William Byron has been in the headlines for more than just his racing lately, though not necessarily for reasons involving horsepower or pit strategy. Earlier this year, shortly after winning his second Daytona 500, a parody account called The Daily Downfords stirred a rumor by posting a doctored image that appeared to show Byron leaving a “Hii” comment under pop star Sabrina Carpenter’s Instagram post.
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Byron cleared the air, confirming the comment was fake, but by then, the rumor was already running full throttle, with several outlets, and fans themselves wondering if Byron was really about to spark a bond with the Espresso singer.
When reporters brought it up the following week in Atlanta, Byron took it in stride. “It was cool to have a little bit of fun with that,” he said with a grin. “We’ll see where it goes.”
That casual remark, meant as light-hearted banter, ended up fanning the flames even more. Before long, what began as a harmless joke had fans speculating whether the Hendrick Motorsports star was genuinely shooting his shot at Carpenter.
Byron didn’t exactly slam the brakes on the chatter either. Later that month, he told TMZ Sports that he’d love to welcome her to a NASCAR race, fueling another round of headlines. But as the season wore on, the playful rumors died down, only for Byron’s off-track storylines to take another turn.
By the time NASCAR’s championship weekend rolled into the Phoenix finale, the 26-year-old driver found himself crossing paths with a different celebrity. Austin Dillon, the #3 Chevrolet driver, introduced Byron to actress Sydney Sweeney, who was on-site to address thousands of fans before the finale at Phoenix Raceway in Arizona.
Dillon couldn’t resist a quip as he made the introduction: “Travis and Taylor would have nothing on you two!” a cheeky comment to the headline-grabbing romance between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift that had dominated the sports and entertainment worlds since 2023.
Best of 2025 NASCAR press conferences: After William Byron won the Daytona 500, people were Centeled into thinking he tried flirting with Sabrina Carpenter in her Instagram comments. Byron got teased about it the next week in Atlanta.
“I think if he makes that happen, he’s just… pic.twitter.com/4f58Uupg2z
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) November 18, 2025
Witnesses said Byron and Sweeney exchanged smiles and chatted briefly before parting ways, a fleeting but much-talked-about moment in the field. For Byron, the interaction was a way to cap off the year.
Off the track, Byron remains single following his 2024 breakup with Erin Blaney, sister of fellow driver Ryan Blaney, after more than four years together. On the track, though, he’s been firing on all cylinders.
The Hendrick Motorsports ace won two races in 2025, made his third consecutive Championship 4 appearance, and wrapped the season fourth in the standings, extending his streak of top-tier performances after back-to-back third-place finishes in previous years.
