William Byron captured his first win of the 2022 NASCAR season. He became the third Hendrick Motorsports winner in five races this season by taking the checkered flag at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Former NASCAR driver Kyle Petty feels that Byron will become an anchor and a future star for Hendrick Motorsports. Speaking to NASCAR on the NBC podcast, Petty said:
“I think William Byron is the anchor and the future of what Hendrick Motorsports is. I think when William Byron hits his stride, we’re going to be sitting here, and I honestly believe we’re going to be sitting here with comparisons to Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. And I don’t hear that about Chase.”
The 24-year-old was bought on by Hendrick Motorsports in 2018 and is competing in his fifth season with the team. Further adding to the conversation, Petty said:
“I don’t believe Rick Hendrick has any intention of ever letting Byron out of his grasp. You know, I know we’ve seen Chase. I know we’ve seen Kyle Larson and we see Alex just continue to win. And it’s amazing. I mean, he’s just there. He’s solid and he’s there.”
Chase Elliott, Byron, Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman are the four drivers who currently drive for Hendrick Motorsports. All four have their own unique driving skills.
In 2020, Elliott grabbed his first Cup Series title with Hendrick. The following year, Larson earned it back for Hendrick. Bowman claimed his seventh win two weeks ago in Las Vegas.
It would not be a shame to be the fourth best driver in the team under those circumstances.
William Byron’s performance at Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500
The driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro claimed his first NASCAR Cup Series victory at the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500. The victory marked the third win of his Cup racing career as well as his first at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The Charlotte-born driver will look to continue his winning momentum at the Circuit of the Americas and will mark Byron’s 150th Cup Series race. He has experience driving in the bank and his performance last week proved he has become a staple of NASCAR racing.