William Byron addresses contact with Ryan Blaney at Martinsville: 'It's hard racing'

During the Martinsville elimination race, William Byron had to get around Ryan Blaney and did it with some contact. Short track racing is full of contact and bumps and hits, but some are fair game and others go over the line. Did Byron cross the line?

No matter what anyone who watched thinks, Ryan Blaney has already said it was a fair move. So, don’t try to make a point about William Byron being a dirty racer or anything like that.

Truthfully, Byron is lucky that Blaney never got close to him again. There was a moment where it appeared the 12 was going to be able to make the retaliatory move, but it never came.

Speaking to the media after the race, Byron addressed the contact. He didn’t want to do it, but had committed to that corner and to making that passing move.

“Yeah, I mean, that’s what you guys want to see, right? We’re going for it,” William Byron explained after the race. “I feel like in that situation, yeah, I never, like, wanted to make contact because I felt like I had a good position, like I was inside of him. We also had the lap car. I can’t see where the lap car is in that instance. I just knew I wanted to commit to the corner and have position.”

When it comes to short track racing, contact is part of the game. Byron got his door on Blaney’s and pushed him up the track. Not the worst thing to happen at Martinsville, not even the worst thing this weekend to happen there.

“I hate that we made contact. I think he was probably leaving just enough space, as well,” Byron continued. He wasn’t going to back down, though. “I was going into the corner committed. That’s kind of fighting for space. Yeah, it’s hard racing. We both want to make the Championship 4. It’s a race win, it’s no ill will. It’s just kind of hard racing, racing for the win.”

A trip to the Championship 4 is definitely worth the trouble. William Byron had one goal in mind – win the race. He went out and did just that on Sunday, and now, he’s racing for a chance to become a Cup Series champion.

Hendrick Motorsports has two drivers in the finale. Joe Gibbs Racing also has two drivers. So, this is going to be a battle between two of the greatest organizations in NASCAR. It is going to be a fight between these four drivers to decide who gets to be the 2025 champion.