Imagine the likes of Ricky Rudd, Terry Labonte, Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jimmie Johnson, and Jeff Gordon behind the wheel of a Hendrick Motorsports car. Well, that’s basically been the legacy of Rick Hendrick’s team since its inception in 1984. Talk about a star-studded lineup! As for the current roster? You can’t help but mention the driver who’s “on the same level” as three-time F1 champion Max Verstappen – ‘The Man’ Kyle Larson.

At least that’s what IndyCar veteran Alexander Rossi believes, who teamed up with the No. 5 driver for the Indy 500 earlier this year. Rossi, who’s also raced against Max Verstappen, said, “I think he’s (Larson) already towards the top, so I don’t know. Put him at the top? Like, he’s ‘The Man.” However, HMS’ current lineup is a lot more than just Larson.

Yes, his 22 wins for the team is the highest tally, but Chase Elliott (19) isn’t far behind. And although Alex Bowman may have called himself “the village idiot” of HMS while also referring to Larson as the “greatest driver,” he’s contributed to the team’s dominance this year, too. But it was William Byron who Larson heaped his praise on when they had a sit-down with Valvoline, the associate lubricant partner of the four-car Hendrick Motorsports stable.

Valvoline conducted a fun Q&A session with Kyle Larson and William Byron, where the host shot a tricky question: “Who’s better at short tracks?” But as soon as they heard the question, Larson exclaimed, “William!” But Byron thought otherwise, cheerfully yelling, “Kyle, for sure!” Notably, Kyle Larson has truly made his mark on short tracks. With an impressive average finish of 8.5, Larson has emerged as the best performer recently. Since 2021 alone, he’s racked up 11 top-5 and 13 top-10 finishes, all while leading a whopping 845 laps on these tight, demanding circuits.

Yet, the No. 5 driver dialed down the glamor of those victories, placing the Charlotte native on a pedestal instead. He added, “Maybe last year my track record was good, but William, for sure. I think William’s the best.” William Byron’s run this season? His 13th victory with Mr. H and the team came at the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway after starting 18th. Earlier in February, he launched the team’s 40th anniversary season at the Daytona 500, then won the Circuit of the Americas race and finished 4th in Pocono, the Tricky Triangle – a superspeedway that acts most like a short track.

While 2023 may not have featured Byron’s best outings on short tracks, 2022 was quite successful. He had the best average finish (5.0) and was tied for the most top 5 finishes (3) with 3 other drivers. Who was among them? You guessed it: Kyle Larson. Byron also had the second-most points (203). That said, there’s a chance Larson’s praise for his teammate boils down to their respective origin stories.

While Kyle Larson was a prolific dirt track racer from his adolescence, William Byron did not have the same exposure. The No. 24 Hendrick driver had the most peculiar rise to success. The two-time Sunoco Rookie of the Year winner’s journey to racing glory started when he was just six. His passion ignited early, and as a teenager, he honed his skills on the iRacing simulator. With over 100 wins and 298 top-five finishes in online competition, he has truly come a long way.

Byron only hopped into an actual physical car at age 14, which is considered late compared to his rivals. Yet he stamped himself as one of the highest-achieving NASCAR racers with lightning speed. Currently, the 26-year-old sits comfortably in 6th place in the standings, with 3 wins, 12 top 10s, and 7 top 5s. Kyle Larson also conceded that his teammate is a champ on speedways. And he is not alone in his opinion about Byron’s star-studded talents.

The vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, Jeff Gordon, lavishly praised Byron after his COTA win. Gordon said, “William, just amazing job. The confidence that he and this team have is amazing; you’ve been seeing it these last couple of years. But to see them really get this season started off right with the Daytona 500, now this big win.” But if there’s anyone who has the strongest sentiment about Byron’s talent, it’s team owner Rick Hendrick, who watched Byron grow for years.

Mr. H definitely kept tabs on his future star

The HMS drivers may be flying high right now, but they covered a long journey to get here. As Rick Hendrick pulled in Kyle Larson after his penalty-ridden fate in 2020, he started a winning trend. Larson has already achieved 22 wins for the No. 5 team so far, grabbing his all-time best 10 trophies in 2021. The same goes for William Byron — Hendrick closely watched his progress through the years through his neighbor, who was friends with William’s father.

Byron notched championships early on in Legends Cars (2012), NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (2014), and the NASCAR Xfinity Series (2017). All the while, Rick Hendrick noted Byron’s milestones and roped him in 2018, praising the speedster’s progress. Mr. H had said, “The thing about William I was so impressed with is how quickly he learned, with what he did in Late Models, what he did in Legends Cars, everything he got in. More than anything, to have a determination, have a goal, and go after it.”

Rick Hendrick also noted Byron’s unique story, which makes him unparalleled in the NASCAR Cup garage. “I think it would be a tremendous story if a kid that started at 14 or 15 years old on a computer, can end up marching through [Trucks] and [Xfinity], and then the Cup Series, cap off a year where he won more races than anybody did, and win the championship. I think that would be a really great story for NASCAR and a lot of the fans.”

Evidently, William Byron commands immense respect in his team. We can only imagine the thrilling showdown all HMS drivers would undertake in the playoffs!