Through the gears, Oscars edition: William Byron is NASCAR's best leading man, but who else won awards?

DAYTONA BEACH — About the only people lifting more trophies than William Byron these days are Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.

And as far as NASCAR is concerned, it’s Byron who’s seemingly winning everything, everywhere, all at once.

He’s at least been in the right place at the right time, following up a win at Las Vegas with an overtime victory on Sunday at Phoenix, passing teammate Kyle Larson on a restart with the help of a shove from Tyler Reddick to win back-to-back races.

SPEED FREAKS: Byron does it again; will Atlanta deliver first 2023 surprise?

NASCAR QNA: William Byron wins, Denny Hamlin pinches Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott's sub gets top 10

But will it last?

Byron was the first to multiple wins in 2022 as well, winning at Atlanta and Martinsville. After that? Twenty straight races without a top five.

He recovered nicely, racking up six top 10s in the last 10 races of the year with no finish worse than 16^th. It all added up to a career best sixth-place points standing.

So, is Byron now an elite driver for good? He’s certainly been NASCAR’s best leading man thus far.

And with the Oscars in mind, lets hand out some hardware of our own as we go through the gears.

NASCAR SPEED FREAKSByron does it again; will Atlanta deliver first 2023 surprise?

NASCAR QNAWilliam Byron wins, Denny Hamlin pinches Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott's sub gets top 10

First gear — Best Driver in a supporting role: Josh Berry

Berry is getting more and more comfortable in his relief role for Chase Elliott, and by mid-race Sunday he was dicing it up three-wide with Cup Series veterans. Those late restarts helped as well, with Berry bringing it home 10^th in his second start for Hendrick Motorsports.

It impressed some of the higher ups.

“I’m really impressed with today’s effort,” Jeff Gordon said. “He was mixing it up, man. On those restarts he was right in the middle three- and four-wide and I was a little bit nervous because they’re pretty deep in points and needed a good finish and it was great to see Josh get that.”

Second gear — Best Picture: Denny Hamlin and Ross Chastain

NBC Sports’ Dustin Long tweeted a photo from pit road depicting Denny Hamlin and Ross Chastain … “discussing” another brush-up. This time, Hamlin used Chastain as a last-lap wall buffer and followed it up with a few love taps, costing them both decent finishes. They wound up 23^rd and 24^th, respectively.

Remember, a picture is worth 1,000 words. And this feud may last 1,000 years.

Third gear — Best Sound: Harrison Burton’s blown tire

Burton and Kevin Harvick would likely disagree, but for anyone hoping for some drama, the pop and resulting caution was music to the snoozing fan’s ear.

NASCAR unveiled a new short-track package with aerodynamic modifications in hopes of improving the short-track product. And while the last dash to the checkers was nice, for the most part it seemed like more of the same.

Potential passes were impasses and dirty air stunk up the joint. Back to the drawing board.

Fourth gear — Best Director: Rudy Fugle

If the late caution closed the door on then-leader Kevin Harvick’s chances of winning Sunday, a four-tire call nailed it shut.

Harvick defended the decision from crew chief Rodney Childers, but he went into the pits in first and came out seventh and didn’t have near enough time to maneuver through the pack of two-tire takers. Fugle meanwhile, was one of those who called for two and Byron, who had faded as far back as sixth, was suddenly on the outside of the front row.

A little clean air, a little shove from Reddick and, "Roll credits."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR Oscars: Byron is best leading man, but who else gets an award?