20-year-old Byron gets tutorials in road races
SONOMA, Calif. — William Byron points of road racing from two coaches.
He also used a simulator, did countless hours of study and drove Saturday in the K&N Pro Series race to prepare at Sonoma Raceway.
“I feel like I’ve made some good progress on the road courses this year,” K&N race.
The 20-year-old rookie still realizes that nothing substitutes for experience on the winding turns and changing elevation of this unique track. Even then, driver to sustain any career success in a race that hasn’t had a repeat winner since 2000.
Byron is a quick study, though: He qualified in eighth in his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on Saturday, putting himself in position to be a player Sunday in a race that nearly anybody can win.
“(On Friday) I really started getting my rhythm of what I needed to do better,” Byron said. “I kind of put that all together (Saturday) to try to get where we need to be. It was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it. It was cool.”
Sonoma is a highly enjoyable stop on the Cup circuit for most of the drivers, but it’s even more fun for their families California for a pleasant weekend. The area’s gracious vibe contrasts sharply circuit with only three non-oval courses on its schedule.
“These are the types of events where, honestly, nobody cares about the race except us,” Kevin Harvick said. “Everybody has a hell of a time when they come to Sonoma, because they can bring their wife, bring their friends, and the sponsors all come and we have big events. It could be the best race you’ve ever seen at Sonoma or the worst race, but everybody is going to have a great time.”
BYRON,
Byron isn’t the only driver doing extra preparation for those sharp turns, though. Aric Almirola has struggled mightily on road courses throughout his career, and 14th in six career starts at Sonoma. He has rededicated himself to learning the skill for Stewart-Haas Racing.
“Road racing was never something that I looked forward to,” said Almirola, - urday. “Always something I just marked on my calendar that I had to go do, and I just wanted to minimize risk. a weak link. I put a tremendous amount of work in the simulator. I wanted to enter more prepared.”
Sonoma hasn’t had a repeat winner since Jeff Vallejo — won three straight race has had nine different winners in the last nine years alone, with Harvick claiming it last year.
“I think you will see a repeat winner this time,” said a grinning Harvick, who will start sixth.
More things to watch wine from the oversized glass chalice:
KYLE UP FRONT: Northern starts from the pole for the second consecutive year after topping qualifying. He - - sprint car racing actually helps him on road courses rely on his car’s suspension in different ways than most
TRUEX’S TURN?: Defending Truex Jr. starts on the front race in Sonoma and showing racing skills over the years, he has a chance to end the track’s string of nine consecutive different winners. Yet even with that win, his
BUSCH COUNTRY: series championship. He has already won four times this season, and he quali an accomplished road racer has led 197 laps at Sonoma — the most among the current
BAYNE IS BACK: Trevor Bayne will return from a wheel of his Roush Fenway is sharing his seat with Matt ing. Bayne also will drive next