William Byron did not have the typical path to the NASCAR Cup Series.
In fact, he had far from it. Byron did not grow up working on cars and racing on short tracks the way most racers do. instead, he began his racing career by playing a computer simulation game called iRacing. This story has been well documented, most recently in the Netflix documentary series “Full Speed,” which dove into the careers and lives of popular NASCAR drivers.
It is a fascinating ascent up the ranks of a sport that has so often required a traditional approach. Byron began racing on real tracks, as opposed to the virtual ones he began on, at age 15. He quickly became dominant and started moving up the ranks very quickly. By age 18, he was competing full-time in the Truck Series. After that, he was signed by Hendrick Motorsports, in which he competed and won the xFinity Series Championship. After that, he was moved to the Cup Series to drive the #24 car at only 20 years old.
The expectations for Byron were immense. After all, he was taking over the famed #24 car driven for so long by Jeff Gordon. While Chase Elliott did drive that number briefly before switching to #9, the comparisons from Byron to a young Gordon came early and often. With those expectations lingering, Byron struggled early on.
His rookie season was rough, which was not entirely unexpected. He went winless with an average finish outside of the top 20. He did take a big leap in his second year, which was important for his career. His average finish jumped more than seven spots into the top 15, and many began to see the signs of his potential. He did not win a race, but he made the playoffs and established himself as a driver to watch moving forward.
The next two seasons, William’s third and fourth in the Cup Series, were a combination of consistent, but somewhat underwhelming. Byron won his first race finally and won one race in both seasons. The latter season did see more consistent front-running, and that was displayed with his 12 top-five finishes. Still, the lack of wins had people wondering if he had what it took to become a household name.
The two years afterwards showed Byron’s emergence. He won two races in 2022 and made the Round of 8 in the playoffs. Then came 2023. He won a career-high six races, which tripled his previous career-high. In addition to all the victories, Byron made the championship four and came very close to winning the Cup Series title.
2023 was undoubtedly breakout year for the still-young driver from Charlotte, North Carolina. He stepped into the spotlight as a premiere title contender for the first time, and showed some of the talent that Rick Hendrick recognized when he signed him. Still, following up on that emergence is no guarantee.
Perhaps the best way to ensure the continuation of a breakout is by winning the biggest race in the entire sport. That’s what William Byron did on Sunday, capturing the 2024 Daytona 500. It’s is a Crown Jewel event, and one that stays attached to a driver’s legacy forever.
I think Byron is here to stay. He will be competing for championships year in and year out, and it’s only a matter of time before he wins one outright. Of course, there has never been a question about the equipment he is in. Hendrick Motorsports is a gold standard in NASCAR. The only question was whether or not Byron would unlock the potential that so many saw in him early on.
If recent developments are any indication, he is well on his way to fully reaching the peaks of his abilities.
Dawson Eiserloh is the co-host of “RP3, D-Loh & Meche” which is broadcast weekdays (11-1) on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette and 104.1 Lake Charles — Southwest Louisiana’s Sports Station.