Greg Atkins-Imagn Images

William Byron made history with his win on Sunday

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Oct 26, 2025 8:20 PM ET

William Byron clinched a spot among the Championship 4 on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, and he did so in a very impressive way.

Byron seized the lead from Ryan Blaney with 43 laps to go and held on to win with both drivers facing must-win situations. Byron managed to hit every mark by leading the most laps at 304 and sweeping all three stages.

That made Byron the first driver to start on the pole, sweep the stages, and win in a playoff race.

Today William Byron became the first Cup Series driver to start on pole, sweep the stages, and win in a playoff race. pic.twitter.com/JK9un1ONW2
— Daniel Céspedes (@_DanielCespedes) October 26, 2025

After the race, Byron admitted it was the best he had ever felt in his car during a race.

“From start to finish, it’s the best I’ve ever felt in the race car. And that’s a damn good feeling,” Byron said.

I asked @WilliamByron if he just drove the best race of his career. Very thoughtful answer here:

"From start to finish, it's the best I've ever felt in the race car. And that's a damn good feeling.

"It's been a lot of work. It's been a lot of heartbreak this year. You just…
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) October 26, 2025

Byron will join Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, and Kyle Larson in the Championship 4. It is the third straight season he has achieved this, but this one went a lot more smoothly than one of his previous efforts did.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: