Hendrick Motorsports' history in NASCAR is second to none with 14 Cup Series championships and over 300 wins. The team is again celebrating after William Byron piloted his No. 24 Chevrolet to victory lane in the 2024 Daytona 500. Byron looks destined for greatness, much like the man who made the number he now drives famous. That driver was Jeff Gordon, who has been along for the ride in Byron's rise at Hendrick Motorsports.
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Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports' vice chairman, quickly became a NASCAR superstar when he entered the Cup Series as a driver in the 90's. His four Cup championships and 93 race wins certainly created much of the foundation for HMS' success in NASCAR and forged the path that so many drivers have followed since.
Gordon, alongside Jeff Andrews, the president and general manager of Hendrick Motorsports, are the pair that will oversee HMS into the future, especially once Rick Hendrick decides to step back from running the organization.
Gordon has long been impressed by the development of the 26-year-old Byron, but after seeing what he was able to do in Monday's rain-delayed Daytona 500, he believes the driver has cemented his status as one of NASCAR's elite drivers.
Gordon had nothing but compliments for Byron and how much his Daytona 500 win is only going to help him move forward.
"It's so cool what this is going to do for this team, for all of our partners, and William Byron," Gordon said via Fox Sports. "He was already a superstar. He just went to another level of being a superstar."
His six wins in 2023, along with a Championship Four appearance, showcased his rise, and adding a Daytona 500 victory only pushes him further into being among the sport's elite.
According to motorsport.com, Byron seems to share similar skills and characteristics to what Gordon had in his racing career. Gordon made it clear in victory lane that watching Byron made him feel like he was back out there.
"I wasn't driving the car, but I feel like I was making every lap with him out there. It's just crazy to watch these guys do what they do and do it so well, and to watch them from this side of it, it makes me so happy, so proud," Gordon said. "We're going to celebrate. This is an amazing win, a huge win."
If he's truly like Gordon, William Byron will be a name that NASCAR fans will talk about for years to come.
