William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet achieved a monumental NASCAR Cup Series Iowa Speedway victory on Sunday, prevailing in a race marked by bold strategies and fierce late-race battles. This triumph marks Chevrolet’s first-ever win at the Iowa venue in NASCAR’s premier division and secures their tenth victory of the 2024 season, the most by any manufacturer thus far.
Contesting the Iowa Corn 350 Presented by Ethanol, Byron surged ahead from a front-row starting spot, quickly grabbing the lead at the green flag. The opening stages saw him in a heated contest with Brad Keselowski, especially as traffic became an obstacle prior to the midway point of Stage One. Despite tighter handling as the segment wore on, Byron led the charge, giving up the front spot only in the closing laps to finish with third-place points, helping anchor six Team Chevy drivers in the stage’s top ten.
Team Strategy and Cautions Shape the Race
The 140-lap closing stage kept fans and competitors on edge as differing pit strategies and a sequence of cautions rapidly altered the running order. When the action resumed after the stage break, Byron lined up second off pit road, maintaining his hold among the leaders. Alongside Byron, teammate Kyle Larson kept Hendrick Motorsports well-represented in the leading pack during much of the second stage, only for the first non-scheduled caution to interrupt green-flag pit cycles at halfway. This benefitted drivers like Kyle Busch, whose Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet took advantage of the shakeup to notch valuable stage points with a sixth-place finish despite an arduous weekend that began with a switch to a backup car.
Byron’s effort to clinch his first regular season title in the top division gained momentum as he amassed a combined eight points in the opening stages, keeping him in the hunt for the best overall season tally. With his Iowa Speedway victory, Byron regains the top position in the standings by 18 points over Chase Elliott, entering the crucial final three-race stretch of the regular championship season.
Chevrolet Drivers Populate the Top Ten
Chevrolet teams enjoyed a powerful showing at Iowa, with Byron claiming first, followed closely in the top ten by Alex Bowman in seventh, Carson Hocevar in eighth, and Austin Dillon rounding out the group in tenth. The manufacturer has now accumulated ten wins, ten pole positions, 46 top-five finishes, 99 top tens, and 20 stage wins through 23 points-paying Cup Series events.
Key contributors such as Ross Chastain pushed hard, finishing just outside the top ten in eleventh, supported by determined efforts from drivers aiming to seize points before the playoffs. Each driver experienced unique challenges—from handling difficulties in long runs to the timing of cautions—but showcased resilience under pressure.
Race Highlights: Byron’s Determination and Team Dynamics
As the closing stage unfolded, Byron’s solid racecraft and strategic decision-making became evident. The No. 24 team opted for four tires during a crucial late-race stop, preserving Byron’s ability to hold strong on restarts and fend off fierce competitors, including Chase Briscoe, who applied pressure late in the race.
This fortitude was echoed by his teammates and rivals, as competitive momentum swung rapidly among drivers like Kyle Busch, who battled for position after a rough start to the weekend:
We started the weekend in a deficit after going to a backup car on Saturday, and spent most of the day Sunday just battling for track position in our Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet. Crew chief Randall Burnett made some race strategy calls that got us into the top 10 and earned us some stage points, but we lost that track position in Stage 3 and struggled to return to the front. Our Chevy couldn’t turn in traffic, even with the freshest tires and dirty air didn’t help. We busted our behinds out there today but didn’t have enough.
—Kyle Busch, Driver
Alex Bowman described the difficulty of maintaining tire integrity through the closing laps and credited the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet team’s performance, despite mid-race setbacks:
I got the right-rear tire really hot on that last restart and hurt myself there. I got a bad restart. We came down in second gear and William really slowed the pace down, but I knew he was in second too so I thought it would be OK. The No. 19 (Chase Briscoe) just hammered him and got him going. I got pinned on the bottom; slid the right-rear a couple of times and got it hot. That was on me. I just need to do a better job there. But overall, just proud of this No. 48 Ally Chevrolet team. Once this tire seems to get hot, it seems like it just tanks and you can’t really get it back. I just tried to take care of it from then on. Honestly, I needed to just not speed on pit road early in the race. That hurt us, but it was a good day overcoming that.
—Alex Bowman, Driver
Carson Hocevar, who finished eighth, highlighted his team’s ability to fight through adversity:
It was just another work of art from Jeff Dickerson, wanting us to fight through adversity and be able to come out with a good result. That’s what he’s preached and that’s what we’ve been focusing on. We were turned around at one point and just struggling go anywhere. We were just able to reset and regroup. Luke (Lambert, crew chief) did a really good job for this No. 77 Miner Docks Doors and More Chevrolet team to at least put something on the board and be able to go into next weekend with a little momentum with two top-10s in a row.
—Carson Hocevar, Driver
Post-Race Insights: Byron and Chevrolet’s Charge to the Playoffs
Amid celebrations in victory lane, William Byron reflected on the intensity of the race and the significance of securing this critical win for himself and the manufacturer:
Yeah, it was just a big relief. I feel like we have been on the bad side of some fuel races, and everybody has been working super hard and that was every ounce it took there at the end. Man, just so damn proud of this team. I feel like we have been through so much this year, and everybody has been working super hard and it showed there at the end.
—William Byron, Driver
He elaborated on the importance of returning to the winner’s circle and gaining momentum as the playoffs approach:
Yeah, it’s been tough results-wise, but man we have had speed. It’s just been a couple of things here and there that just didn’t go our way and today we got the cautions that we needed. I think the real play was when we took four tires there on the last pit stop, which felt like an eternity ago. We just were on the good side of tire life as well; able to have some good restarts and just get our way forward.
—William Byron, Driver
With his lead in the standings and more postseason security, Byron emphasized the impact of winning in the sport’s current playoff format:
Yeah, it’s good, but wins trump everything in this sport. I have heard other drivers talk about that. Man, you work so damn hard to win and get that feeling. To do that today was awesome. Just going to enjoy this one and keep it rolling.
—William Byron, Driver
Other drivers shared their perspectives on the tightly contested race. Austin Dillon, who finished tenth, underscored how much his top-ten felt like a celebration given recent performance:
Top-10 for our Get Bioethanol Chevrolet. That feels like a win with the way things have been going. We had a really fast car today. Cautions did not go our way. I feel like we have a top-five car for sure if things had played out a bit differently. It was a blast out there and felt good to race up front with those guys and be in contention.
—Austin Dillon, Driver
Ross Chastain described the endurance required during the race and looked ahead to the next challenge:
That was a long day in our Busch Light Farming Chevy. The race went green for so long and then we had bunch of cautions strung together. That really played a role in all the different strategies. Phil and the guys continued to work on the car all day and we got it better and just kept clicking off spots to finish 11th. We’ll take it and move on to Watkins Glen next weekend.
—Ross Chastain, Driver
Shane van Gisbergen contributed insight on the improvements shown during restarts, despite a difficult finish after contact with the fence:
I felt like on most restarts, that’s where we were making our gains. We had good speed and were getting right in the mix. That’s been a weakness of mine, and I feel like we’re getting better and better every week. We just need to get building on that. It’s not a great result, but there’s a lot of positives that have come out of today.
—Shane van Gisbergen, Driver
What the Results Mean for the Upcoming Season
With Chevrolet having reached the historic milestone of ten victories in just 23 events, the brand firmly asserts itself as the team to beat heading into the postseason. William Byron’s performance, along with that of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates and the broader Bowtie brigade, signals a strong championship push as the field narrows.
As the focus now shifts to the next Cup Series event, drivers, teams, and fans look ahead to Watkins Glen International for the ‘Go Bowling at the Glen’ on Sunday, August 10. With the playoff cutoff fast approaching and Chevrolet drivers leading the charge, the intensity is only expected to increase as the battle for the regular season championship and valuable playoff seeding heats up on one of NASCAR’s most challenging road courses.
