The start of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season has been all about Chevrolet drivers. William Byron won at Phoenix Raceway on March 12 and helped the OEM match a streak dating back to the 2001 season.
The first four Cup Series races in 2023 have featured Chevrolet drivers celebrating wins. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the Daytona 500, Kyle Busch won at Fontana, and then Byron won at Las Vegas and Phoenix.
The last time Chevrolet kicked off a year with four straight wins was in 2001. Michael Waltrip won the Daytona 500, Steve Park won at Rockingham, Jeff Gordon won at Las Vegas, and then Kevin Harvick won at Atlanta. A Ford driver, Dale Jarrett, then snapped the streak by winning at Darlington.
BACK-2-BACK WINS FOR BYRON! 🏁
The No. 24 driver loves late-race restarts as for the 2nd straight week he beats his teammate @KyleLarsonRacin when it matters most.
A wild way to end the #UnitedRentals500 at @phoenixraceway
The 2001 Chevrolet streak only lasted four races, but it could reach five in a row in 2023. One reason why this is possible is that the next race on the schedule takes place at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Byron won the spring race in 2022 as the Cup Series drivers took on the reconfigured track for the first time.
Of course, there is another streak that Team Chevy will attempt to match. Back in 1995, the Bowtie reached Victory Lane in the first seven races of the season. Sterling Marlin won the Daytona 500. He also won at Darlington while Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte, and Dale Earnhardt all won races of their own.
Byron Threw It Back to the 2007 Season
GettyWilliam Byron has 6 career Cup Series wins.
The win at Phoenix Raceway was significant for Byron. He became the first driver to go back-to-back in 2023, and he added another six playoff points to his total. He also matched a mark set by Jeff Gordon.
The last time that the No. 24 won consecutive races was in the 2007 season. The Hall of Famer won at Phoenix and Talladega early in the season. Gordon then went back-to-back at Talladega and Charlotte in the fall. These trips to Victory Lane were part of a six-win season in which Gordon finished second in the standings behind teammate Jimmie Johnson.
The 2007 NASCAR Cup Series season featured Chevrolet dominance, especially early in the year. Kevin Harvick won the Daytona 500 and then Matt Kenseth won at Fontana in a Ford. The next 12 races then featured Chevrolet drivers celebrating wins. This included Kyle Busch, Johnson, Jeff Burton, Martin Truex Jr., Gordon, and Casey Mears.
Another Milestone Remains Within Reach
Byron has now won consecutive races in the No. 24 Chevrolet while matching the career-best mark of two wins that he set in 2022. Now he will have an opportunity to pursue a third consecutive win at a track where he has previous success.
If Byron can achieve this goal, he will add more playoff points to his total. He will also tie Alex Bowman and Ryan Blaney in Cup Series wins while helping the No. 24 Chevrolet reach a milestone.
Byron and Gordon are the only two drivers to celebrate Cup Series wins in the No. 24 Chevrolet. The Hall of Famer did so 93 times while winning the championship three times. Byron won four races between 2020 and 2022, which took the car to 97 total.
Now that Byron has won two more times, the No. 24 now sits at 99 Cup Series wins. One more would take the entry to an even 100 and put it one win behind the No. 3 and the No. 2. The No. 43 and the No. 11 are the only two entries to top 200 wins, per DriverAverages.com.
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Team Chevy Matches NASCAR Streak From 2001