William Byron is the man of the moment. The Hendrick Motorsports racer began his 2025 Cup Series campaign in the best possible way, winning the Daytona 500 for the second year running. While the racer is busy enjoying his season-opening triumph, he was also caught up in the middle of a controversy after an alleged comment appeared on the internet featuring the racer saying, “Hii” to pop icon and actress Sabrina Carpenter. The image sparked rumors of the two being in a relationship and the NASCAR community went wild with excitement.

However, the speculation has since been addressed by Byron himself, who took to social media to address the fans. Could this be the start of a new, high-profile relationship in the NASCAR world? Or is the buzz centered around baseless rumors?

William Byron’s alleged comment sparks social media frenzy

It’s not the first time a sports icon has been linked with a pop singer. Back in September 2023, the rumor mill was working overtime after Taylor Swift was seen attending a Kansas City game, where Travis Kelce played as a tight end. Social media was full of speculation linking the duo, which both parties denied. This led to plenty of theories and speculation online, especially after Swift became a regular at Arrowhead Stadium, and the news was all but confirmed when both of them were seen together in public for the first time.

William Byron’s alleged comment on Instagram sparked rumors about the racer being in a relationship with Sabrina Carpenter as well. However, the Hendrick Motorsports driver has swiftly denied sending a comment to the actress by uploading a shot clip on X where a random individual spoke on his behalf, saying, “I wasn’t planning on doing this today, but I guess so. I’ll start from the top, look at this, open and honest, that was not me.”

Byron’s denial in some ways only intensified rumors. While the comment is not present on Sabrina Carpenter’s Instagram post at the moment, fans had more questions than answers after hearing the HMS star’s comment. Did he accidentally send the comment and delete it later, or was the comment to the actress not sent altogether? Perhaps we will never know. What’s clear is that fans will remain hawk-eyed in the coming days to pick up on any hints that could indicate what might be potentially brewing between the two.

Sabrina Carpenter is no stranger to the NASCAR world. The Girl Meets World star was present at the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards which were held at Wynn Las Vegas. The singer, who was just 16 years old at that time performed ‘We’ll Be The Stars’ in front of the biggest names in the stock car racing series. As things stand, speculation between the actress and William Byron is nothing more than rumors, and while the racer’s denial will not put the speculation to rest, it does serve as a reminder to fans that not everything online is as it seems.

Carson Hocevar plays wingman for his NASCAR rival

William Byron’s alleged comment on Sabrina Carpenter’s Instagram post raised plenty of eyebrows, with rumors about the pair dating circulating online. Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar has also joined the fun, sharing his thoughts on the message that was apparently sent on the actress’ Instagram image, featuring a photo of her on the cover of Vogue. The rumors have intensified now that the Hendrick Motorsports driver is newly single, after parting ways with Erin Blaney, who happens to be Ryan Blaney’s sister. Check out extended ties beyond racetrack for Byron and Blaney covered in 2023.

Sharing a tongue-in-cheek comment, Hocevar tried to play the role of a supportive wingman by saying, “Yeah, Byron let me borrow his Lambo the other day and then flew me on his private jet back from Daytona right after he won. So I appreciate (that). Nice guy. Sabrina is lucky to have him.” The No. 77 Chevy driver finished 30th at the Daytona 500 and will hope for a better outcome at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

As for William Byron, the North Carolina native won ‘The Great American Race’ for the second time, becoming the youngest driver to win the crown-jewel event multiple times in his career. The victory has already propelled him into the playoffs, and the racer will hope to do better than his third-place finish last year. With his post-season place already assured, the racer will have a huge weight lifted off his shoulders and can approach the coming races with a different mindset.