“That’s What Dale Earnhardt Did”—NASCAR Veteran Dissects Rick Hendrick’s Call to Commit Financially Behind HMS Star

Nobody could have predicted that William Byron, as young as he is, would soar to the racing heights he has reached, giving seasoned pros like Denny Hamlin a run for their money. This season, Byron’s already left everyone in the dust in three out of 11 races, just like last year’s regular season. And it’s not just a recent thing—his potential was obvious way back in 2020 with his win at Daytona. Rick Hendrick and Kyle Petty have always seen something special in him.

Despite Byron’s initial struggles in his first two Cup series years without a win, Hendrick’s unwavering support never faltered. Reflecting on those early days, Petty recently shared insights into what Hendrick saw in Byron—believing in him enough to invest both financially and emotionally from the get-go.

Kyle Petty looks at William Byron in the same mold as Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt

Kyle Petty recently shed some light on why Rick Hendrick had such strong faith in William Byron from the start, even when he was just a newbie, without much buzz around him. Chatting on the Victory Lane podcast with Davey Segal, Petty drew a parallel between Byron and Jeff Gordon, saying, “I look at him in the same mold as a Jeff Gordon,“ and explained that Byron had only a bit of experience in trucks and Xfinity before Hendrick brought him into the big leagues. 

But, “Rick’s goal and Rick’s vision for a William was to be a Cup driver. If Rick was willing to commit… financially, emotionally and to be that guy to say, ‘You’re my man, we’re your man. I’m going to stand behind you no matter what you do these first few years. But we’re gonna learn to drive a race car together. I’m gonna give you the equipment and you’re gonna learn to be a cup driver’. And William took advantage of those things. That time, that grace period to learn to be a Cup driver. Not to be a truck driver; not to be an expanding driver; be a Cup driver. And I think that’s what he did with Jeff.” 

To be fair, betting on William Byron might have been a bit of a gamble for the HMS team owner. Unlike most NASCAR drivers, who start their racing careers as soon as they learn how to spell ‘car’, Byron had a rather late entry. After spending most of his formative years behind the virtual iRacing wheel, it was only at 15 years of age that he got his first offline race start (at the Legends racing series). However, the racer quickly rose the ranks with his dedication and superior race craft, and it wasn’t long before Rick Hendrick saw what others couldn’t. Notably, the #24 spent a brief amount of time (one year each) in the Xfinity and Truck Series, before moving to Cup racing.

Kyle Petty’s praise for Byron didn’t stop there. He highlighted Byron’s deep understanding of the sport, describing him as a potential franchise player, much like some of NASCAR’s legends. He explained, “He’s a guy who can make the car better for everybody. He’ll make the car better for Kyle Larson, and he’ll make the car better for Alex Bowman, he’ll make the car better for Chase Elliott. That’s what Jeff Gordon could do. That’s what Dale Earnhardt did. That’s what Kurt Bush has done at every team he’s gone to. He’s made the team better because he’s made the car better.”

Perhaps what ties Earnhardt and Byron together is their love and knowledge of the sport. Evidently, Dale Earnhardt was a race wizard. Considered a man who could turn any car into a victory lane visitor, thanks to his acute knowledge of stock cars, the Intimidator’s race craft was more than just taking left turns. Hence, for Byron to be compared to a driver with 76 wins, seven championships, and 428 Top-10s definitely speaks for itself. The 26-year-old, with practically no prior real-life knowledge of stock cars, has already garnered 13 wins and 90 Top-10s in just six years on the track.

On the other hand, Byron can be compared to Jeff Gordon, especially considering their early starts. Gordon was just about Byron’s age, 21–22, when he started racing in the Cup series against legends like Dale Earnhardt and Rusty Wallace. Despite his youth, Gordon held his own, quickly proving he belonged. That’s a big part of why Petty draws parallels between Byron and Gordon.

Meanwhile, Rick Hendrick continues to offer his backing to Byron as he praised him before the race at the Texas Motor Speedway.

Hendrick believes William Byron has more talent than people think

Trending

“I Didn’t Have Any Money”: Brad Keselowski Indebted to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Favor for Building His NASCAR Legacy

“No Way in Hell”: Tony Stewart Discloses a Major Roadblock After His Baby Boy’s Birth

Richard Childress’ Grandson in Hot Water After Worst Season of His Career Puts Family Cup Ride in Jeopardy

Sprint Car World Loses Toyota Driver Till Next Season as Grueling Injury Forces Pause on 18-Year-Old Sensation’s Career

NASCAR Rumor: Backed by Billionaire Family, Fans Speculate Former Formula 1 Driver to Soon Make NASCAR Debut

Talking to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Rick Hendrick talked about the potential Byron had early in his career and despite little to no experience, he has kept up with the more seasoned drivers. He said, “I think he had a lot more talent that people gave him credit for and it’s showing now.” Even last year, Hendrick highlighted the progress Byron has made.

“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,” said Hendrick. Last season Byron entered Championship 4 as the youngest of the four drivers, once again displaying grit and skill beyond his years.

With a promising Cup career ahead of him and his off-track commitments also propelling him to newer heights garnering promising fan reception, will William Byron be able to replicate his predecessor Jeff Gordon’s stardom? While it’s certainly early to say that, going by his current form, it isn’t impossible either!