Team No. 17 takes top-three finish in Xfinity Series at Pocono

LONG POND, Pennsylvania. – William Byron and the No. 17 HendrickCars.com team recovered from an early issue to finish third in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway.

Byron had started sixth but had to pit on lap 28 of the 90-lap race due to a tire failure. To regain his position on the track, crew chief Brandon McSwain decided to stay out while the others pitted at the end of the second stage, allowing his driver to take the lead when he restarted on lap 47.

The strategy paid off, as Byron was able to compete against Justin Allgaier and eventual race winner Cole Custer in the closing laps and gained valuable insight for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race.

“I definitely learned a lot about the race track and the restarts,” said Byron, who led for 16 laps Saturday. “The restarts were fun at the end. I was able to push (Allgaier) and felt like I would have a chance to get out three, and I did, but I just couldn’t carry the entry speed that those guys had in (turn) one.”

In eight Xfinity Series starts in 2024, the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro has two wins, along with four top-fives and five top-10 finishes. Third place was Byron’s best finish in three appearances with the team this season.

Byron will start from the outside pole position in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono. The race will be broadcast live on the USA Network beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET. The radio broadcast can be heard on MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.