Surpassing Veterans With Unfathomable Prowess, Rick Hendrick’s “Little School Kid” May Steal Vegas Crown

Las Vegas, Phoenix, Darlington, Atlanta, Watkins Glen, and Texas. Six wins, 4041 points, and one sensational racer. When Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick signed on a 19-year-old racer for the Xfinity Series, the driver was considered too young for the grueling world of motorsport racing. At the end of the season, he became the series champion and announced his presence in the Cup Series the very next year.

Today, Hendrick‘s #24 driver rules atop the playoff throne in the Round of 8, commencing in Las Vegas this weekend. Can he fly the checkered and clinch his spot for the championship 4 race in Phoenix?

Rick Hendrick’s No. 24 driver is all set for an early Round of 8 victory

In his six years in Cup racing, William Byron qualified for the playoffs five times. Out of those, he advanced to the Round of 12 on two separate occasions and finally qualified for the Round of 8 last season. Currently, he stands on the same altar but on a much stronger mettle. In this career-best year, the 25-year-old racer faces a barrier he has never crossed before- the three upcoming races in Las Vegas, Homestead, and Martinsville. As the #24 Chevrolet driver experienced in the previous round, the first race itself can make or break his playoff standing.

For instance, 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace could not capitalize on his pole position to win in Texas. The #23 driver never got that opportunity again, which led to his elimination at the Charlotte Roval. On the other hand, Byron took the lead away from Wallace in the last laps to win his first playoff race. The boost from the Texas win not only secured Byron’s spot in the Round of 8 but also gave him the confidence to mark stellar back-to-back runner-up finishes in the next two races. Hendrick’s 300th race-winning driver would seek to replicate that performance in the South Point 400 this Sunday.

Unfortunately for Byron, his average finish on the 1.5-mile track is 16.3, much lower than his fiercest competitors. His own teammate Kyle Larson has an average finish of 10.5. Moreover, although Byron started 3rd in Las Vegas last year, he finished 13th. Whereas, Joe Gibbs Racing stars Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr secured the 5th and 7th places, respectively. But it is important to remember that the #24 driver started his winning streak this season by conquering the spring Las Vegas race. Since then, he won the favored spot for racing experts as well.

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NASCAR Insider would bet on Byron for the playoff race in Vegas

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William Byron of the 2023 playoff season is not remotely close to where William Byron stood in 2022 season. With 13 Top 5s and 18 Top 10s, it appeared Rick Hendrick’s race car had sprouted wings! Gone was the ‘Little School Kid’ who was not taken seriously and in his place, a future champion stands. There might be only five playoff points differentiating Byron from the second-seeded Martin Truex Jr, but they were poles apart in their playoff performances.

William Byron’s worst playoff performance was his 15th-place finish in Kansas. Astoundingly, that was still higher than Truex’s best playoff finish when he placed 17th in Texas. For NBC analyst Nate Ryan. Byron was an easy choice to make for the South Point 400. His reasons were simple. William Byron was by far the best driver this year.

Ryan explained,

Ryan’s assessment leaves no doubt that William Byron was all set to dominate Vegas and book his tickets early for the final Phoenix showdown.

Read More: Can William Byron Secure His Place in the Championship 4 With Texas Repeat?