"William Byron will try to drive his way into NASCAR history Sunday when he attempts to become the first winner of three consecutive Daytona 500s. He'll have to do it in a backup Chevrolet after his preferred No. 24 was damaged in a qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway. No big deal, though: Byron won his first Daytona 500 in 2024 in a Hendrick Motorsports backup car."
""It's hard. You're going to need things to fall your way," Hamlin said of Byron's chances. "In 2021, I legit thought we were going to get (it). We led the most laps in that race, was really fast, but didn't work out on the last pit sequence. "There's an element of fortune there that has to fall your way. Last year, he was fortunate on the last lap there, but if you put yourself in the top eight you can get fortunate at times. He puts himself in the top eight, which is what matters.""
William Byron will attempt a third straight Daytona 500 victory while using a backup Chevrolet after his primary No. 24 was damaged in a qualifying race. Byron previously won the 2024 Daytona 500 in a backup car and will start 39th in the 41-car field. Byron's recent wins came from opportunistic positioning rather than sustained dominance, as he led only 14 combined laps in his last two victories. Multiple past drivers narrowly missed three straight wins, and competitors say luck and positioning in the top eight are critical to success.
Read at ESPN.com
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