William Byron

William McComas Byron Jr. Bio

William McComas Byron Jr. is an American professional stock car racing driver who competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series driving the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports. Born on November 29, 1997, in Charlotte, North Carolina, he rose through NASCAR’s developmental ranks to become one of the sport’s most accomplished young drivers. Byron’s career includes championships in the K&N Pro Series East, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and multiple prestigious race wins including back-to-back Daytona 500 victories.

Byron has established himself as a consistent contender in the NASCAR Cup Series, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2018 and finishing among the top drivers in the championship standings in recent seasons. He was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023, recognizing his impact on the sport at a young age. Driving for one of the most prestigious organizations in motorsports, Byron continues to add to an already impressive list of accomplishments.

Early Life and Background

William McComas Byron Jr. was born the younger of two children in Charlotte, North Carolina, to Bill and Dana Byron. He has one sibling, a sister named Kathryn. Byron’s interest in racing began at age six when he watched a stock car race on television, and he attended a race at Martinsville Speedway in 2006, further fueling his passion for the sport.

As a teenager, Byron developed his skills extensively on the iRacing simulator, accumulating over one hundred wins and 298 top-five finishes in online competition. In 2012, he and his father explored how Byron could transition from virtual to real-world racing. He began racing Legends cars that year at age fifteen, which is relatively late by modern driver standards, and immediately proved his talent by winning 33 races and earning the Legend Car Young Lions Division championship in his debut season.

Byron attended Charlotte Country Day School while simultaneously taking online classes through his sponsor Liberty University, graduating in May 2016. He later enrolled at Liberty University as a degree-seeking student, majoring in business communication. He is also an Eagle Scout. His mother, Dana Byron, was treated for a MALT lymphoma tumor in 2021 and successfully recovered from the disease.

Path to NASCAR

In 2014, Byron signed with the JR Motorsports late model program, continuing his Legends car competition while advancing to full-sized stock cars. He drove the No. 9 Liberty University Chevrolet at Hickory Motor Speedway, scoring one victory and eleven top-five finishes, and finishing second in points to teammate Josh Berry. That same year, he made his ARCA Racing Series debut at Lucas Oil Raceway, driving the No. 55 Liberty University Toyota Camry for Venturini Motorsports and finishing second after leading 120 laps.

In 2015, Byron was signed by HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks to drive in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East with sponsorship from Liberty University. In his series debut at New Smyrna Speedway, he finished seventh, and he won his first K&N East race at Greenville-Pickens Speedway, leading all 152 laps. He scored four K&N East wins en route to the series championship that year. He also competed in select K&N Pro Series West races, finishing fifth at Sonoma and second at Phoenix.

William McComas Byron Jr. Career

Early Career (2015–2017)

Byron’s early career was defined by rapid success across multiple NASCAR developmental series. His 2015 K&N Pro Series East championship demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure at a young age. He followed that with a record-breaking 2016 season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Kyle Busch Motorsports in the No. 9 Toyota Tundra, setting a new rookie record with seven wins and earning Rookie of the Year honors.

In 2017, Byron moved to the NASCAR Xfinity Series driving the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro SS for JR Motorsports. He won four races that season, including a dramatic overtime victory at Daytona International Speedway and a win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. At the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he held off Championship 4 teammate Elliott Sadler to capture the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship in his first full season in the series.

NASCAR Cup Series Breakthrough (2018–2022)

On August 9, 2017, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Byron would replace Kasey Kahne in the No. 5 Chevrolet for the 2018 season. Twenty days later, the team announced he would instead drive the No. 24, with Chase Elliott moving to the rebranded No. 9. Byron inherited Kahne’s crew chief, Darian Grubb, and clinched Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year honors after the penultimate race of the year, becoming only the second driver after Erik Jones to win Rookie of the Year in all three national series in consecutive seasons.

Byron started the 2019 season by winning the pole for the Daytona 500, leading a Hendrick Motorsports lockout of the first two rows of qualifying. He made the playoffs for the first time in his career that season, advancing to the Round of 12 before being eliminated after the Kansas race. In 2020, he scored his first career Cup Series victory at Daytona International Speedway in the Coke Zero Sugar 400, winning in overtime after a race filled with wrecks. He signed a contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports through the 2022 season earlier that year.

Byron started the 2021 season by qualifying second for the Daytona 500, then won the third race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway, leading 101 of the final 112 laps. That victory sparked an eleven-race top-ten streak, and he finished the season with a career-high tenth in the points standings. In 2022, he earned wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway, and signed a contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports through 2025. He finished the season in a career-best sixth in the points standings.

Hendrick Motorsports Peak Era (2023–Present)

The 2023 season marked a significant step forward in Byron’s career. Despite a challenging start that included an L2 penalty following the Phoenix race and a subsequent L1 penalty after Richmond, he scored seven victories that season. His win at Darlington Motor Speedway was particularly notable as it represented the 100th career victory for the No. 24 team in the Cup Series. He added wins at Atlanta, Watkins Glen, and Texas, with the Texas victory also marking Hendrick Motorsports’ 300th win in the Cup Series. He finished the 2023 season third in the points standings.

Byron opened the 2024 season by winning the Daytona 500, delivering the first Daytona 500 victory for the No. 24 since 2005 and the first for Hendrick Motorsports since 2014. The victory came exactly forty years to the date Hendrick Motorsports ran its first ever race as a team in the 1984 Daytona 500. He added wins at the Circuit of the Americas and Martinsville, where he and teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott swept the top three positions on Hendrick Motorsports’ fortieth anniversary. Despite not winning during the playoffs, he reached the Championship 4 at Phoenix and finished third in the standings.

In 2025, Byron opened the season with his second consecutive Daytona 500 win, becoming only the fifth driver in history to win the race in back-to-back seasons. He signed a contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports through 2029 on May 23. He added a second win of the season at Iowa Speedway and reached the Championship 4 by winning at Martinsville during the playoffs. He also claimed the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship.

Driving Style and Strengths

Byron is known for his technical precision and calm racecraft, traits that were forged during his extensive iRacing background before transitioning to real-world competition. His partnership with crew chief Rudy Fugle has been a central component of his success at Hendrick Motorsports, combining Fugle’s strategic expertise with Byron’s clean driving style. He has demonstrated particular strength on road courses and intermediate speedways, and his ability to manage tires over long green-flag runs has been a defining feature of his Cup Series performances.

Notable Races and Milestones

Byron’s two consecutive Daytona 500 victories in 2024 and 2025 represent the signature achievements of his career to date, placing him among an elite group of drivers in NASCAR history. His win at Watkins Glen in 2023 marked a breakthrough on road courses, and his 2024 victory at the Circuit of the Americas further established his road course credentials. He became the 12th driver in history to win a NASCAR race in all three national series at the same track, underscoring his versatility across different disciplines of stock car racing.

William McComas Byron Jr. Career Wins

William McComas Byron Jr. has accumulated victories across every level of NASCAR’s national series, beginning with his record-setting rookie season in the Truck Series and continuing through his Cup Series championship-caliber performances. He is recognized as the most winning rookie in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series history with seven victories in 2016 and remains one of the youngest multi-time Daytona 500 winners in the sport’s history. His career totals reflect steady growth from developmental success to consistent Cup Series contention.

NASCAR Cup Series Highlights

Byron’s first career Cup Series victory came in August 2020 at Daytona International Speedway in the Coke Zero Sugar 400, won in overtime after navigating a chaotic, wreck-filled race. His victory at the 2024 Daytona 500 marked a career milestone and a historic achievement for the No. 24 team and Hendrick Motorsports. He followed that with victories at the Circuit of the Americas, Martinsville, and other tracks during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, reaching the Championship 4 in both years. His seven-win 2023 season represented a major breakthrough, including Hendrick Motorsports’ 300th all-time Cup Series victory at Texas.

Other Wins and Performances

In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Byron won four races during his 2017 championship season, including key victories at Iowa Speedway, Daytona International Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Phoenix Raceway, capping the year with the series title at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, his seven wins in 2016 included victories at Kansas Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, and Pocono Raceway, and he added a Truck Series win at Martinsville in 2022 driving for Spire Motorsports. He has also recorded Xfinity Series victories in subsequent part-time seasons, including a win at Charlotte in 2025.

William McComas Byron Jr. Family

Family Background and Racing Lineage

William McComas Byron Jr. was born to Bill and Dana Byron in Charlotte, North Carolina. His father, Bill Byron, played a key role in guiding his entry into real-world racing, and in 2012, father and son explored pathways to move Byron from the iRacing simulator to actual race cars. His sister Kathryn has remained a part of his close family circle throughout his racing career. The Byron family’s support was instrumental in his transition from online racing to the professional ranks.

Personal Life

Byron attended Charlotte Country Day School while taking online classes through Liberty University, graduating in May 2016, and continues his college education at Liberty University as a business communication major. He is a Christian and has spoken openly about his faith, stating that he believes racing was part of God’s plan to share his beliefs with fans and the racing community. He is an Eagle Scout. In 2021, he publicly shared that his mother Dana was being treated for a MALT lymphoma tumor in her brain and announced later that year that she had recovered. He is married to Hailey McGregor and resides in the Charlotte area.

2025 Season Performance

The 2025 season has been one of the finest of William McComas Byron Jr.’s career. He opened the year with a historic second consecutive Daytona 500 victory, becoming only the fifth driver in NASCAR history to win the race in back-to-back seasons. The win solidified his status among the sport’s elite and gave Hendrick Motorsports a dominant start to its season. He followed that victory with consistent top finishes throughout the regular season, earning the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship.

Byron added his second win of the 2025 season at Iowa Speedway and continued to be a consistent threat at every track on the Cup Series schedule. He entered the playoffs with momentum and claimed a crucial victory at Martinsville Speedway during the post-season, securing a spot in the Championship 4. With crew chief Rudy Fugle and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team operating at peak performance, Byron has established himself as one of the top title contenders in NASCAR heading into the championship finale. A contract extension through 2029 signed in May 2025 ensures he will remain at the helm of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for years to come.