HMS Superstar “Took a Decade Off” After Being Locked Into the Round of 8 as He Takes Racing Easy to Revisit His Favorite Hobbies

After winning the highest number of races this season, it would take an actual catastrophe to prevent this Hendrick Motorsports driver from qualifying for the final round. Although William Byron did not win the playoff race in Homestead, the #24 driver led 25 laps to finish in the Top 5 and now looks ahead to clinch a spot in Martinsville.

In order to unwind before the high-pressured penultimate race, Byron sought the familiar comfort of his favorite childhood activity. 

Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 driver is ready to fire on his set target before the last Round of 8 race

William Byron might not have officially locked into the Championship 4 race in Phoenix. But with a 30-point cushion and incredible form to back him, the Hendrick Motorsports star is well on his way to qualifying on points. Barring an unexpected collision, Byron did not need to win the upcoming race to confirm his Phoenix seat next to teammate Kyle Larson. However, that did not imply Byron would not attempt to win on the short oval.

The #24 driver registered an average finish of 11.9 with one win and 5 Top 10s in his previous 7 races at the Martinsville Speedway. The HMS driver certainly possessed the capability to qualify for the final race with 7 wins. But even the winningest racers require downtime to preserve their energies for the deciding race. And for Byron, it meant revisiting the roots of his racing career and engaging in the hobby that started it all.

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On his social media account, William Byron uploaded a story during his mid-week break. The racer posted a visual from the popular video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Byron was seemingly in the middle of the game, charging ahead in a deserted area. The instant immersion and relaxation he experienced were evident from his caption, “Took a decade off”. Ironically, it was a decade ago when a teenage Byron spent hours playing racing games, which ultimately brought his racecar to life. 

How William Byron took video game moves to an entirely different level

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Today William Byron is an ace Cup Series driver and one of the foremost championship contenders of the season. But a decade ago, this HMS star was just another fan who played racing video games and dreamt of a NASCAR career. In fact, former Cup driver Landon Cassill uncovered an old comment from Byron on one of his YouTube videos.

In the comment, an eager racing enthusiast was seeking advice to increase his iRacing speed. Cassill reposted the interaction as soon as it was confirmed that Hendrick Motorsports had signed on William Byron for a full Cup ride. 

Years later, HMS’ #24 Chevrolet driver recalled fielding questions about his future while growing up immersed in the world of video games. Reported on Hendrickmotorsports.com, Byron confessed, “My parents thought I was crazy because I was just sitting at home, playing video games, learning how to drive. For me, there was a purpose to it.” 

The young talent had accumulated enough driving experience online that he seamlessly translated it to competing in Legend cars and late-model racing. Before long, 17-year-old William Byron was given his dream NASCAR debut by Kyle Busch.

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At 25, William Byron is two weeks away from fulfilling that purpose in front of the world. In the meantime, he would patiently await the next race while shooting down virtual targets.