Rookie William Byron scores fifth Truck Series win of season
Camping World Truck Series rookie William Byron captured yet another win Saturday, rolling to Victory Lane in the Pocono Mountain 150 at Pocono Raceway.
It was the series-high fifth win of the season for the 18-year-old Byron, who previously won at Kentucky, Iowa, Texas and Kansas.
"Honestly, this is just a credit to this team," Byron told FOX Sports in Victory Lane. "This team is a great group of guys. (Crew chief) Rudy Fugle leads them all, the pit crew is great. We just have great chemistry. We all just show up and do our jobs, and we love being here."
Byron survived a record nine cautions in Saturday's race to score his latest triumph, leading a race-high 44 of 60 laps along the way.
On the final restart with four to go, Byron held off challenges from Cameron Hayley and Brett Moffitt -- as Byron surged to the front once again on the outside as Hayley, Moffitt and others unsuccessfully tried the inside line.
The five wins by Byron represent a record for a rookie in the series, breaking a tie he held with Kurt Busch, the older brother of his boss at Kyle Busch Motorsports, Sprint Cup driver Kyle Busch. But with no Kyle Busch in the field Saturday, it was Byron's turn to dominate in a KBM truck -- and he did not disappoint.
Haley came home in second, with Brett Moffitt, Timothy Peters and Cole Custer rounding out the top five.
"We would have liked to get the win, but, man, that 9 (of Byron) was fast," Haley said. "He would just drive away."
No one seriously challenged Byron for most of the afternoon. The only other drivers to lead any laps at all were Peters, who led four, and Spencer Gallagher, who led 12 and was running 12th when his spin brought out the ninth and final caution. Gallagher did salvage a 15th-place finish with a spectacular save that kept his No. 23 truck off the outside wall.
"We would have liked to get the win, but, man, that 9 (of Byron) was fast," Haley said. "He would just drive away."
Byron said he doesn't take the wins for granted.
"These things don't come easily at all," Byron said. "It's a good thing when you just get one."
And now he has a record five to his credit, which is more than enough to not only lock him into the inaugural Truck Series Chase to the championship but clearly makes him the title favorite as it approaches.
"I think our team is really well positioned for that," Bryon said. "We have so much laser-focus on what we're doing right now. Nothing from the outside is throwing us off our game."
Well, except for a trip to Eldora Speedway, where Byron ran on dirt for the first time in his young career and spun out before finishing 14th.
"Last week was a struggle," Byron admitted. "I was just ready to get back on asphalt to try and get back to something I'm used to. It's just a credit to this team to be able to come back and get a win."
