Why William Byron’s win meant so much to Jeff Gordon, Rick Hendrick — and himself

“He’s a hack.”

“That’s three races the 1 car has taken us out of.”

“If you wreck us, you’re going to get it back.”

These are three of the many splashy quotes provided by Hendrick Motorsports representatives during or after the controversial conclusion to the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday. The third of which was delivered by an honest Rick Hendrick, the powerful owner of the best race team in the NASCAR Cup Series.

And yet, however frustrating it all was, Hendrick Motorsports still emerged as winners on Sunday.

Quietly rising above the rubble has sort of become William Byron’s thing.

“I’ve heard a lot of different opinions,” Byron said in his mild-mannered way on Sunday in the media center of Darlington Raceway. “But I think as a team, statistically, I feel like we’re right where we need to be.”

The driver of the No. 24 car — a born-and-bred Charlottean — took the win at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, eluding carnage and embracing opportunity. His win flew under the radar, but the milestones he reached cannot go unnoticed: Byron now has three Cup wins in 2023, the most in the field.

He also was the one to deliver HMS its first win at Darlington since 2012 and the No. 24 car’s 100th all-time Cup win.

“We were well aware on the team,” Byron said of the pressure of having 99 wins to the No. 24 car’s name, chuckling. “It’s kind of that hump we wanted to get over pretty quick. I think I was a little bit anxious about it. Getting those two wins early in the year and then trying to get a third is tough. In this sport, everyone is so competitive, as we saw today. You had four or five cars within a chance for the lead.

“Just good to get over that hump and get to get that monumental win for the No. 24. It’s been a really special number to me already.”

The win itself required grit — staying out of the spotlight until it shined upon him: After a difficult race through the first two stages, Byron shrugged it off and the 24 team “kept their heads in it” until chaos erupted and gave the team a path to victory. That chaos came in the form of a late-race restart with 13 to go, when Chastain appeared to squeeze Larson into the fence and shook up the top 10.

Byron was thrust into the lead from there, and knowing the damage a few of the cars had behind him (and knowing their racing style), he figured he had a good chance to hold them off on the final seven laps on Sunday.

And that’s what he did.

The win seemed to mean a bunch to everyone at Hendrick Motorsports.

It certainly meant a lot to Jeff Gordon. The organization’s vice chairman and one of the sport’s greatest drivers celebrates all HMS wins. But the paint scheme Byron ran in on Sunday — a 24 car paying homage to the 1998 car, back when Gordon was dominating the sport at the height of his popularity — strummed all the strings of nostalgia.

“Real special,” Gordon said. “This weekend is special with all the throwback, especially that 24 throwback meant a lot to me, a lot of memories from the 50th anniversary year — was that ‘98, I believe — and that car and that paint scheme. Certainly was great to see it on track.”

Gordon said he saw an at-peace Byron on Sunday.

“I was standing right there with him on pit road last year when (Byron) didn’t win the race because he got knocked out of the way by Joey (Logano), and I would not have considered that a calm, cool and collected William,” Gordon said with a laugh. “But he does hold it in and composes himself well. He just puts his head down, gets through it over the next couple days and goes on to the next one and puts it behind him. That’s what great race car drivers do.”

The win meant a lot to Rick Hendrick, too. Sunday’s victory marks 296 Cup wins for Hendrick Motorsports. Win 300 might come this year.

And Byron is not an insignificant part of that history anymore. He’s on pace to meaning even more.

“To look back at William and see how he’s matured over the years and how good he is now, it’s pretty amazing that the lack of laps he’s got, to be in the position that he’s in,” Hendrick said. “But he’s smart. He works hard. He’s in the simulator all the time. He puts a lot of effort into the program.”

The victory left Byron feeling reflective. He mentioned this celebration coming after a difficult week after his grandfather died. He also mentioned that his family was in New York, celebrating his sister’s graduation from Columbia’s business school.

But Sunday also was a big day of affirmation for Byron. The smiley, blonde-bearded 25-year-old was a mere clean-shaven 20-year-old when he made the leap to NASCAR’s top series six seasons ago. He took up Gordon’s number in the process.

Byron mentioned that he probably wasn’t ready for that moment then.

He was asked if he felt any different now.

“I think I’m just honest with myself and reflective, and I felt like — I feel like I’m a different person than I was when I stepped in the car,” Byron said. “It was a lot of pressure driving the 24, no matter what way you slice it. It’s a big number and has a lot of meaning.”

Byron is growing that meaning, too.

And he’s doing so in his own way.