William Byron and his Hendrick Motorsports team endured the emotional roller coaster of surviving and advancing in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs and came out no worse for it.

Byron admitted he struggled to feel happy Sunday night at Martinsville Speedway when he was the last guy standing in the Championship 4. Mainly because it didn’t happen instantly – NASCAR reviewed the finish for 27 minutes as Byron, his team and many spectators stood on pit road.

He began his media obligations for championship week two days later. That same evening, NASCAR issued penalties to three teams – Trackhouse Racing, Richard Childress Racing and 23XI Racing – for what they considered race manipulation at Martinsville. And Byron’s name was in the middle of the conversation for being helped by Chevrolet teammates who never attempted to pass him.

Byron finally stopped by Phoenix Raceway on Thursday for other pre-race obligations before hitting the track on Friday. This will be his second chance at a Cup Series championship.

It wouldn’t be surprising to find Byron or his team with some sort of emotional hangover ahead of the biggest weekend of the year. But the Hendrick Motorsports driver said no such feeling existed in his camp.

“I’ve never felt more connected to my team than I do today,” Byron said. “We had a meeting Sunday night about it, and I feel like we turned the page very, very quickly. So, personally, I blocked out a ton of noise. I didn’t look at social media. I really don’t care.

“I’m just focused on trying to get the 24 car going as fast as possible. I think past experiences probably helped fuel that, because I’ve been through enough in my Cup career to know what to focus on and what to block out.

According to Byron, it was a peaceful ride home from Martinsville to Charlotte. He spent time on the phone talking to his sister about what was going on with her in New York. The preparation for the race, for its part, took place normally.

“I think we did everything we could Monday and Tuesday and then tried to prepare for some procedural matters on Wednesday,” Byron said. “Honestly, it was a pretty normal week in terms of preparation. Maybe a little later Monday night and a little earlier Tuesday morning. But for me, it was the same preparation that I always do.

Statistically the best driver in the Cup Series last season, Byron entered Phoenix as a six-time winner and started the championship race from the pole. But he faded during the second half of the race and finished third in the championship standings.

Byron “learned a huge amount” during his experience last year. His return to Phoenix follows a tense race at Martinsville – just like he experienced in 2023 when he had to finish without feeling well – which he says gave his team more momentum than a year ago.

“I have confidence in my team and I feel like we did a good job,” Byron said. “(There’s) nothing really to worry about.”