Timothy Peters was the lowest Chase driver in 15th.

Cameron Hayley posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at an average speed of 93.710 mph.

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October 28, 2016
Byron Punches Ticket to Truck Chase Second Round with Win at NHMS
LOUDON, N.H — Dominating doesn’t begin to describe the performance of William Byron at the UNOH 175 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The 18-year-old rookie from Charlotte led 161 of the 175 laps on the way to his sixth Camping World Truck Series win of the season. With the victory in the first race of the Truck Series Chase, Byron advances to the second round.

The only laps that Byron didn’t lead came after a caution for John Hunter Nemechek’s spin on lap 52. A different pit strategy put Byron, who took four tires, in sixth place for the restart behind the leader Cody Coughlin who stayed on the track to inherit the lead. Coughlin held the lead for three laps before Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate Christopher Bell overtook him for the top spot. Eleven laps later, Byron recaptured the lead and held it throughout the rest of the race.

Bell mounted a charge as Byron was negotiating lap traffic and cut the lead to a half second when they received the white flag, but Byron held on for the victory.

Byron, Bell and Coughlin all drive for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

“We had a great truck all weekend,” said Byron. “We were fortunate enough to test here a couple months ago and came with the right mindset on what changes to make. Practice was really important to us. We executed well today and I’m just proud of this KBM team and Liberty University.”

Team Owner Kyle Busch shared his advice for Byron as he headed into the first Truck Series Chase.

“Go fast and turn left,” Busch joked in the media center. “William has done a good job with all the different obstacles that have been put in front of him. This is win number six, so it’s not anything new for this team to go to victory lane. ”

Matt Crafton finished third, Tyler Reddick took home fourth and Timothy Peters rounded out the top-five.

“Everyone at KBM did an awesome job this weekend,” Bell said after his second place finish. “The test we did here proved very helpful and I am proud of that. We tested at three racetracks that we have raced at so far and all three of them the KBM trucks have been excellent at. We were the second best truck here, but we needed a lot more to race for the win.”

Crafton isn’t focusing on the Chase.

“I raced this race like it was any other race,” said Crafton, a two-time Camping World Truck Series Champion. “If you go out there and do your job and all the ducks line up you have a shot. You can’t over-analyze it and over think it and make mistakes. We’re trying to take it one race at a time.”

Cole Custer brought home sixth, Kaz Grala was seventh, Brett Moffitt came in eighth, John Hunter Nemechek was ninth and Johnny Sauter rounded out the top-1o.

The Truck Chaser who had the worst day was Daniel Hemric who blew a tire on lap 25 which broke the brake line and put the Brad Keselowski Racing driver 48 laps down in 28th place.

The Chase Standings after the UNOH 175
1. William Byron
2. Matt Crafton -16
3. Christopher Bell -17
4. John Hunter Nemechek -22
5. Timothy Peters -24
6. Johnny Sauter –26
7. Ben Kennedy -27
8. Daniel Hemric -47
Following the race, the truck of John Hunter Nemechek failed post-race inspection for height requirements. Any penalties will probably be announced on Wednesday.

The Camping World Truck Series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the DC Solar 350 Saturday, Oct. 1.

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September 24, 2016
Hendrick Adds Byron to his Portfolio

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Hendrick’s stock might go even higher after the news that starting next season, William Byron will be racing under the Hendrick umbrella.

Hendrick Motorsports announced today that they signed the current driver of the No. 9 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota to a multi-year agreement. The agreement has him racing for JR Motorsports in a full-time XFINITY Series ride starting in 2017.

“William is a special person and a special talent,” said team owner Rick Hendrick. “It’s been impressive to watch him come up through the ranks and have success at every level. What he’s already accomplished this season has been remarkable. On top of all his ability, he’s a terrific young man from a great family, and we think he has a very bright future with our organization.”

Byron says that it was always “a dream of mine to drive for Hendrick Motorsports. I have so much respect for the way Mr. Hendrick supports his people and encourages everyone to work together. This is the biggest announcement and biggest opportunity of my life, and I will do everything I can to make the most of it. I’m proud to be part of this team.”

Byron is no stranger to the Hendrick umbrella as he drove for JRM’s late model program in 2014 and 2015. In 2014, he scored a victory and 11 top-10 finishes on his way to finishing second in points to teammate Josh Berry.

“I owe so much to Dale Jr. and everyone at JRM for taking a chance on me in 2014,” Byron said. “Looking back, I know none of this would’ve happened without that opportunity.”

He continued on with HScott Motorsports in K&N East Series competition where he won the championship.

Last October, he was signed by Kyle Busch to drive full-time in the Camping World Truck Series for 2016. In 13 races, he’s set a NASCAR record for most wins by a rookie in the Truck Series with five wins, seven top-fives, eight top-10’s, 414 laps led and currently leads the points.

August 18, 2016
The Final Word – Pocono proved a great place to be, whether you be 4 or 24 years old

NASCAR’s most popular driver had his problems this past weekend. He was taken out of his ride by his car owner over some behavioral issues, then later got into hot water by getting into cool water. Barefoot and with his sneakers laying nearby half submerged, four-year-old Keelan Harvick was having a great time. After seeing the little lad sprawled right out in a puddle of water, so were a few of the other drivers. Action for most might have been put off to Monday at Pocono, but for one fellow, a rainy Sunday is a good day.

Monday. Well, Monday was a great day for Chris Buescher. With the fog rolling in at the Pennsylvania 400, he stayed out while others pitted to have the fuel to run the final 22 laps that never were as the race was red flagged. With impending stormy weather ensuring things would not be re-started, the 24-year old claimed his first win in his 27th Cup start. Team owner Bob Jenkins took his second career victory, to go with David Ragan’s 2013 win at Talladega. The win does not put Buescher automatically into the Chase, but he has just six points to make up over the next five races to move into the Top 30 in points to do just that. The man he needs to catch? B.K. Racing’s David Ragan.

Brad Keselowski, Regan Smith, and Keelan’s dad, Kevin Harvick were next, with Tony Stewart rounding out the Top Five. Martin Truex Jr. looked real good for about 20 laps. After his fresh right front went down to send him into the fence, it went all bad. Joey Logano looked real good, too, at least until Chase Elliott drifted up and they both drifted the wall a good one. None of this trio finished among the Top 30.

Kyle Larson went in seeking to at least finish ahead of the law firm of Kahne, Bayne, and Blaney to keep his Chase position well secured. He did, finishing sixth on the day, while Ryan Blaney was 11th, Kasey Kahne 15th, and Trevor Bayne was 19th. That means Kahne sits 20 points out, with Bayne and Blaney 28 away. However, if Buescher moves into the Top 30 and thus, among the 16 Chasers, Jamie McMurray becomes the new target and he sits nine points ahead of Larson.

Jeff Gordon was 27th in his 799th career race. As for the man he replaced, Dale Earnhardt Jr., he falls 47 points out as he recovers from his concussion issue, and out of the conversation for the present. Gordon, by the way, was one of seven drivers at Pocono who were 40 years of age or older. McMurray, Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Stewart, and Greg Biffle were the others. Only Elliott and Blaney were younger than the race winner.

But the kids are coming. In Iowa, 20-year old Erik Jones won the XFINITY race, his third victory of the season. The lone Cup representative, Keselowski, finished eighth. I bet he feels like a loser. As for the Camping World truck event in Pocono, 19-year old William Byron claimed his fifth race of the season. The kid has taken four of the last six contests. Would it not be nice to talk about those boys on their way up, and a bit less about Keselowski and Kyle Busch when it comes to these series? Of course, it would. One day, maybe the seven-race cut off for rookie eligibility might be used as a cut-off for the number of races one can run outside of their registered division in a season. Maybe.

Talking about kids, check out this weekend’s CARS Late Model Stock Tour at Orange County in North Carolina on YouTube. Sixteen-year-old Chase Purdy was racing hard and turned 24-year old Ryan Wilson. Wilson was not happy, got out of his car and stood on the track to stop Purdy under caution. He then took down the window net and punched the young man a few times. Something tells me they run under different rules than NASCAR. Oh, by the way, Purdy finished the 100 lap race in seventh, while Wilson’s best car in his stable is now junk.

Meanwhile, where was Keelan on Monday? Maybe dad took his car off of the blocks and let our new favorite return to racing. As for the young Harvick’s favorite driver? Well, that would be Kyle Busch, of course.

August 1, 2016
The View from my Recliner — Just before the Brickyard
I am writing this in anticipation of missing the Brickyard 400 live because I will be returning home from a wedding. My DVR better not let me down.

Some thoughts before the green is dropped tomorrow.

The piece on NBCSN with Tony Stewart reading letters from Robin Miller, Greg Zippadelli, Eddie Jarvis and his dad should be a great piece to watch. If the preview of the story is just a touch of what you will see, it should be a great five minutes on the pre-race show.

You would think by watching promos for the Brickyard that Jeff Gordon was the only person running at Indy. Smart move on NBCSN to use a Fox Sports commentator as your promo. It should be interesting to see how Gordon fares in the 88 car.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s concussion-like symptoms kept him out of the car at New Hampshire and will keep him out at Indy and Pocono; the future is still to be determined. I think the decision on Earnhardt’s part to skip races to get healthy is the right move. He has a life to live and if he isn’t 100 percent physically in a race car, going 200 mph can cause further issues as he moves forward in life, possibly hurt another driver and cost him more than a chance at a championship. Smart move Jr.

Richard Childress said this week that he is getting closer to solidifying his driver line-up for next year. My prediction is that he brings the charter that belongs to Circle Sport-Levine Family racing back to RCR and puts Ty Dillon into a fourth RCR entry. I think Childress values what Ryan Newman brings to the team and will keep him in a car. The RCR ride for Paul Menard is the best ride that he and his family can buy and Austin Dillon is going nowhere.

It is nice to see Roush Fenway Racing getting back to where they were during the days of when Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards ran for them. Jack Roush is a legend of the sport and you weren’t going to keep him and his team down forever. He went young with drivers and will continue to improve as his drivers grow with experience.

The truck race at Eldora was the best race all season in all three NASCAR national touring series. Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell and Bobby Pierce put on a great show in the front of the field and throughout the race, you could see three and four wide at times trying to get a position. It was the most exciting race of the season and I am already looking forward to next year’s truck race.

Five predictions going forward:
1. Tony Stewart wins the Brickyard 400 to solidify his spot in the Chase and add to his final season.
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will not make the Chase and because of that, he might not run for an extended period of time.
3. Ryan Blaney will make the Chase.
4. William Byron will be announced as a Joe Gibbs Racing XFINITY Driver in 2017.
5. Kevin Harvick’s pit crew will be outstanding going forward. Last week’s public tongue lashing will solidify the over the wall guys because they know their jobs are on the line.
Enjoy the Brickyard and we’ll talk next time with the View from My Recliner.
July 23, 2016
Byron Holds off Late Charge to Score Fourth Victory of Season

SPARTA, Ky. — It was a tight battle for the win in the final 15 laps, but William Byron held off late charges from both Daniel Hemric and John Hunter Nemechek to score the victory in the Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 in the Bluegrass State.

It’s the fourth career victory in 12 career starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, sixth top-10 finish of 2016 and first in two starts at Kentucky Speedway for the driver of the No. 9 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota. The win was also the 51st for the organization, which breaks a tie with Roush Fenway Racing for the most wins by an organization in the history of the Camping World Truck Series.

Nemechek posted his fifth top-10 of the season and first in three starts at Kentucky in his No. 8 NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet. Hermic posted his eighth top-10 finish of the season and first top-10 finish in three races at Kentucky in his No. 19 Brad Keselowski Racing Ford. Christopher Bell finished fourth in his No. 4 KBM Toyota. Johnny Sauter led 14 laps on his way to rounding out the top-five in his No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet.

Cameron Hayley finished sixth in his No. 13 ThorSport Racing Toyota. Brandon Jones finished seventh in his No. 71 Ranier Racing Chevrolet. Matt Crafton finished eighth in his No. 8 TSR Toyota. Timothy Peters led five laps on his way to a ninth-place finish in his No. 17 Red Horse Racing Toyota. Tyler Reddick led one lap on his way to rounding out the top-10 in his No. 29 BKR Ford.

Daniel Suárez, who led 59 laps, finished 11th. Tommy Joe Martins, who led one lap, retired from the race due to overheating and finished 26th.

Eighteen cars finished the race on the lead lap and 25 were running at the finish.

The race lasted one hour, 55 minutes and 41 seconds at an average speed of 116.698 mph. There were nine lead changes among six different drivers and five cautions for 32 laps.

Byron leaves Kentucky with a 13-point lead over Crafton in the drivers’ points standings.

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July 7, 2016
Despite Setbacks, Christopher Bell Continues to Shine

The 2016 season has been a roller-coaster year for Christopher Bell. A wild ride at Daytona turned into a cut tire while leading at Atlanta, which turned into a missed shift and a broken transmission on the first lap at Texas. Still, with two top-five and four top-10s in 2016, he’s not too far back in the points to turn things around. As a Kyle Busch Motorsports rookie, he and teammate William Byron were expected to lead the rookie charge in 2016.

But while Byron has elevated his status from championship contender to championship threat following his Iowa win Saturday night, Bell has struggled to find the right rhythm for his No. 4 Toyota team. His season stats tell the tale; 16th, 26th, 19th, fourth, third, eighth, 32nd, and ninth. But what they don’t tell is how he was running in the top-five before flipping at Daytona, or how he led 42 laps at Atlanta and was leading when he crashed. Or how he was running near the front at Martinsville before getting caught up in a backstretch tangle late in the race.

Bell is a talented driver, just as talented as Byron. But Byron has championship experience in Crew Chief Rudy Fugle and the best Toyota team in the Camping World Truck Series. While Bell’s Crew Chief Jerry Baxter has 31 years of experience in the position and has won with former KBM driver Darrell Wallace Jr., it doesn’t help that Bell has had his share of bad luck.

Already armed with one CWTS win (Eldora, 2015), Bell has been in contention for wins all season long. Sure, it’s easy to count him out considering the success his teammate is experiencing, but don’t let Byron’s wins set the standard for the way Bell’s successes are judged. Kyle Busch knew what he was going to get out of Bell when he first hired him and compared to his 2015 stats, Bell is where he should be performance wise.

Not every winner is a Jones or a Byron. But that doesn’t make them a one-hit wonder, either. Bell needs more experience and thankfully, the CWTS season is only eight races in and luckily for Bell Eldora lies ahead. He’s shown strength at every track so far this season, so he could win at any of the tracks coming up before the Chase kicks in.

It’s too early to doubt Bell or to count him out of contention. He’s a rookie, and he’s doing what rookies normally do; learn. He’s learning and posting strong results when possible. He’ll gain momentum, he’ll gain consistency, and he’ll gain confidence. Those top-10s will pile up, but he just needs time.

June 19, 2016
Byron Wins Truck Series at Iowa, Moves to Second in Points

William Byron continued his streak of successes in 2016 by winning the Speediatrics 200 at Iowa Speedway, his third win in nine career starts. Unlike his other victories at Kansas and Texas, Byron had the dominant truck this time, starting fifth and leading 107 laps. Cole Custer finished second in his JR Motorsports Chevrolet, while ThorSport drivers Cameron Hayley and Ben Rhodes took third and fourth, respectively. Rounding out the top-five was Brad Keselowski Racing driver Tyler Reddick, who led 37 laps.

With this win Byron moves to second in the Camping World Truck Series points behind Matt Crafton, who has an 11-point cushion. But with this being the first year of the CWTS Chase system, based off of the Sprint Cup playoff format, Byron currently holds the top seed in the Chase with his three wins.

Custer’s first race with new Crew Chief Marcus Richmond paid off, taking the lead on lap 188 and hanging on for three laps until Byron took over the lead for good on lap 191. Said Custer of his race, “For the first 10 laps or so, the others were probably better than us on four tires. After that it kind of equaled out. I thought I had them there when I took the lead. I can’t thank Marcus and everyone enough. They worked their tails off all weekend. I really appreciate that. I think we’re going in the right direction.”

Custer sits 11th in points, 65 points out of first. His runner-up finish is his best result of 2016, previously trumping his season-best of fifth at Dover in May.

Another notable in the top-five was fellow rookie Ben Rhodes, who took his No. 41 ThorSport to a fourth-place finish after contending for the lead on the lap 188 restart. Rhodes and third-place finisher Cameron Hayley were a pair of bright points in the week for the ThorSport Racing organization.

On Monday a fire demolished the shop the organization operates out of, causing damage to several trucks and equipment. The organization is one of the longest-running teams in the CWTS, and with two trucks in the top-five at Iowa and a third truck in eighth, the team will take this momentum and carry it to Gateway while the team continues the process of rebuilding.

June 19, 2016
William Byron’s Win Proves Kyle Busch Picks Most Talented Drivers

When William Byron began his first full season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports, he was expected to have a few good runs throughout the season. The 18-year-old already had a championship under his belt when he won the 2015 K&N Pro Series East championship driving for HScott Motorsports in partnership with Justin Marks, so he had already proven he had the talent needed to win in one of NASCAR’s biggest series.

It took him five starts, but at Kansas on Saturday, he managed to hold off two-time series champion Matt Crafton for his first series win. With that win, Byron validated KBM owner Kyle Busch’s decision to sign him, and Byron became another shining star on the rise in NASCAR. Currently lined up with rookie teammates Cody Coughlin and Christopher Bell, Byron’s KBM predecessors include current XFINITY Series superstar and five-time race winner for KBM’s truck program Bubba Wallace and 2014 Rookie of the Year/truck series champion Erik Jones.

A lot of the success could be credited to the Joe Gibbs Racing engines that the KBM Toyotas receive, but let’s not sell the drivers short. Jones and Bell may be champions and Wallace may have been a multiple-time winner, but Coughlin comes from a long line of racers and has more than a few years experience in stock cars, while Bell, a former dirt standout, won at Eldora last year in his third truck series start.

HOMESTEAD, FL – NOVEMBER 20, 2015: Erik Jones, driver of the No. 4 Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images

How Busch came across Jones is a great example of how the KBM drivers are graded in regards to potential. In the 2012 Snowball Derby held at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Jones was able to hold off Busch to score his first win in the prestigious event. Busch immediately made a move to sign Jones to his race team, and it paid off within a year as Jones scored his first series win, then two years later scored his first championship.

With Byron, it may not be something as dramatic as Jone’s big break, but it’s obvious Busch saw how fast the kid is. He’s been fast all through the 2016 season, and although he had a shaky start at Daytona and an engine failure at Atlanta, he’s been mounting an excellent title offense and now that he’s solidly in the Chase, he can focus on getting more wins and bettering himself as a driver. With that, Byron could place an emphasis on being a championship threat and carrying on that winning heritage at KBM.

May 7, 2016
William Byron wins in Trucks at Kansas

William Byron was up front when it mattered in the end to score his maiden victory in NASCAR in America’s heartland.

The driver of the No. 9 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota took advantage of Ben Rhodes getting into race leader Johnny Sauter going into turn 3 on the final lap to win the Toyota Tundra 250 at Kansas Speedway. It’s the first career victory in the Camping World Truck Series for the 18 year old out of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Matt Crafton led a race high of 57 laps on his way to a runner-up finish in his No. 88 ThorSport Racing Toyota. Daniel Hemric rounds out the podium in his No. 19 Brad Keselowski Racing Ford. Christopher Bell led five laps on his way to a fourth-place finish in his No. 4 KBM Toyota. Clint Bowyer rounded out the top-five in his No. 24 GMS Racing Chevrolet.

Ryan Truex finished sixth in his No. 81 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota. Cole Custer finished seventh in his No. 00 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. Timothy Peters led one lap on his way to an eighth-place finish in his No. 17 Red Horse Racing Toyota. Ben Kennedy finished ninth in his No. 33 GMSR Chevrolet. Spencer Gallagher rounded out the top-10 in his No. 23 GMSR Chevrolet.

The race lasted two hours and 21 minutes at an average speed of 108.511 mph. There were 19 lead changes among nine different drivers and 11 cautions for 47 laps.

Peters leaves Kansas with an eight-point lead over Hemric in the point standings.

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May 7, 2016