Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Byron’s win just adds to 2021’s wacky start
Three races, three different winners, and a whole lot of parity to start this NASCAR season.
William Byron’s dominant showing at Homestead-Miami Speedway over the weekend continued a wacky start to a 2021 season that has so far seen Michael McDowell, Christopher Bell and Byron all visit Victory Lane.
The usual suspects — guys like Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney — are still searching for speed through the first three weeks, while Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. appear to to be close, but not quite there yet.
Time to dive in!
First gear
We can’t do anything without giving Billy the Kid his due.
Byron led a career-high 102 laps Sunday and was the dominant car for the second half of the race. He became Homestead’s youngest winner at 23, and collected a whole bunch of playoff points along the way. The win was equally important for crew chief Rudy Fugle, who is replacing Chad Knaus atop Byron’s pitbox this season.
Fugle and Byron worked together in the Truck Series, but to win in just your third Cup race together could open the floodgates for Byron in his fourth Cup season.
Second gear
Maybe it’s time to start taking Michael McDowell seriously.
The 36-year-old won the Daytona 500, followed that up with an eighthplace showing on the road course, and then finished sixth at Homestead for Front Row Motorsports’ first ever top-10 on a 1.5-mile track.
McDowell is already locked into the postseason, has five playoff points through three races, and is one of only two drivers to open the year with three top-10s.
Not a bad leap for someone who recorded four top-10s all of last season.
Third gear
Speaking of breakout performances, how about Chris Buescher? The 28-yearold had the car to beat early on Sunday, leading 57 laps and winning Stage 1.
While Buescher ultimately finished 19th, he showed race-winning speed most of the afternoon, and could be ready to finally visit Victory Lane for the first time since his rain-shortened Pocono win in 2016.
Fourth gear
Taking a look at the point standings through three weeks, and two names that jump out are Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch.
Blaney, who sits in 24th, has had a forgettable start to the season. He wrecked on Lap 14 of the Daytona 500, was a nonfactor on the Road Course, and then finished 29th on Sunday.
Team Penske teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski, meanwhile, were fighting for the win at the 500, while Logano nearly won on the road course and Keselowski led 44 laps Sunday.
Busch’s start to the year has been equally miserable, and is a bit more concerning considering the down year he had last season.
The two-time champion finished 14th in the 500 and then had a bad day from the start at on the road course, finishing 35th after cutting a tire.
While Busch managed to finish 10th at Miami, the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran was clearly frustrated with his car all afternoon, especially with teammate Martin Truex Jr. running so well.
Sitting at 18th in the points through the first three weeks, Busch’s performance will be something to monitor going forward.