When Denny Hamlin won his 60th Cup Series race at the Las Vegas playoff race, many wondered if any current driver could ever reach that mark.
The sport has changed, with shorter careers, tighter competition and the Next Gen car leveling the playing field.
But NASCAR insiders Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi think one driver stands out: William Byron. The 27-year-old Hendrick Motorsports star has made the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway, his third time to contend for the Cup Series title.
On the Teardown podcast, Gluck addressed the ongoing conversation about whether current drivers can get to 60 wins, recently achieved by Hamlin:
“I thought it was interesting when this whole conversation started when Denny won his 60th and people were like, I don’t know if anybody can get to 60 again. I really think Byron is being overlooked. I mean, how old is Byron still?… He’s still so young..”
Hamlin is 44 and achieved this milestone over more than two decades and 700+ races. That’s a long time and a lot of races.
Bianchi added: “[William Byron] doesn’t make mistakes. Very rarely overdrive. Very smart and mature. And you talk about your point of kind of seeing him come out a little bit of this, you know, being more comfortable with who he is. He’s not afraid to talk about big picture topics now and have a voice in this sport. And that’s something that’s a lot of people aren’t comfortable with.”
William Byron’s Under the Radar Rise
Byron’s steady, methodical approach is the opposite of more flashy drivers. He puts his #24 Chevrolet in position to win and contend for championships.
His youth, talent and seat time with Hendrick Motorsports makes him a long-term candidate to get to 60 wins. This weekend Byron faces the ultimate test in the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway against Hamlin, Larson, and Briscoe.
Hamlin is going for a career championship, Larson a second, Byron and Briscoe their first. Regardless of the outcome Byron’s skill, maturity and consistency is why insiders say he’s being overlooked as a future NASCAR star.
“He has this killer mentality where it’s like, if you give him a fast car and you give him a chance to win.”
