Filling in the shoes of Jeff Gordon can be a daunting ask. And even more when you’re coming in as a rookie. Hendrick Motorsports gave a similar script to William Byron. With just 4 wins to his name before this season. He now has a series-high 4 Cup wins to show in 2023. Byron has been on the upward curve ever since his debut.

With multiple performances to walk the talk, he earned a lot of respect from his rivals and fans alike. 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin in a fresh episode of his podcast ‘Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin’ reveals that Byron’s success was something everyone saw coming.

“The Guy Is Gonna Make the Final Four”: Denny Hamlin Recalls His Prediction About Byron Succeeding in the Cup

The 25-year-old North Carolina driver has been constantly reminding the fanbase of his caliber. Winning the rain-shortened race at the weekend, he makes it a second win at Atlanta in two years. That’s a remarkable rise and more so when one considers his presence on a roster with drivers like Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott. Hamlin was quick to disclose the high regard in which he holds the Atlanta winner. Speaking about William Byron‘s success this season and his steady evolution since coming into the Cup Series, he says,

” Yeah. We saw it coming. Definitely, let’s go back to episode 1, I said the guy is gonna make the final four. I actually had him as one of the best racers, that was very underrated. Breakout year he was #24, he just had a steady progression of getting better.”

Adding a bit of endorsement for the media house, he said, “Mix that with you know, he came on and was a guest of our show. You come to Dirty Mo, you win this.”

Byron has been quite underrated, indeed, with a rather quiet and textbook approach. Speaking about how Larson’s popularity has allowed Byron to escape under the radar of the fans, Hamlin explains that Byron has been delivering in silence this season.

“The team in general that they’ve got some of the most speed out of anyone on the track. I think Larson gets a lot of the fanfare for being fast you know, just to stereotype. Who’s the fastest at Hendrick Motorsports? I think 90 percent of people you talk to is gonna say, Oh Kyle Larson! And that’s probably the right answer if you weren’t watching the races every week.”

“I think the #24 car has been… Thinking of the metrics, I have seen has been the fastest car all year. He’s wheeling it well, that’s for sure.” concludes Hamlin.

Read More: Denny Hamlin Makes a Bold 6-Word Claim About Hendrick Motorsports’ Pride This Season

The Steady Rise of William Byron

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With many superstars from the previous generation retiring from the top flight of NASCAR, some big shoes are there to be filled. Kevin Harvick, one of the stalwarts of the industry, also announced his retirement after this season. Harvick bid an emotional goodbye at the weekend to the track that gave him his first win in the Cup. But if there’s one driver that looks poised and on course to become NASCAR’s next poster boy, it is William Byron.

An impeccable brand of racing and hard work to back up the talent, he continues to improve. His experience at the young age of 25 only underlines his talent. With the 200 Cup starts number already close to completion, Byron is already a veteran with more years to come. Transitioning from Xfinity to the Cup in 2018, he barely broke a sweat as he claimed two successive Rookie of the Year awards in 2017-18.

This season, Byron has taken the season by storm. Starting off poorly with a DNF in his first start of the season, he bounced back to win consecutively at Las Vegas and Phoenix. The win at Darlington was a symbolic one, scoring the 100th victory for the #24 Camaro. Controversy did have its art in the story, as Hendrick Motorsports was found of violating the guidelines and William to face 10 playoff points and 100 driver and owner points compensation.

Atlanta was the fourth win under his belt as he beat off intense competition from Daniel Suarez and AJ Allmendinger and some mid-race contact to cap off the series record.

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