Why does William Byron wear a big hat? A look into NASCAR driver's victory ritual

William Byron once explained why he wears a big hat when he wins a race. In an interview with Corey LaJoie’s Stacking Pennies podcast in 2023, Byron said his victory ritual was inspired by an NFL athlete who wore a big hat after winning a Thursday night game.

Byron is a 26-year-old professional race car driver piloting the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro for Hendrick Motorsports. Unlike many NASCAR drivers, the North Carolina native started his stock car racing career with iRacing, an online racing simulation video game.

The playful ritual was inspired by Josh Allen, the quarterback for the Buffalo Bills. Not only did William Byron find it cool, but the ritual also provided more exposure for his sponsors, such as Valvoline and Raptor.

“This was an idea that I saw Josh Allen wearing this in one of the Thursday night games after the win and I just thought it was really cool and it gives the sponsors big, big love so we got one for Valvoline we got one for Raptor,” Byron said.

While the 2024 Daytona 500 winner thought the ritual was cool, he added:

“I don’t know, man. It’s goofy I get it.”

The podcast episode with LaJoie was held after William Byron’s win at the Phoenix Raceway in March last year. He celebrated the back-to-back win by wearing a big blue hat sponsored by Valvoline. Jeff Gordon, vice chairman at HMS, joined Byron in victory lane by doing the ritual with him.

Hendrick Motorsports sells the hat on its official website for $110. However, as of this writing, the Concord-based outfit offers discounts, dropping the Valvoline-sponsored big hat price to $83.95. A more affordable option sponsored by Axalta can be purchased for $64.95.

Aside from William Byron, drivers like Ross Chastain and Kyle Larson have interesting ways to celebrate their NASCAR wins. Chastain smashes watermelons in victory lane, which is a nod to his agricultural roots.

Meanwhile, HMS teammate Larson celebrates with his children by letting them sit on the door while he drives in victory lane.

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William Byron escaped penalty for allegedly cutting the chicane at Charlotte

William Byron was under fire for allegedly cutting the frontstretch chicane in turn 16 of the Charlotte Motor Speedway without a penalty. A race official explained that two of the No. 24 car’s wheels were still outside the restricted zone, thus he was not handed a punishment.

What made the incident controversial was when NASCAR penalized Bubba Wallace for almost the same maneuver in the same chicane. However, a race official explained that all four of the No. 23 car’s wheels were inside the restricted blue-painted area. Wallace served the penalty by performing a stop-and-go.

William Byron scored a commendable P3 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and earned points to advance to the Round of 8. The road course race was won by teammate Kyle Larson, who led the field for 62 of the 109 laps.

The next race will be held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday for the first race of the Round of 8.