William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports agree to contract extension through 2029
William Byron and Hendrick Motorsports have agreed to a contract extension to keep the two-time Daytona 500 winner with the NASCAR Cup Series organization through the 2029 season.
Byron's previous contract with Hendrick was up at the end of this season, but leaving the only organization he's known was never considered a realistic possibility. On Friday, both sides made it official.
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'We've built something special with the No. 24 team,' Byron said. 'I'm thankful for the opportunity to continue working with amazing people at Hendrick Motorsports who believe in me, especially Mr. and Mrs. Hendrick.
'We've accomplished some great things that we're proud of, but we have even bigger goals ahead. I'm excited to go after them with this team and this organization.'
When Byron, 27, first joined Hendrick's Cup Series program in 2018, he was considered a rising star even though his path to NASCAR superstardom was less traditional than many of his contemporaries.
Born and raised in Charlotte, N.C., NASCAR's hub, Byron fell in love with the sport as a kid and, unbeknownst to his parents, he started racing virtually. He then talked his parents into allowing him to pursue racing in real life, successfully transferring the skills he learned online to actual cars and moving up NASCAR's developmental ladder.
Recognizing Byron's potential, team owner Rick Hendrick signed him to a contract in 2016 and placed him in NASCAR's second-tier Xfinity Series the next year. That season saw Byron win the championship as a rookie, just the second rookie to accomplish the feat.
After Byron won the Xfinity title, he earned a promotion to Cup, where he's progressed into a championship-contending driver. He won Rookie of the Year in his first Cup season, earned his first playoff berth the next year, secured his first-career win in 2020 and has earned at least one victory in every season since.
His 14 total wins since 2020 trail only Kyle Larson (26 wins) and Denny Hamlin (19) during that span, and he's won the last two editions of NASCAR's signature race, the Daytona 500. He's also qualified for the Championship 4 title race in the past two seasons.
'William is the real deal,' Rick Hendrick said. 'What makes him so special is that he combines natural ability with an unrivaled work ethic. You see it in the great ones — the drivers who could get by on talent alone but choose to outwork everyone anyway. That's William. On top of it all, he's a person of high character and embraces his role as a leader.
'We're proud to have him in our lineup and look forward to many more wins together.'
(Photo of William Byron: James Gilbert / Getty Images)
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