William Byron\u2019s path to NASCAR\u2019s top tier did not follow the traditional script. But he is pretty much at home alongside the sport\u2019s elite right now. Unlike most drivers who begin in go-karts almost as soon as they can reach the pedals, Byron, 28, did not climb into a race car until his early teens.<\/p>\n
Byron\u2019s introduction to motorsports came through iRacing, where he picked up racecraft in a virtual environment before applying those skills to the real world. That unconventional foundation did little to slow his ascent, though.<\/p>\n
Once Byron<\/a> entered NASCAR\u2019s national ranks in 2016, results followed quickly. His early years in the Truck and Xfinity Series progressed impressively. He won seven races during his rookie Truck season in 2017, and followed that with four victories in Xfinity, a performance that saw him win the 2017 championship.<\/p>\n The transition to the Cup Series, however, demanded patience. His first forays at the sport\u2019s highest level proved more challenging. However, during that period, Byron relied heavily on guidance from within Hendrick Motorsports<\/a>, particularly Chase Elliott.<\/p>\n In 2018, as he continued to learn the Cup Series and its finer details, Byron acknowledged that he was still a work in progress. Despite having legends such as Jeff Gordon available, he frequently turned to Elliott for perspective.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I lean on all of them pretty equally. I think that I lean on Alex [Bowman] the least amount because we\u2019re both new to what\u2019s happening. We have little conversations of what our cars are doing here and there. But it\u2019s not as broad of information as Chase or Jimmie [Johnson],\u201d Byron had said.<\/p>\n The way Byron leaned on some drivers more than others in the team was logical. Elliott and Johnson represented recent success within the organization, and Byron recognized the value of measuring himself against drivers<\/a> who consistently contended.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like Chase and Jimmie are the guys I lean on most because those are the guys that have had the most success the last couple [of] years in our organization. I try to gauge myself off of Chase a lot of times because I think we have very similar styles. We\u2019re really close in the shop. It makes a little more sense for me to lean on him,\u201d added Byron.<\/p>\n That willingness to learn has shaped Byron\u2019s growth. Over eight Cup seasons, he has collected 16 wins across 288 starts. The past three seasons have reinforced his growth. Byron finished each year in the top four, securing a spot in the Championship 4.<\/p>\n The #24 driver captured back-to-back Daytona 500 wins in 2024 and 2025, a feat that places him in rare company and reflects his ability to perform on the sport\u2019s biggest stage. Though Byron\u2019s most prolific season came in 2023, when he won six times, his production has remained steady.<\/p>\n