William Byron signs multi-year extension with Hendrick Motorsports

“William is the real deal,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of HMS. “What makes him so special is that he combines natural ability with an unrivaled work ethic. You see it in the great ones – the drivers who could get by on talent alone but choose to outwork everyone anyway. That’s William. On top of it all, he’s a person of high character and embraces his role as a leader. We’re proud to have him in our lineup and look forward to many more wins together.”  

Byron, 27, signed with HMS in 2016 as an 18-year-old. He joined Cup in 2018 after winning the Xfinity Series Championship the year prior, driving for JR Motorsports. Like any young driver making the transition to Cup competition, Byron had his struggles. But after finishing 23rd in the points standings as a rookie, Byron made the playoffs in 2019. He’s been a postseason driver every year since, finishing sixth or better in each of the last three seasons.

HMS locks up William Byron for the foreseeable future

Byron has 14 wins in 264 career starts, 13 of which have come since 2021 when Rudy Fugle took over as crew chief for the No. 24 team. He took the checkered flag in the 2024 Daytona 500 and again this season. Byron is one of five drivers to win back-to-back Daytona 500s, joining Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Sterling Marlin and Denny Hamlin.

“We’ve built something special with the No. 24 team,” Byron said. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to continue working with amazing people at Hendrick Motorsports who believe in me, especially Mr. and Mrs. Hendrick. We’ve accomplished some great things that we’re really proud of, but we have even bigger goals ahead. I’m excited to go after them with this team and this organization.” 

Byron is once again one of the favorites to win the Cup Championship this season. He is second in the points standings through 12 races, 35 points off the pace of HMS teammate Kyle Larson.