Filling in the shoes of someone who has more wins than 7x Cup champions Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson is as tough a challenge as there could be. But William Byron, the driving talent behind the iconic #24 Camaro, does not shy away from a challenge. Byron’s Atlanta victory marks his fourth win of the season, allowing him to firmly cement himself atop the points standings.

Yet, beneath the applause and victory, Byron admitted something unsettling about Jeff Gordon’s expectation. Dig into the exciting world of NASCAR as we uncover the ambition of William Byron and his mission to secure his own place in history, while also respecting the venerated racer who preceded him.

Jeff Gordon’s demand: William Byron flourishes under pressure

Taking over the #24 in 2018, three years after Jeff Gordon vacated the seat, Byron has won 8 races so far, with 4 wins coming in this season alone. His latest success came at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Early on in Quaker State 400, Byron spun out in the second stage, putting him a lap behind the rest. Despite the setback, he kept pushing forward until the weather forced a halt to the race. Fans were urged to leave immediately, with rain pouring down and lightning flashing around the stadium. Soon after, NASCAR declared the race concluded, with Byron at the helm.

During the post-race press conference, Byron was asked, “Is Jeff going to make you sit in the calendar and count up 3,000 races?”

He replied, “As long as they’ll have me, I’ll keep going. Hopefully, I can get to 3,000. Seems like a lot of races. Yeah, I don’t know how many years that is, but I’m willing to do it as long as I can.

“I love what I do, and hopefully keep doing it. I just like to race. Feel like I’m just this year starting to just kind of understand the flow of everything, and it’s starting to click.

“It’s been a good year, but like someone told me in a meet-and-greet today, they’re like, ‘How many races are in a year?’ And I was like, ’38 and a couple of exhibition.’ And we’re on 19. I was like, we still have half a season to go. Everything we’ve done to this point is great, but if we suck from here on out, it’s not going to be fun, so hopefully, we just keep on going.”

Even after the spin and damage to his car’s bottom, Byron had the skill and the will to rebound. The triumph at Atlanta has immense significance for the 25-year-old North Carolinian.

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However, Byron is not letting all the success get to his head, as he quickly credited his crew and team. His crew chief, Rudy Fugle, made a crucial call to pit, propelling him to the front. This is not the first time Byron has credited his crew for his success. Nor is it the first time he has opened up about the pressure he faces from the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports.

William Byron’s journey: Learning and developing amidst intense competition

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In a recent episode of Denny Hamlin‘s podcast, “Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin,” Byron revealed the formidable task of stepping into the shoes of the four-time Cup Series champion. With Gordon’s charismatic personality and unmatched success in the #24 car, expectations for the North Carolina native could not have been higher.

Compared to Josh Berry, who will take over the reins from Kevin Harvick next year, the situation for Byron was much different. After taking over Kasey Kahne’s team, it was rebranded into the #24 car with Jeff Gordon’s legacy. Just twenty days after his official announcement with HMS, Byron was moved to the iconic #24 car. This certainly posed an extra challenge for the young driver. But he gained a lot of confidence from Gordon’s advice and counsel off the track.

Notwithstanding the pressure of the limelight, Byron had to learn and develop away from the public eye. William Byron’s story in the sport of NASCAR displays his capabilities, tenacity, and capacity to stay calm under intense pressure. Fans look forward to his future success at the wheel of the #24 Camaro for HMS.

READ MORE: Poor William Byron Hints He’d Deliberately Crash in His Rookie Year at Hendrick Motorsports Because of Jeff Gordon #24 Pressure