William Byron retorts to his alleged comment on Sabrina Carpenter’s IG post after back-to-back Daytona 500 win 

Two-time Daytona 500 champion William Byron has cleared the air surrounding his alleged comment on Sabrina Carpenter's recent Instagram post. Byron has denied making the comment, putting to rest the rumors linking him to the Grammy-winning pop star.

The #24 Hendrick Motorsports driver kicked off his 2025 season with his second Daytona 500 victory. However, Byron also found himself in the spotlight off the track, when the parody social media account The Daily Downfords posted a screenshot claiming he had commented "Hii" on Carpenter's Instagram post featuring her Vogue magazine cover.

The screenshot quickly went viral, racking up nearly two million impressions on X. Carpenter's Instagram post was soon flooded with comments referencing the #24 Chevy driver, despite his comment not to be found. Three days later, Byron responded to the parody account’s original post, confirming he had never commented.

"I wasn’t planning on doing this today, but I guess so. I’ll start from the top, look at this, open and honest, that was NOT me!" the 27-year-old shared a clip of Twitch streamer Sketch saying the above words.

Since winning his second Harley J. Earl trophy on February 16, William Byron has been busy with his media tour. He made an appearance on WWE Monday Night Raw in Charlotte before heading to New York City, where he visited the New York Stock Exchange and the Empire State Building.

Regarding his dating life, Byron was previously in a relationship with Erin Blaney, sister of NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney. The couple, who began dating in 2019, appear to have split privately last year.

---

Carson Hocevar adds fuel to William Byron-Sabrina Carpenter rumors

The parody post quickly spread among NASCAR drivers, with Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar adding fuel to the rumors. In a live stream, Hocevar was asked about William Byron's alleged comment. In response, the #77 Chevy driver jokingly claimed that the "nice guy" Byron had let him borrow his Lamborghini and even flew him back from Daytona on his private jet.

Hocevar sarcastically suggested that Sabrina Carpenter was "lucky to have" Byron. He said:

"Yeah, Byron let me borrow his Lambo the other day and then flew me on his private jet back from Daytona right after he won. So I appreciate (that). Nice guy. Sabrina is lucky to have him."

While William Byron started his 2025 season in spectacular fashion, Carson Hocevar had a forgettable outing in the Daytona 500. His #77 Chevy was bugged with fuel pump issues, forcing him to retire just a few laps before the checkered flag. Both drivers will return to action this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, on Sunday (Feb. 23).