by CONCORD, NC – In terms of significance and opportunity, William Byron’s start of his 500th anniversary on Sunday is nothing trivial.
Byron will roll off the grid for the 250th time in his career at Homestead-Miami Speedway and has the chance to ensure that his 252nd time will be a shot at racing immortality.
It’s the second race in the eighth round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, a win and Byron punches his ticket to Championship 4 for the second straight year. This race is again scheduled at Phoenix Raceway and will take place on November 10th.
Few have been better in recent years than Byron at Homestead. In three events since 2021, he has one win, one pole, two top-five finishes, 169 laps at the lead and 50 stage points.
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That surge in productivity is reflected almost everywhere in the 26-year-old as he continues his climb up the Cup Series standings. Twelve of his 13 career wins have come since the start of 2021, and he has moved from 10th to sixth to third in the points standings over the past three seasons.
It’s just not far from there.
Although he’s barely old enough to rent a boat on Lake Wylie, the Charlotte, North Carolina native’s growth and maturation becomes more evident with each playoff run.
That’s the focus of Byron and the No. 24 team: Taking one final step into the NASCAR record books. So you’ll have to excuse him if #250 eluded him until recently.
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“I honestly didn’t know until earlier this week that this would be my 250th Cup Series start,” Byron said.
A win on Sunday would make Byron just the sixth driver in history to win in his 250th start, joining a club that also includes Dale Earnhardt, Joe Nemechek, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher.
No driver has ever won their 250th career start with Hendrick Motorsports and only six drivers have achieved this milestone during their time with the organization. That includes all three of Byron’s teammates — Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson — over the past three seasons. Previously, Jimmie Johnson made his 250th start at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2008, Jeff Gordon at Dover Motor Speedway in 2000 and Ken Schrader at Michigan International Speedway in 1993.
How the drivers at Hendrick Motorsports fared in their 250th career start
| driver | Old | Date | Venue | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Elliott | 26 | September 17, 2022 | Bristol Motor Speedway | 2 |
| Alex Bowman | 29 | August 21, 2022 | Watkins Glen International | 14 |
| Kyle Larson | 29 | September 5, 2021 | Darlington Raceway | 2 |
| Jimmy Johnson | 33 | October 11, 2008 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | 6 |
| Jeff Gordon | 28 | June 4, 2000 | Dover Motor Speedway | 9 |
| Ken Schrader | 38 | August 15, 1993 | Michigan International Speedway | 16 |
Although none of them managed to achieve a victory, some positive trends can be observed. Both Elliott and Larson finished second in the playoff races, and while Byron wouldn’t finish second on Sunday, it would likely be a long shot considering his current standings, which are 27 points ahead of the elimination line. Additionally, both Larson and Johnson won a Cup Series championship in the same season they surpassed this milestone.
“It’s like I’m sitting there thinking about this being my seventh year at the highest level of the sport… I think I’ve obviously grown quite a bit since I started at Hendrick Motorsports and in Cup,” Byron said. “Just my decision-making, how I prepare for a race, how I do my part on the weekend, everything has changed and evolved over time. I think my stats show that too.”
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And that also applies to his words. And the occasional appearance of a rough beard more suited to a much more advanced rider.
However, this also fits with his evolving driving style. Byron, an increasingly consistent and tenacious force at the front of the pack, ranks second in the Next Gen era in wins (11), is tied for fifth in the top 10, and no one has more points this year 1.5 mile distances achieved this season than Byron (238).
So the future is bright, both in the immediate and distant future.
“I have a great group of people and I think they have their complete trust in me and I have my complete trust in them and that has really helped me get to this point in my career,” Byron said. “Hopefully I can make my 500th start (at Hendrick Motorsports).”
