How William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Team Is Executing at a High Level Despite Not Winning Since the Daytona 500

Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron etched his name in history when he won the 2025 Daytona 500. It was his second consecutive victory in the Great American Race, and he kicked off the season with a lot of promise. However, ten more races have gone by since then without him reaching Victory Lane. And yet, he sits atop the points table.

This has been possible because of some high-caliber performances by him and his No. 24 crew. Byron’s average finish position after the first eleven races of the year is a series best 8.91. He has secured this impressive number through five top-five and seven top-10 finishes. His teammate Kyle Larson trails him with an average finish of 10.64.

After winning at Daytona, he came closest to taking the checkered flag at the Circuit of the Americas when he finished as the runner-up. In Darlington, too, he reached the same mark and finished second to Denny Hamlin. From Phoenix to Las Vegas and Talladega, nearly every track so far has seen flashes of Byron’s brilliance.

Most recently at the Texas Motor Speedway, he finished in 13th place after suffering damage on the pit road. He displayed strong resilience to climb back into the top-15 from what was poised to be a disastrous finish and retained top spot on the points table for yet another week. Larson sits 13 points below him in second.

William Byron to sub in for Connor Zilisch at Kansas

18-year-old Connor Zilisch hurt his lower back in an accident at the Talladega Superspeedway. He was declared not fit to race at the Texas Motor Speedway last weekend, and Larson had to fill in for him in the No. 88 JR Motorsports car in the Xfinity Series. The Hendrick Motorsports driver excelled as a substitute and ended up securing the win.

This upcoming weekend, it will be Byron‘s turn to fill in. Zilisch also races in the Craftsman Truck Series. The No. 24 driver will race in his stead from behind the No. 07 Spire Motorsports truck. He is an eight-time winner in the Truck Series and has already made one planned start from behind the No. 07 Spire Motorsports truck this year.

He started from 13th place at Martinsville and finished 14th on March 28. Heading to Kansas, his hope will be to serve as a good substitute, just like Larson. But the more important task remains: getting back to P1 in the Cup Series. As much as the top finishes matter, only victories will help him stay ahead of superstars like Larson.