CHARLOTTE, N.C. – William Byron has already amassed an impressive collection of accolades, including the 2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series championship.
But Tuesday morning, he was the recipient of another very special award.
The Mecklenburg County Council of the Boy Scouts of America held its annual Good Scout Award Breakfast, and Byron was honored at the event.
“It’s really special,” Byron said. “I’m very thankful to them for choosing me for this. It’s just great to kind of think back to what Boy Scouts did for me. I feel like it helped me grow as a person and ultimately got me opportunities down the road to have a car at Hendrick Motorsports to drive next year and get the opportunity from Mr. Hendrick.”
Among those in attendance at the event were many of Byron’s teammates at Hendrick Motorsports, including his crew chief for the 2018 season, Darian Grubb, and team president Marshall Carlson.
“It’s just really amazing to me to think about all of the things that he’s accomplished and what sort of discipline he must be bringing to his life at such an early age,” Carlson said. “To be able to be here and celebrate his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts, which are significant, and just show what a complete person he is really goes to build that story around why we’re so proud to have him on the Hendrick Motorsports team.”
After taking the stage, Byron shared with the crowd that he learned a host of lessons as he worked his way toward the rank of Eagle Scout. And he’s taken plenty of them with him to his racing career.
Lead by example. Don’t cut corners. Nothing comes easy. Complete the task at hand.
“My dad taught me that at an early age and I felt like scouting really started to teach me that as I grew up, to finish the job that was there and finish it strong,” he explained. “Our race season is one of the longest. It’s kind of a grind at times, but at the end of the year, the playoffs come around, and that’s the most important part of the year. So, you want to be at your best. I feel like scouting taught me that early on.”
Seeing so many familiar faces from Hendrick Motorsports in the crowd made Byron – who acknowledged how ready he is to get behind the wheel next year – even more excited to get going in 2018.
“It’s very unique to have a race team like that, that’s supporting you off the track, that’s doing things to show that they care about you,” he said. “I’ve got a great team for next year.”
Take an inside look at the Good Scout Award Breakfast with the video above.