2024 Daytona 500 winner William Byron says he feels like an “imposter” going up against “hero” Jimmie Johnson

Daytona 500 champion William Byron opened up about grappling with feelings of "imposter syndrome" as he went head-to-head against seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson during the iconic race.

Byron etched his name into the history books when he raced to victory during the recent NASCAR Cup Series season opener, the Daytona 500 race. The 26-year-old, a part of star-studded Hendrick Motorsports lineup, got the better of a field of drivers that included numerous greats of the sport with the likes of Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., and even the seven-time Cup champion, Jimmie Johnson.

However, despite his remarkable achievement, Byron candidly admitted to feeling like an "imposter" when facing off against Johnson, particularly given his longstanding admiration for the recently inducted Hall of Famer.

Having grown up as a hardcore fan of 7x Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, Byron recounted his childhood memories of idolizing Johnson and proudly displaying diecast cars in his room.

Following his victory, William Byron revealed (via The Associated Press):

"I feel like I’ve always had a bit of imposter syndrome because I race against Jimmie Johnson, like this guy was my hero."

He added:

"Literally every Sunday I had his diecast cars in my room and just dreamed about what it would be like to be in his shoes and now I get to race against him."

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"Fear" has fuelled William Byron's career trajectory in the Cup Series

William Byron's #24 Chevy ensured Hendrick Motorsports won on the superspeedway on the 40th anniversary of the team's first Daytona 500 start.

Highlighting the initial sense of gratitude upon entering NASCAR's premier division, the 26-year-old said:

"It’s a pretty crazy emotion to go through, just getting into the Cup Series, just honestly being happy to be there, and then figuring out, ‘OK, well, what are my goals? What are the things I want to accomplish?’"

However, Byron quickly shifted his focus to defining his goals and aspirations, driven by an innate fear of squandering the opportunity to compete at the highest level.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver was a part of the Championship 4 last season. He won the highest number of races among other drivers, with a total of six wins in the Cup Series. However, despite these accomplishments, the Charlotte native acknowledged the underlying fear that propels him forward. He said:

“I feel like I’ve always had a bit of kind of work through fear because of fear, and I feel like that’s fueled me because I never want to lose the opportunity to race in the Cup Series and have a shot to win races with the team I’m with.”