HMS Legend Claims Jeff Gordon Doesn’t Have the Bragging Rights for #24 Anymore

The #24 is arguably one of the most important teams for Hendrick Motorsports. Record number of wins, championships, and iconic moments in sport, the #24 has seen it all, and all of this was made possible by one man, Jeff Gordon. So evidently, it was going to be a task for HMS, to pick a driver worthy of taking over the reins of the team. However, after years of hard work and belief, it feels like William Byron is proving to be a true successor.

It has not been an easy ride for Byron to step up to the challenge and prove himself. But in the past few seasons, he has started to churn out wins and results that are pushing his case to be named as one of the superstars in the Cup Series. So much so that he is now writing his own history with the #24 car. It is a tough pill to swallow for many Gordon fans, but it is hard to argue when Steve Letarte is the one who is making such bold claims.

William Byron seems to be making the 24 HMS car his own

Letarte, before taking on his role at NBC, was a prominent name in the NASCAR garage. Notably, he served as the crew chief for Gordon’s 24 team from 2011 to 2014. Therefore, he understands the significance of the team’s legacy. While Byron is just showing signs of a championship-caliber driver, Letarte feels that the 26-year-old has successfully taken over the ’24’ legacy. He also made the case for Byron to be included in the list of superstar drivers, owing to his recent success at the Daytona 500 win.

Speaking on NBC’s YouTube channel, Letarte said, “24 is Jeff Gordon’s ride forever, even when William Byron took it over. Not anymore. Now when they interview Jeff Gordon in the victory lane, they asked about the driver of the 24 and that’s clearly William Byron. For that reason, I do agree, I think it was a breakout year, a year ago and I hope the fans push him to the superstar status. Because his on-track performance in my opinion has earned it.”

The 2023 Cup Series season was indeed where Byron truly spread his wings and grew into his role in the team. Six wins throughout the campaign and an impressive stint at the finale in Phoenix did mark his rise as a driver aiming for the championship. The 2024 season feels like he is primed and ready to make that vital push for the championship. With the Daytona 500 win in the bag, Byron will be feeling that this is truly his year of triumph.

It’s one thing if your ex-teammates or crew members brag about your rise in the scene. But it takes some doing to receive the same appreciation from rivals, something Byron recently witnessed.

Denny Hamlin envious of Byron’s rise in NASCAR

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The veteran driver, better known for sparking up feuds and igniting rivalries on track, took a back seat and hailed the rise of the HMS star. In a recent interview, Hamlin spoke highly of Byron’s rise to the top, highlighting his jump right from the Truck Series, to the Xfinity Series, and now to the top tier Series.

“I’m just super envious of kind of how he’s progressed as a driver. I mean, we saw it from the Truck Series to the Xfinity Series, he always was winning. And again, he always had really great equipment so a lot of his teammates as well. So he’s just continually in my mind gotten better and better. What is he, in his mid-20s or so, he’s got such a long future ahead. He’s a guy we could be talking about in the 60, 70 win category if he keeps going on this pace.”

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Hendrick Motorsports last won the Cup Series title back in 2021 with Kyle Larson’s #5 team. So Byron will be poised to bring the trophy back home, putting an end to Penske’s dominant run.