William Byron Road to NASCAR Glory: As the NASCAR 2023 season reaches its thrilling climax at Phoenix Raceway, one driver stands on the cusp of glory. William Byron, piloting the No. 24 car for Hendrick Motorsports, has been a favorite for the championship throughout the season, and his team has led the series with an impressive six wins.
Byron’s playoff point advantage, accumulated throughout the year, proved to be a lifeline after a subpar race at Martinsville last weekend. This setback momentarily put him on equal footing with his three fellow championship contenders as they gear up for the ultimate showdown at Phoenix Raceway this weekend.
While the pressure to secure his first series title is undeniable, the 25-year-old driver approaches Sunday’s race with a sense of relief, believing that the toughest part of the journey may already be behind him.
The young driver confessed, “We were nervous, no doubt. We put together such a good year. To make it all the way to Martinsville and feel like your chances are slipping away was definitely kind of demoralizing, depressing.” The fear of coming so close to the championship and falling short was palpable. He added, “If we hadn’t made it, I think it would have been a lot of disappointment. I think that’s where the pressure came from. For us to win a championship would be just icing on the cake. You got a 1 in 4 chance. Now, we have a new life for our team. This is what our goal was, to make the Championship 4. I think any team would say that. Now, we feel like, I mean, we have nothing to lose.”
For Byron and Ryan Blaney, Sunday’s race represents their first shot at a Cup championship. In contrast, Christopher Bell made the Championship 4 last season, and Larson claimed the title in 2021 during his sole previous appearance.
At just 25, Byron would become the fourth-youngest Cup Series champion in history, marking the culmination of a breakout season for the Charlotte, North Carolina native. Besides his six victories, he leads the series in top-10 finishes and was the top seed when the playoffs kicked off in September.
What’s intriguing is that with Larson being the oldest among the Championship 4 drivers at 31, it’s entirely plausible that these young talents could find themselves competing for the series title multiple times in the years to come.
Byron reflected on this shift, saying, “It’s kind of funny because when I came into the Cup Series, it was the old versus new, and the old guys ruled with Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson. Those guys were dominating races, and Truex. It was kind of a joke that NASCAR promoted us so much. People were laughing at it. We’re here now. It’s cool. It’s all the guys I grew up racing against. I think all these guys are going to win multiple races a year for the next few years.”
William Byron doesn’t plan to squander this golden opportunity. He’s determined to join the elite ranks of drivers who have conquered NASCAR’s premier level. “I think these are opportunities you get that you look forward to. Man, I want to get a first championship. That would be awesome. I want to do that,” he exclaimed. The anticipation is building as Byron gears up for what could be a defining moment in his career.
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Our Reader’s Queries
How did William Byron get to NASCAR?
William quickly became a fixture on iRacing, a popular online racing simulator favored by professional drivers. He immersed himself in the world of racing, studying every aspect of the sport. Within a mere four years of his first real race, William emerged victorious as the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion.
Are William Byron and Erin Blaney still together?
Erin and William have been an item since February 2020, and the trio is at ease with the arrangement. They even find humor in it, as evidenced by Byron’s recent quip on the NBC broadcast after Blaney’s victory at Martinsville: “Congrats to Ryan. Really happy for him, brother-in-law.”
Did William Byron graduate from Liberty University?
Byron’s personal life began in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he was born as the younger of two siblings. His parents, Bill and Dana Byron, raised him alongside his sister Kathryn. Byron completed his education at Charlotte Country Day School, while also taking online classes through sponsor Liberty University. He successfully graduated in May 2016, marking the end of his academic journey.
Where did William Byron go to college?
At just 25 years old, Byron is already making waves in the NASCAR Cup Series as a driver for HMS. He’s also pursuing a B.S. in Strategic Communication through Liberty University’s Online Programs, where he’s been sponsored by the university for an impressive 10 seasons. In fact, Liberty even served as the primary sponsor for the No. car during one of Byron’s races. With six seasons under his belt, Byron is proving to be a force to be reckoned with both on and off the track.