“It's impressive to see a young guy who never gets rattled”: When Rick Hendrick heaped praise on ‘rare’ talent who took over Jeff Gordon’s ride

William Byron just wrapped up his seventh full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series with the Rick Hendrick-led Hendrick Motorsports. Once made famous by Jeff Gordon, Byron has carried the banner of the iconic #24 Chevrolet proudly.

Since moving up to the Cup Series in 2018, the North Carolina native has registered 13 victories and made appearances in the Championship 4 race the last two seasons.

It was August 2017 when the news broke that the young upstart driver would be joining HMS in the Cup Series. Byron was in the midst of his rookie campaign in the Xfinity Series and would later end the season as the champion.

When it was first announced that Byron would be behind the wheel of the famed #24 machine, reality hadn't set in yet for the young driver. However, he knew the task at hand once he joined the team.

"It hasn't sunk in yet," Byron said via Jayski.com. "Mr. Hendrick has built such a great team. The people at Hendrick Motorsports have dedicated their lives to giving their drivers the best chance to win every weekend. I have a responsibility to them to work hard and put everything I have into this opportunity. They need to know I'm always giving 100 percent because that's what they do."

Rick Hendrick was impressed by the now-27-year-old driver from the first time he saw him on the racetrack. The 14-time Cup Series champion owner knew he had the best of both worlds in Byron as he had not only a driver who works hard, but has talent as well. As long as he's been in the sport, Hendrick knew drivers like Byron don't come around often.

"At every step, William has proven how quickly he can adapt," Rick Hendrick said via Jayski.com. "Some drivers have raw talent and some have a strong work ethic. William has both. It's impressive to see a young guy who never gets rattled and instinctively knows how to communicate with his team. That level of commitment, poise and pure ability is rare at any age. I think he's just scratching the surface."

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William Byron won this year's Daytona 500 to kick off the season

William Byron has accomplished a lot in his short NASCAR Cup Series career, but perhaps nothing bigger than this season when he won the illustrious season-opening Daytona 500 at the Daytona International Speedway. It was Hendrick Motorsports' first Daytona 500 win since 2014.

"Just extremely blessed and thankful for all the opportunities," Byron said via FOX Sports. "We just want to keep it going. We have a lot to prove this year and this is a good start, obviously. Daytona 500, it's freaking awesome. Let's go." (0:29 onwards)

Byron went on to win two more races in 2024 at Circuit of the Americas and Martinsville. He qualified for the Championship 4 race and finished third among the title drivers, tied for his best career points finish.