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Auto racing roundup: William Byron wins Cup Series race on year’s first road course

AP photo by Darren Abate / Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron steers through the 10th turn at the Circuit of the Americas during a NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday in Austin, Texas.
AP photo by Darren Abate / Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron steers through the 10th turn at the Circuit of the Americas during a NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday in Austin, Texas. AP photo by Darren Abate / Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron steers through the 10th turn at the Circuit of the Americas during a NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday in Austin, Texas.

By The Associated Press 12 min read

AUSTIN, Texas — William Byron won the season-opening Daytona 500 last month with an agonizing final lap under a caution flag.

He took the checkered flag on Sunday at the Circuit of the Americas at full throttle.

Bryon started from pole position and delivered a dominant drive in the first road course race of the season for NASCAR’s top-tier Cup Series. The Hendrick Motorsports driver led 42 of 68 laps and built the big lead he needed to hold off a hard-charging run from Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell over the final two laps.

Bell shaved nearly three seconds off Byron’s lead to create some late drama before Byron slammed the door over the final corners.

“I was trying to not make mistakes,” Byron said. “I knew that last lap, he was going to be pushing hard.”