CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Rick Hendrick first met William Byron when he was a local Charlotte teenager, Hendrick Motorsports fan and aspiring NASCAR driver.
Something about the 15-year-old struck Hendrick, who recognized a young talent with a potentially bright future in NASCAR. Hendrick took Byron away from the Toyota camp in 2016, promoted him to the Cup Series in 2018 when he was 20 years old and coming off an Xfinity Series championship and gave him the tools to become a star.
It paid off as Byron heads to Phoenix Raceway this week with a chance to win his first Cup title. With six Cup Series victories this season, Byron appeared to be in position to advance to the championship finale, but had to eliminate all positions Sunday at Martinsville Speedway to edge out Denny Hamlin for fourth place in the title race.
It’s the kind of performance Hendrick expected from Byron, whom he likens to the late David Pearson, a three-time Cup champion and Hall of Famer. In a Hendrick heavyweight lineup that includes Cup champions Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson, as well as Alex Bowman, Hendrick believes Byron is his hardest worker and has proven all his early doubters wrong.
Byron won the 300th race for the Hendrick organization in September.
“When I moved him to No. 24, I had a lot of skeptics. Not in our business, but I read everything people said he wasn’t ready,” Hendrick said. “To see him blossom and become the driver he is, it’s phenomenal. William has always been quite calculating, he doesn’t ride in over his head and he has won races this year by making aggressive moves.
“He’s the man you want your daughter to marry.” He is intelligent. He’s studying, he’s in the simulator, he’s planning and he really thinks he’s the best driver in the world. »
If Byron wins the title on Sunday, he would be the first Cup champion born and raised in North Carolina since Dale Jarrett in 1999.
A LOOK AT THE FINAL FOUR OF NASCAR
HOMETOWN: High Point, North Carolina
CREW CHIEF: Jonathan Hassler
RECORD IN PHOENIX: 0 for 15, but Blaney has consecutive runner-up finishes in Phoenix, including last year when he finished second behind champion teammate Joey Logano.
NOTES: Blaney became the championship favorite after an exceptional third round of the playoffs with finishes sixth, second, then a victory last Sunday at Martinsville. He has not finished lower than fourth at Phoenix in four consecutive races there.
Toyota No. 20, Joe Gibbs Racing
HOMETOWN: Norman, Oklahoma
RECORD IN PHOENIX: 0 out of 7 with four top-10s.
NOTES: Bell won at Homestead-Miami Speedway two weeks ago to advance to the final for the second year in a row. He finished 10th a year ago while racing for the title and finished third in the final standings. This is Bell’s fourth full year in the Cup Series.
No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
HOMETOWN: Elk Grove, California
CREW CHIEF: Cliff Daniels
RECORD IN PHOENIX: 1 in 18 with 11 top-10s. Won at Phoenix in 2021 to capture his first Cup title.
NOTE: Larson has four victories this season, including two in the playoffs. He won the playoff opener at Darlington, then was the first driver to make the championship round with a victory at Las Vegas three races ago. This victory in Las Vegas gave Larson and his team more time than their competitors to prepare for Phoenix.
Chevrolet No. 24, Hendrick Motorsports
HOMETOWN: Charlotte, North Carolina
RECORD IN PHOENIX: 1 for 11 with a victory in the spring race earlier this year.
NOTES: This was Byron’s breakout year with a career-high six wins. If he wins the championship, it would be the first title for the No. 24 Chevrolet since Jeff Gordon’s fourth title in 2001.
