William Byron Bio
William McComas Byron Jr. (born November 29, 1997) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports. Byron has won the 2024 and 2025 Daytona 500 and was named the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Champion. Earlier in his career, he captured championships in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Byron rose through the NASCAR ladder faster than most of his peers, earning Rookie of the Year honors in each of the three national series. In 2023, he was named to NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers list, recognizing his impact on the sport at a young age.
Early Life and Background
William McComas Byron Jr. was born on November 29, 1997, in Charlotte, North Carolina, the younger of two children. His parents are Bill and Dana Byron, and he grew up with an older sister, Kathryn. Being raised in the heart of NASCAR country gave Byron early exposure to stock car racing, and the family supported his interest in motorsports from a young age.
Byron became interested in racing at age six after watching a stock car race on television, and he later attended a race at Martinsville Speedway in 2006. As a teenager, he sharpened his skills on the iRacing simulator, racking up more than one hundred wins and nearly 300 top-five finishes in online competition. He attended Charlotte Country Day School while taking online classes through sponsor Liberty University, graduating in May 2016, and later continued his education at Liberty University, majoring in business communication. Byron is also an Eagle Scout.
Path to NASCAR
In 2012, Byron and his father began exploring how he could transition from sim racing to real cars. He started racing Legends cars that year at age fifteen and won 33 races, claiming the Legend Car Young Lions Division championship. The following year, he continued to develop his craft in Legends competition.
For 2014, Byron signed with the JR Motorsports late model program, piloting the No. 9 Liberty University Chevrolet at Hickory Motor Speedway. He scored one victory and eleven top-five finishes, finishing second in points to teammate Josh Berry. The experience in late models prepared him for a full-time opportunity in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2015 with HScott Motorsports and Justin Marks, where he won four races and the series championship. In 2016, he moved to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Kyle Busch Motorsports and rewrote the rookie record book with seven wins, earning Rookie of the Year honors.
William Byron Career
Early Career (2015-2016)
Byron launched his national NASCAR career in 2015, splitting time between the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, K&N Pro Series West, the ARCA Racing Series, and JR Motorsports late models. He won the K&N East championship in his rookie season, becoming one of the youngest drivers ever to claim a NASCAR touring series title. He also made his ARCA debut at Lucas Oil Raceway, where he finished second after leading 120 laps.
In 2016, Byron ran a full Truck Series schedule for Kyle Busch Motorsports, driving the No. 9 Toyota Tundra. He won seven races, including his first Truck Series victory at Kansas Speedway, and broke the record for most wins by a Truck Series rookie. His seven wins, eleven top-fives, and sixteen top-tens in 23 races also helped Kyle Busch Motorsports clinch the owners’ championship, and Byron was named Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year.
Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2017)
On August 18, 2016, Byron and Hendrick Motorsports announced a multi-year contract that placed him in the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro SS for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The 2017 season was a coming-out party for Byron. After finishing second at Michigan, he captured his first career national series victory at Iowa Speedway following a late-race wreck by Christopher Bell. He added a second win in overtime at Daytona, then took the third at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the fourth at Phoenix, which locked him into the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
At Homestead, Byron held off Championship 4 teammate Elliott Sadler in the closing laps to win the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship. He was also named the 2017 Sunoco Rookie of the Year, becoming only the second driver in history to earn Rookie of the Year honors in consecutive seasons in each of the three national series, joining Erik Jones.
Cup Series Debut and Growth (2018-2020)
On August 9, 2017, Hendrick Motorsports announced Byron would replace Kasey Kahne in the No. 5 car for 2018. Twenty days later, the team reversed course and placed him in the iconic No. 24, with Chase Elliott moving to the rebranded No. 9. Byron inherited crew chief Darian Grubb and won the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year award.
In 2019, Byron earned his first Cup Series pole at the Daytona 500, leading a Hendrick lockout of the first two rows, and advanced to the playoffs for the first time. He was eliminated in the Round of 12. In 2020, Byron scored his first career Cup Series victory at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona in August, capitalizing on a late-race overtime to reach the playoffs. He signed a contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports through the 2022 season.
Cup Series Ascension (2021-2023)
The 2021 season marked Byron’s arrival as a Cup Series contender. He won at Homestead-Miami Speedway, leading 101 of the final 112 laps, and strung together an eleven-race top-ten streak. Byron reached the Round of 12 in the playoffs and finished a career-best tenth in the standings.
In 2022, Byron won at Atlanta and Martinsville, then signed a contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports through 2025. He finished the year sixth in points. The 2023 campaign was his breakout year, as he scored six victories, including wins at Las Vegas, Phoenix, Darlington, Atlanta, Watkins Glen, and Texas. The Texas win marked Hendrick Motorsports’ 300th Cup Series victory. Byron finished third in the final standings.
Daytona 500 Era (2024-2025)
Byron opened 2024 by winning the Daytona 500, the first victory for the No. 24 in the Great American Race since Jeff Gordon in 2005 and Hendrick Motorsports’ first since Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2014. The win came exactly forty years to the date Hendrick Motorsports ran its first race. He added wins at Circuit of the Americas and Martinsville, advanced to the Championship 4, and finished third in the final standings.
In 2025, Byron became the fifth driver in history to win the Daytona 500 in back-to-back seasons. He received a contract extension through 2029, won at Iowa Speedway during the regular season, and added a playoff win at Martinsville to advance to the Championship 4. He was also crowned the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Champion.
Driving Style and Strengths
Byron is known for his smooth, methodical driving style and his ability to perform on a wide range of track types, from superspeedways to road courses to short tracks. He pairs technical feedback with crew chief Rudy Fugle, and the partnership has produced consistent race-day execution. His late-race race craft and tire management have helped him win in overtime scenarios and high-pressure playoff races.
Notable Races and Milestones
Byron’s signature moments include his back-to-back Daytona 500 victories in 2024 and 2025, his overtime win in the 2020 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, and his six-win 2023 Cup Series season. He also became the twelfth driver in NASCAR history to win a race in all three national series at the same track, a testament to his versatility.
William Byron Career Wins
William Byron has built one of the most decorated résumés of any active NASCAR driver, with championships in two national touring series and victories in all three of NASCAR’s top national divisions. His win list spans superspeedways, intermediates, short tracks, and road courses, and includes the sport’s biggest race, the Daytona 500.
Cup Series Highlights
Byron has won multiple NASCAR Cup Series races, highlighted by back-to-back Daytona 500 victories in 2024 and 2025. His six-win 2023 campaign included victories at Las Vegas, Phoenix, Darlington, Atlanta, Watkins Glen, and Texas. He has reached the Championship 4 on multiple occasions, including 2024 and 2025, and finished as high as third in the final points standings.
Other Wins and Performances
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Byron won the 2017 championship and four races that season. In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, he set the rookie wins record with seven victories in 2016, including his first Truck Series win at Kansas. He also won the 2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship with four victories, and added a Truck Series win for Spire Motorsports at Martinsville in 2022 and a 2025 Xfinity win at Charlotte for Hendrick Motorsports.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cup Series | Multiple | Multiple | Multiple |
| Xfinity Series | Multiple | Multiple | Multiple |
| Camping World Truck Series | Multiple | Multiple | Multiple |
William Byron Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Byron was raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, by his parents, Bill and Dana Byron. His father, Bill, was instrumental in helping him transition from sim racing to real cars when he was a teenager, and the family remains closely involved in his career. Byron has an older sister, Kathryn, and the family has publicly shared its support for his racing journey.
Personal Life
Byron is in a relationship with Hailey McGregor. In May 2021, he publicly shared that his mother, Dana, was being treated for a MALT lymphoma tumor in the left side of her brain, and he later announced that she had healed from the disease. Byron is a devout Christian and has spoken about his faith being a central part of his racing career. He is also an Eagle Scout and continues his college education at Liberty University, majoring in business communication.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season has been one of the most consistent of Byron’s career. He opened the year by winning his second consecutive Daytona 500, becoming just the fifth driver in history to win the race in back-to-back seasons. On May 23, Hendrick Motorsports announced a contract extension for Byron through 2029, locking in the long-term future of the No. 24 program.
Byron’s regular season form was strong enough to earn him the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship. He added a second win at Iowa Speedway, reinforcing his strength on short tracks and intermediates. His crew chief, Rudy Fugle, has continued to play a central role in race-day strategy, and the duo has executed at a high level across a variety of track types.
Byron added a playoff win at Martinsville to advance to the Championship 4, positioning himself for a shot at the series title. With his contract secure and his team performing at a championship level, Byron enters the closing stretch of 2025 as one of the favorites to capture his first NASCAR Cup Series championship.