Chaos and calculations turned Iowa Speedway into a pressure cooker last weekend. William Byron ultimately emerged victorious, stretching his fuel over a staggering 144 laps in a masterclass of strategic patience. Starting from third on the grid, his strongest qualifying effort so far this season, Kyle Larson had managed a solid opening stage in sixth, working methodically through the pack. But the race devolved quickly, with twelve cautions disrupting the rhythm and strategy. Larson eventually plummeted to a 28th-place finish, delivering a crushing blow as he now trails the regular-season standings leader by 45 points. Yet behind the statistics lay the emotional spark that set the race’s real tone, an on-track friction with his Hendrick Motorsports teammate.

Tensions simmered, then spille

See Full Page