"That's from Rick Hendrick" - William Byron makes feeling known about HMS' special unity ahead of Championship battle

Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron is all set to make his second straight appearance in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix this weekend. Ahead of the final showdown, Byron expressed the close-knit atmosphere within Hendrick Motorsports, emphasizing that this camaraderie is instilled by team owner Rick Hendrick.

The #24 HMS driver has been filled with confidence entering Phoenix with a back of consistent finishes. He has scored four top-five and six top-10 finishes in the last six races. For Byron, HMS has been instrumental in building his NASCAR career since 2018.

Ahead of the high-stakes Phoenix Championship race, HMS shared a behind-the-scenes video of their camp where Byron highlighted the sense of family and unity within the organization:

“We all champion and work together. That's just what's special about Hendrick Motorsports, and that's from the top. That's from Mr. (Rick) Hendrick.”

William Byron advanced to the Championship 4 race for the second year in a row after securing a four-point advantage over Christopher Bell at Martinsville last week.

He will lock horns against Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick and Ryan Blaney for his maiden Cup Series Championship and Rick Hendrick’s 15th Cup title to conclude HMS’ 40th anniversary season on a high note.

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William Byron is eyeing his maiden NASCAR Cup title at Phoenix

During media day on Thursday, the 2024 Daytona 500 winner reflected on his experience from last year and compared the shift in mindset.

William Byron, who fell three spots short of his maiden Cup title last year, mentioned that reaching the final 4 was fulfilling in 2023, but this season his focus is squarely on winning the title. After coming so close to the title, Byron said that anything less than a victory would now feel like a disappointment (via Hendrick Motorsports):

“I feel less pressure, but at the same time, it’s more about the result. Last year, it was an honor to be in the Championship 4. It felt good to be here. But this year it feels like we know what the goal is, it’s to win the championship and anything short of that is not going to be fun.”

On controlling the nerves as he approaches the Phoenix Championship race, Byron said:

“There will be nerves when you get ready to get in the car on Sunday and even get in the car for practice on Friday. I feel like last year, yes, I was very nervous. But I felt like I excelled with those nerves.”

Catch William Byron in action at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday at 3 pm ET on NBC Sports.