$200M-worth Jeff Gordon HMS' success ignites team hunger but staying on top NASCAR's biggest hurdle

Hendrick Motorsports vice-chairman Jeff Gordon recently elaborated on how William Byron's impressive form has sparked internal competition within the organization. He also discussed the challenges of sustaining their winning form in the fiercely competitive NASCAR Cup Series.

Byron has kicked off his 2024 campaign in stellar form winning the Daytona 500, a milestone event for HMS at Martinsville Speedway, and a road course race. Piloting the #24 Chevy, synonymous with Gordon's legacy, the 26-year-old is replicating the four-time champion's form.

Jeff Gordon, worth $200 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, acknowledged that William Byron and his crew chief Rudy Fugle are in hot form. He emphasized that their success motivates the rest of the teams within Hendrick Motorsports to elevate their performance and contend for victories.

In a recent appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, the 52-year-old said:

"Yeah, there's a lot of momentum, the #24 car is just red hot with what William [Byron] and Rudy [Fugle] are doing. What that does is motivate the other teams within our organization. They are all stepping up, but right now two of them have won, and the other two also want to get to the victory lane."

Gordon acknowledged that the adage "Staying at the top is harder than getting there," resonates in the competitive world of NASCAR. The HMS legend mentioned that their rivals are continuously evolving and remain a persistent threat. He said:

"Its a long season, your competitors learn from what you're doing, they get better, they get motivated. Trying to stay on top when things are going well is one of the toughest things to do in NASCAR."

With the first quarter of the season behind us, all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers sit within the top 10 in the drivers' standings. Kyle Larson leads the pack, followed by William Byron in fourth, Chase Elliott in sixth, and Alex Bowman rounding out the top 10 drivers.

---

NASCAR analyst draws parallels between Jeff Gordon and William Byron

Kyle Petty claims William Byron is a "Jeff Gordon-style driver," as he offers valuable insights to the team to improve the racecars, reminiscent of the insights provided by the NASCAR Hall of Famer during his career.

Petty recently said on GoPRNLive:

"He's [Byron] really insightful into where the team is and I think that shows that William Byron is a Jeff Gordon-style driver. William Byron is a guy that drives the car and then says ‘I think we can move the ball forward if we change this and we work this and we do this' that's the way Jeff Gordon was."

With six victories last season and three wins in the first eight rounds of the current season, William Byron's performance is reminiscent of Jeff Gordon's dominant campaigns. Kyle Petty stated the current #24 Chevy driver has shown promise, but still has a long journey to match Gordon's legacy.