There can’t be many arguments against the fact that William Byron has been one of the best Cup Series drivers in recent times. He reached the Championship 4 in 2023 and 2024, after finishing sixth in the driver standings in 2022. One of his peak points during this stretch was winning the Daytona 500 last season.
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A fan on X kicked off a controversial discussion by mentioning that the Daytona 500 has not had an “impactful” winner since Denny Hamlin in 2020. They hoped that someone like Hamlin or Chase Elliott, who holds value in pop culture, would turn up as the winner this season. Several criticisms hit the opinion back — majorly in favor of Byron.
Byron literally won last year
— Willy B=2025 NASCAR Cup Series Champion (@DonaldasaurusR) February 11, 2025
One fan replied, “@WilliamByron was more than deserving.. and made an impact.” Driving the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports car that once belonged to the iconic Jeff Gordon, there is huge pressure on Byron. Watching him tackle that pressure to reach victory lane in the biggest race of them all was a special moment for NASCAR fans.
Another fan asked, “So Byron in the famed 24 car wasn’t impactful?” Another added, “Byron last year? Granted the way how he got in wasn’t pretty last year but he’s a championship contender who made into the final 4 the last 2 years.” Byron made it to the finale after Christopher Bell was penalized for riding the wall in Martinsville.
He might not have entered the Championship 4 if not for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s mistake. But “What If?” scenarios can always be drawn in NASCAR, and they cannot be attributed with value. One comment pointed out the lack of logic in the original tweet that set off the discussion writing, “Byron literally won last year.”
Why Byron’s Daytona 500 victory was special for Rick Hendrick
Byron’s success in the Great American Race had made his father extremely emotional. He told the press in a media availability at the time that he’d never heard his father get that choked up on the phone till that day. But he valued the moment a lot since his father had been through every struggle and hurdle along with him on the journey.
Another person whom the victory made emotional was Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick. The benefactor told the media, “I’m telling you, you couldn’t write the script any better…24-24. When you think about coming down here for the first time we didn’t think we should be here…felt so out of place. And to win this on our 40th…that’s awesome.”
2024 was the 40th anniversary of Hendrick Motorsports in NASCAR. Byron had given his employer a gift better than anyone possibly could. Hopefully, he will be able to weave the same magic once again this weekend.
