Overview

• Byron begins his seventh straight Cup Series postseason after clinching the regular-season championship that banked 15 playoff points.
• He leads the series with 915 laps led, including a record 243 consecutive at Darlington in May, alongside a 13.9 average finish with nine top fives and 13 top 10s.
• Addressing questions about summer form, Byron called the slump narrative overblown and pointed to an August rebound capped by an Iowa win.
• NASCAR detailed an unapproved splitter adjustment on his No. 24 at Daytona on August 23, triggering crew chief Rudy Fugle’s ejection, a revoked pit selection, and a pass-through penalty with no points deduction.
• The playoffs open Sunday at Darlington, where Byron enters second in the standings with a 26-point buffer above the cutline as all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers make the field.