William Byron is fresh off the best NASCAR Cup Series season of his career, after winning six races, and earning a third-place finish in the standings.
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The 2023 season is over, but Byron isn't done racing, as he just came up just short of a win in a very competitive Super Late Model race at New Smyrna.
Byron had a heated battle with Stephen Nasse, who seemed to have ruffled Byron's feathers a bit, as he showed a little more fire than many NASCAR fans are used to seeing from Byron after the race.
Byron took to his X page to get the fans talking, posting about how much more it takes to win at short tracks in a Late Model with parts of a car that can fail, compared to a NASCAR Next Gen car.
You have battles like this on short tracks when tires/brakes etc give up. Mechanical parts of the car aren’t so good that you have to manage and can find something more to go get at the end. Fun battle 👌🏼 https://t.co/tUiTHJH4bY
— William Byron (@WilliamByron) November 13, 2023
"You have battles like this on short tracks when tires/ brakes etc give up," Byron said. "Mechanical parts of the car aren't so good that you have to manage and can't find something more to go get at the end. Fun battle."
His comments got some fans thinking he was throwing some shade at NASCAR's Next Gen Car. In fact, one X user, @K_Ray 25, called him out on it.
Byron would later respond to the fan and correct the record.
Not shade. Just how I see it thru my experience. https://t.co/UfkaIV5ZWp
— William Byron (@WilliamByron) November 13, 2023
"Not shade. Just how I see it thru my experience," Byron wrote.
There have been plenty of drivers who have complained about problems with the Next Gen Car.
Byron may not have been trying to throw shade at NASCAR's Next Gen Car, but he does have a point about how the car isn't perfect.
Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick have been two of the biggest critics of the car, while other NASCAR drivers have been vocal about it too.
Fans are going to talk, and clearly, Byron got them going with his comments after a very exciting Late Model race. Frankly, it's good to hear about Byron showing a different side.
Hopefully, he can translate that in NASCAR next season and show more of his fiery side than he has so far.