{"id":11408,"date":"2017-07-22T23:13:19","date_gmt":"2017-07-23T04:13:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=11408"},"modified":"2017-07-22T23:13:19","modified_gmt":"2017-07-23T04:13:19","slug":"xfinity-rookie-william-byron-holds-off-paul-menard-in-brickyard-debut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2017\/07\/22\/xfinity-rookie-william-byron-holds-off-paul-menard-in-brickyard-debut\/","title":{"rendered":"XFINITY rookie William Byron holds off Paul Menard in Brickyard debut"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

SPEEDWAY, Ind. \u2013 With a new competition package that produced a race-record 16 lead changes and the closest NASCAR XFINITY<\/a> Series finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, William Byron<\/strong> threw more blocks than an NFL fullback in holding off charging Paul Menard<\/strong> to win Saturday\u2019s Lilly Diabetes 250.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

William Byron, driver of the #9 Liberty University Chevrolet, leads Paul Menard, driver of the #2 Richmond\/Menards Chevrolet, during the NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on July 22, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Byron made the decisive pass for the lead on Lap 85, surging past JR Motorsports teammate Elliott Sadler into the top spot. Menard gained two spots, from fourth to second over a six-circuit stretch from Laps 90 to 96 but couldn\u2019t overtake Byron, who blocked each of Menard\u2019s attempts to make a winning pass.<\/span><\/p>\n

“It\u2019s so cool\u2014this is awesome,” said Byron, who was won in his first visit to the vaunted Brickyard. “I\u2019d never been to a Brickyard 400 or an Indy 500, but I watched it as a kid. It takes a lot to win these races, and to win here is so special.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Joey Logano followed Byron past Sadler on Lap 85 and finished third, after losing the second position to Menard on Lap 96.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

William Byron, driver of the #9 Liberty University Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on July 22, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Daniel Shirey\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

The leader in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings, Byron won for the third time this season. Fighting a vibration he thought might have been the result of a tire issue, he finished .108 seconds ahead of Menard.<\/span><\/p>\n

“He\u2019s done an awesome job,” team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. “I\u2019m excited for his future and the rest of the season.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Menard thought he might have been able to get to Byron\u2019s bumper in the closing laps but thought better of trying to move him.<\/span><\/p>\n

“He was better than me through Turn 1,” Menard said. “I just had to lift too much and play catch-up through Turns 2, 3 and 4 back to the start\/finish line. I made a pretty aggressive dive into (Turn) 1 that last lap, just to see if I could get him loose, but he made it stick\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

William Byron, driver of the #9 Liberty University Chevrolet, celebrates winning the NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on July 22, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Daniel Shirey\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

“I maybe could have gotten to his bumper, but that would have definitely killed my momentum, too. All it probably would have done is chase both of us up the hill, and Joey might have won. I didn\u2019t think that was in either of our best interest.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Second in the standings, Byron now trails Sadler, the series leader, by 40 points. A disastrous pit stop cost JRM teammate Justin Allgaier dearly, dropping him to 35th at the finish and 133 points behind Sadler in the standings.<\/span><\/p>\n

Allgaier pitted from the lead on Lap 57 of 100 and overshot his stall, starting a comedy of errors. The No. 7 crew began working on the car before pushing it back into the pit box. Allgaier took off early, snapping the air hose, which danced around the stall like a snake before coming to rest. The coup de grace was a right front tire that hadn\u2019t been secured.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

William Byron, driver of the #9 Liberty University Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on July 22, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Matt Sullivan\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

The tire came off the hub and lodged at an angle inside the wheel well. With his car towed to the garage for repairs, Allgaier lost 13 laps.<\/span><\/p>\n

That was the comic relief, however, in a race where the new rules package drew overwhelmingly positive reviews.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Overall, we\u2019re certainly pleased with what we saw on the race track,” said Steve O\u2019Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “From an eye test, it definitely passed when you look at the metrics, right? Most leaders we\u2019ve had (eight). Most lead changes. Closest finish. Certainly, on the quick recap, some really great metrics.<\/span><\/p>\n

“But as we said before, there\u2019s a lot for us to digest, go back, talk to the teams, drivers, crew chiefs, see where we\u2019re at and go from there.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Media Center Interviews:<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n

William Byron – <\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMS_NXS_Byron_072217.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

David Elenz, race winning crew chief – <\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMS_NXS_Elenz_072217.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Paul Menard – <\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMS_NXS_Menard_072217.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Joey Logano – <\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMS_NXS_Logano_072217.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Steve O\u2019Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer – <\/span><\/p>\nhttp:\/\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMS_NXS_ODonnell_072217.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

\n

NASCAR XFINITY Series Race – Lilly Diabetes 250<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Indianapolis Motor Speedway<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Speedway, Indiana<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Saturday, July 22, 2017<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

               1. (3) William Byron #, Chevrolet, 100.<\/span><\/p>\n

               2. (15) Paul Menard(i), Chevrolet, 100.<\/span><\/p>\n

               3. (12) Joey Logano(i), Ford, 100.<\/span><\/p>\n

               4. (1) Elliott Sadler, Chevrolet, 100.<\/span><\/p>\n

               5. (6) Cole Custer #, Ford, 100.<\/span><\/p>\n

               6. (10) Ryan Reed, Ford, 100.<\/span><\/p>\n

               7. (17) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 100.<\/span><\/p>\n

               8. (13) Daniel Hemric #, Chevrolet, 100.<\/span><\/p>\n

               9. (14) Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, 100.<\/span><\/p>\n

               10. (19) Ty Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 100.<\/span><\/p>\n

               11. (7) Matt Tifft #, Toyota, 100.<\/span><\/p>\n

               12. (11) Kyle Busch(i), Toyota, 100.<\/span><\/p>\n

               13. (16) Brendan Gaughan, Chevrolet, 100.<\/span><\/p>\n

               14. (8) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 100.<\/span><\/p>\n

               15. (21) JJ Yeley, Toyota, 100.<\/span><\/p>\n

               16. (23) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 100.<\/span><\/p>\n

               17. (22) Blake Koch, Chevrolet, 100.<\/span><\/p>\n

               18. (9) Ben Kennedy #, Chevrolet, 100.<\/span><\/p>\n

               19. (25) Jeb Burton, Toyota, 100.<\/span><\/p>\n

               20. (24) Dakoda Armstrong, Toyota, 99.<\/span><\/p>\n

               21. (33) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 99.<\/span><\/p>\n

               22. (29) Harrison Rhodes, Chevrolet, 99.<\/span><\/p>\n

               23. (2) Erik Jones(i), Toyota, 99.<\/span><\/p>\n

               24. (30) Ray Black II, Chevrolet, 99.<\/span><\/p>\n

               25. (5) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 99.<\/span><\/p>\n

               26. (31) Tommy Joe Martins, Chevrolet, 99.<\/span><\/p>\n

               27. (26) Mario Gosselin, Chevrolet, 99.<\/span><\/p>\n

               28. (20) Spencer Gallagher #, Chevrolet, 99.<\/span><\/p>\n

               29. (35) David Starr, Chevrolet, 99.<\/span><\/p>\n

               30. (37) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 98.<\/span><\/p>\n

               31. (32) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 98.<\/span><\/p>\n

               32. (39) Chad Finchum, Dodge, 98.<\/span><\/p>\n

               33. (34) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 93.<\/span><\/p>\n

               34. (40) Mike Harmon, Dodge, Transmission, 90.<\/span><\/p>\n

               35. (4) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 86.<\/span><\/p>\n

               36. (36) Timmy Hill, Toyota, Clutch, 40.<\/span><\/p>\n

               37. (18) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet, Accident, 38.<\/span><\/p>\n

               38. (27) Reed Sorenson(i), Chevrolet, Vibration, 23.<\/span><\/p>\n

               39. (38) Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, Engine, 22.<\/span><\/p>\n

               40. (28) Jeff Green, Chevrolet, Vibration, 9.<\/span><\/p>\n

Average Speed of Race Winner:  126.227 mph.<\/span><\/p>\n

Time of Race:  01 Hrs, 58 Mins, 50 Secs. Margin of Victory:  0.108 Seconds.<\/span><\/p>\n

Caution Flags:  5 for 22 laps.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lead Changes:  16 among 8 drivers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lap Leaders:   E. Sadler 1-16; K. Busch(i) 17; M. Shepherd 18; D. Hemric # 19; K. Busch(i) 20-22; W. Byron # 23-31; H. Rhodes 32; K. Busch(i) 33-52; J. Allgaier 53-56; K. Busch(i) 57; E. Sadler 58-60; G. Smithley 61; K. Busch(i) 62-69; W. Byron # 70; K. Busch(i) 71-81; E. Sadler 82-84; W. Byron # 85-100.<\/span><\/p>\n

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  K. Busch(i) 6 times for 44 laps; W. Byron # 3 times for 26 laps; E. Sadler 3 times for 22 laps; J. Allgaier 1 time for 4 laps; M. Shepherd 1 time for 1 lap; D. Hemric # 1 time for 1 lap; G. Smithley 1 time for 1 lap; H. Rhodes 1 time for 1 lap.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stage #1 Top Ten: 9,18,22,00,48,3,42,2,1,19<\/span><\/p>\n

Stage #2 Top Ten: 1,48,21,62,33,4,96,14,39,51<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Elliott Sadler, driver of the #1 OneMain Financial Chevrolet, and Erik Jones, driver of the #20 GameStop\/Nerf Toyota, take the green flag to start the NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on July 22, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Daniel Shirey\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"

Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 NOS Energy Drink Rowdy Toyota, pits during the NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on July 22, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"

Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 NOS Energy Drink Rowdy Toyota, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on July 22, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"

William Byron, driver of the #9 Liberty University Chevrolet, poses with the winners sticker after winning the NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on July 22, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Matt Sullivan\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"

William Byron, driver of the #9 Liberty University Chevrolet, kisses the yard of bricks after winning the NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 at Indianapolis Motorspeedway on July 22, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service SPEEDWAY, Ind. \u2013 With a new competition package that produced a race-record 16 lead changes and the closest NASCAR XFINITY Series finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, William Byron threw more blocks than an NFL fullback in holding off charging Paul Menard to win Saturday\u2019s Lilly Diabetes 250. Byron made […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11423,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11],"tags":[421,16,181,212],"class_list":["post-11408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nascar","tag-indianapolis-motor-speedway","tag-nascar","tag-nascar-xfinity-series","tag-william-byron"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/IMS_NXS_Byron_VL_072217.jpg?fit=4628%2C3328","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7hzTZ-2Y0","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11408"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11408\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11427,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11408\/revisions\/11427"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}