The NASCAR Cup Series returns to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval next week after a three-year hiatus, a move that William Byron says drivers throughout the garage appreciate.
"I think (Indianapolis) is fun to make laps on," Byron said Saturday at Pocono Raceway. "I'm sure it will be tricky with the Next Gen car, probably a little bit edgy.
"But I think it will be everything we want as drivers, to be back on the oval with the history that it has."
The famed 2.5-mile track in Indianapolis was previously a mainstay on the NASCAR schedule. It made its debut in 1994 as Jeff Gordon won the inaugural race, his first of four Indianapolis wins.
Indianapolis continued to host a Cup race annually until the end of the 2020 season. Kevin Harvick won the final race before NASCAR moved its top series to the Indianapolis road course.
The track was such an important part of the NASCAR schedule that its race became a crown jewel. The Brickyard 400 joined the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, and Southern 500 on the list of races that enhance a driver's resume.
"I think it's good for the sport to have it back on the oval," Kyle Larson told Frontstretch. "That race, it means a lot more to have it on the oval. Happy to have a crown jewel back and hopefully we can have a good showing."
Larson and Byron are two drivers in pursuit of their first Cup win on either track configuration at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Larson's best finish on the 2.5-mile oval is fifth in 2016. His best finish on the road course is third in 2021.
Byron, for comparison, has a best finish of 14th on the road course. His best finish on the big track was fourth in 2019. Byron only has three Cup starts on either configuration of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Both drivers will have another opportunity to pursue a crown jewel win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 21. This race will present a challenge considering that it will be the first with the Next Gen car.
"I think it will be difficult to pass, which isn't abnormal with this car," Byron said. "But I think it will come down to strategy and execution; your qualifying and everything."