Steve Letarte provided an in-depth analysis of William Byron’s recent Iowa NASCAR win during the Inside the Race podcast, emphasizing the critical role that strategy and fuel mileage played in the victory. Dale Earnhardt Jr., a veteran of the Cup Series, humorously commented on Letarte’s choice to wear a tie while delivering the analysis.
Letarte highlighted that Byron’s #24 car secured the win largely because of a fuel strategy that capitalized on Iowa Speedway’s unusual tire wear conditions. Unlike typical races, Iowa showed very little tire falloff, allowing Byron to stretch a green flag run to 144 laps, well beyond the usual 100-lap fuel window.
“It’s, it’s hard to run bad, but it sometimes can be more emotionally draining when you run good and don’t win. And I think that’s kind of what we had out of the 24 and then here today, I don’t think they were the best car. I think Brad was the best car, but I think it didn’t matter because the 24 had the best strategy, which was pit well before you could ever think you could make it on fuel and then get enough yellows to make it,” Letarte said via his X handle.
Rather than engage with the detailed breakdown, Dale Earnhardt Jr. chose to highlight Letarte’s unexpected formal attire in a lighthearted remark.
“Weird seeing Steve in a tie,” he wrote.
Steve Letarte’s current role and past with Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Currently, Steve Letarte works as a color commentator across multiple networks, including NBC, TNT, and Prime Video. He shares broadcasting responsibilities with Dale Earnhardt Jr., who himself signed with Prime Video and TNT Sports for a series of summer races. The two have a long-standing professional history, as Letarte served as Earnhardt’s crew chief for the No. 88 team from 2011 to 2014, a period that featured a significant Daytona 500 victory in their final year together.
Denny Hamlin reflects on Saturday’s tire issues and discussion with Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Denny Hamlin faced a challenging race at Iowa Speedway, where a late spin and heavy traffic prevented him from improving his position. The race was hindered by minimal tire degradation, limiting passing chances during the 12 caution periods. Hamlin shared his frustration with tire performance in a conversation with Dale Earnhardt Jr., which he discussed on the latest Actions Detrimental podcast.
“I sent Dale Jr a screenshot of this on Saturday night and I said, ‘Can you believe that we tire tested here…and this is the tire that they came up with, is the one that had zero fall off after 50 laps,'” he said.
Hamlin ended the race in 24th place, a sharp decline from his 11th-place starting position. This outcome widened the points gap in the NASCAR standings, with William Byron leading comfortably by 51 points over the rest of the field. Byron’s closest rival remains Chase Elliott, trailing by 18 points.
Significance of Byron’s victory and future NASCAR outlook
William Byron’s Iowa NASCAR win underscores the influence of strategic decisions and adapting to unexpected race conditions, such as poor tire degradation. This victory strengthens Byron’s position as the season leader, increasing pressure on competitors like Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin. As the season progresses, teams will likely focus even more on strategy and race management to challenge Byron’s lead.
Steve Letarte’s broadcasting insights combined with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s experience provide fans with valuable perspectives on the factors shaping the current NASCAR season, especially as the series moves toward its critical summer stretch.