Jeff Gordon backs William Byron continuing longstanding HMS tradition at Brickyard 400

Hendrick Motorsports vice-chairman Jeff Gordon has backed William Byron to take the #24 Chevy, which was once synonymous with Gordon himself, to victory lane at the Brickyard 400 this weekend, July 21, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

After a three-year hiatus, NASCAR returns to the oval configuration at the famed 2.5-mile oval, reviving the lost crown jewel race. Gordon, who won the inaugural edition of the race in 1994, holds the record for the most wins at the track, having made five visits to the victory lane.

In addition to his Brickyard wins in 1998 and 2001, Jeff Gordon has managed to win the crown jewel race in 10-year intervals — 1994, 2004, and 2014. Following this trend, Gordon has backed William Byron to park the #24 Chevy in victory lane this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In a recent interview with NASCAR.com, the four-time Cup champion reflected on his special connection with IMS and expressed hope to see the current driver of the #24 continue the winning tradition.

"Yeah! William Byron in 2024! I didn’t realize that (until) somebody had mentioned that to me the other day. I don’t know how exactly all that came together and why, but the track was special — special to me personally and special to our team. And everything happens for a reason. I’m a big believer in that, and so the numbers don’t lie," Gordon said.

"It is just something about the 24 and the fours at Indianapolis. That’d be pretty cool to see that happen again this year," he added.

William Byron has stepped up to win marquee events for Hendrick Motorsports, having clinched the Daytona 500 and the team's 40th-anniversary race at Martinsville earlier this season. The NASCAR crown jewel race is scheduled for this Sunday, July 21, at 2:30 PM ET.

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Rick Hendrick reflects on Jeff Gordon's maiden Brickyard 400 victory

Jeff Gordon's victory in the inaugural edition of the Brickyard 400 heralded the rise of a young superstar who would go toe-to-toe with NASCAR greats in the coming years, establishing himself as a legend of the sport.

Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick described Gordon's victory as one of the most important wins in the organization's 40-year history. He remarked that the victory signaled the rise of a superstar.

"That will go down in history for this company as one of the most important wins, the most exciting wins. You knew that you just saw a superstar born," the HMS owner said (via NASCAR on NBC on X).

Jeff Gordon's 1994 Brickyard 400 victory marked his second Cup win and he capped off the season by finishing eighth in the standings. The following year, he clinched his first Cup title, adding to his tally in '97, '98, and 2001.