NASCAR driver William Byron gets contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports
William Byron secured his first win in NASCAR’s top series and a contract extension with his Hendrick Motorsports team in the same week. Byron announced Tuesday on Twitter that he signed an extension through 2022 with Hendrick continuing to drive the No. 24 Chevrolet.
“It’s been a fun ride so far with @TeamHendrick,” Byron tweeted. “And I’m excited to finally share that I’m signed up through 2022 in the No. 24! Thanks for all the support. Now let’s go to Darlington and lock ourselves into the next round of the #NASCARPlayoffs.”
The announcement came three days after Byron won the Cup Series’ final regular-season race at Daytona International Speedway to clinch his spot in the 2020 playoffs. He entered the race on the cutoff bubble based on points, along with teammate Jimmie Johnson, who did not reach the postseason. The team said Byron’s deal was offered prior to Saturday’s race at Daytona, but the timing of the announcement is fortuitous.
The 22-year-old Charlotte-native secured his first win in the Cup Series at Daytona by avoiding two major wrecks in the final laps of the overtime race. He was the second driver to win a race in the No. 24 Camaro following in the footsteps of four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon.
Byron signed with Hendrick Motorsports in 2016. He drove full-time in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports, co-owned by Rick Hendrick, in 2017 before advancing to the Cup Series in 2018 full-time in the No. 24 car. Last season, he was paired with seven-time championship winning crew chief Chad Knaus and the two achieved five top-five finishes, 13 top-tens and a playoff berth on points in 2019.
This year, Byron has two top-fives, nine top-10s and a race win. His previous contract terms with the team were not disclosed, but his deal was believed to extend through 2021. His sponsors include liquid and powder coatings supplier Axalta, as well as Liberty University and Hertz. In February, the team announced a five-year contract extension with Axalta through 2027.
In addition to Byron, Team Hendrick has locked in Chase Elliott in the No. 9 Chevrolet through 2022 and Alex Bowman in the No. 88 Chevrolet through 2021, but has not yet announced who will replace seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson in the No. 48 next season.
