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Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron is set to bring back an iconic throwback look to his #24 car for the race at Darlington Speedway next month. This year's Daytona 500 winner will pilot a car paying homage to HMS vice chairman Jeff Gordon's "final ride" paint scheme, one he drove in his final race as a full-time Cup Series driver in 2015.
The news was brought to light via HMS' social media team, who posted on X with a link to photos of the iconic number and paint scheme combination. They wrote:
"Iconic then but legendary now. Swipe through this throwback to @JeffGordonWeb’s final #NASCAR race in the No. 24."
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NASCAR.com content manager Zach Sturniolo made note that the look to next weekend's #24 machine was in tribute to Gordon's final paint scheme behind the wheel of the iconic number. He wrote:
"The latest @TeamHendrick throwback is here -- this time a tribute to @JeffGordonWeb's "final ride" from the 2015 season-finale at Homestead, his last time driving for @Hendrick24Team. @WilliamByron will race this car on April 6 at @TooToughToTame. #NASCAR"
Gordon drove the famed look in the 2015 Cup Series season finale at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. After winning at Martinsville two weeks prior, the four-time Cup champion was chasing his fifth title. However, the 93-time Cup race winner failed to do so and settled for sixth place in the race.
While it was supposed to be Gordon's final race, the California native ran eight races in 2016 behind the wheel of the #88 HMS Chevrolet as he filled in for the injured Dale Earnhardt Jr..
Byron is a former winner at Darlington, having won at the South Carolina track back in 2023. That year, the 27-year-old sported a different Jeff Gordon throwback scheme, this one in tribute to the Hall of Famer's NASCAR 50th Anniversary livery from 1998.
William Byron took over the #24 HMS Chevrolet in 2018 for his rookie campaign. Chase Elliott was formerly the driver of the #24 machine in 2016 and 2017, but switched to #9 in homage to his dad Bill's old number. Byron has won 14 Cup races in the iconic number, including two Daytona 500s, and has made two appearances in the Championship 4.
William Byron seeking first Cup Series championship in 2025
Since bursting onto the NASCAR scene in 2016, William Byron has accomplished a ton in his young career. Amid his eighth full-time season in the Cup Series, the North Carolina native is chasing his first Cup title in 2025.
Byron has made it to the Championship 4 the last two seasons but fell short in both tries. He currently leads the points standings with 244 points as he's scored four top 10s in the first six races, including the Daytona 500 win.
William Byron is a teammate at Hendrick Motorsports with Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman, and Chase Elliott. The team's last championship was won by Larson in 2021.
