CONCORD, N.C. - In terms of importance and opportunity, there's nothing marginal about William Byron's semiquincentennial start on Sunday.
Byron will roll off the starting grid for the 250th time in his career at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a chance to ensure that his 252nd will be for a shot at racing immortality.
Serving as the second race in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs Round of 8, a win and Byron punches his ticket to the Championship 4 for the second straight year. That race is again set for Phoenix Raceway and will be contended on Nov. 10.
Few if any have been better than Byron at Homestead in recent years. In three events since 2021, he has a win, a pole, two top-five finishes, has led 169 laps and has scored 50 stage points.
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That kind of spike in productivity is mirrored nearly across the board for the 26-year-old, who continues his ascension up the Cup Series ladder. Twelve of his 13 career wins have come since the beginning of 2021 and he's gone from 10th to sixth to third in points over the last three seasons.
There's just not much further to go from there.
So, despite barely being old enough to rent a boat at Lake Wylie, the growth and maturation of the Charlotte, North Carolina native, becomes more and more apparent with each playoff run.
That's the focus of Byron and the No. 24 team: Taking one, final step into the NASCAR record books. So, you'll have to excuse him if No. 250 slipped past his radar until recently.
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“I honestly didn’t realize that this was going to be my 250th Cup Series start until earlier this week,” Byron said.
A victory on Sunday would make Byron just the sixth driver in history to win in his 250th start, joining a club that also includes Dale Earnhardt, Joe Nemechek, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher.
No driver has ever won his 250th career start while at Hendrick Motorsports and just six drivers have passed the landmark while with the organization. That includes all three of Byron's teammates - Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson - in the past three seasons. Prior, Jimmie Johnson made his 250th start at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2008, Jeff Gordon at Dover Motor Speedway in 2000 and Ken Schrader at Michigan International Speedway in 1993.
How drivers fared at Hendrick Motorsports in their 250th career starts
| Driver | Age | Date | Venue | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Elliott | 26 | Sept. 17, 2022 | Bristol Motor Speedway | 2nd |
| Alex Bowman | 29 | Aug. 21, 2022 | Watkins Glen International | 14th |
| Kyle Larson | 29 | Sept. 5, 2021 | Darlington Raceway | 2nd |
| Jimmie Johnson | 33 | Oct. 11, 2008 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | 6th |
| Jeff Gordon | 28 | June 4, 2000 | Dover Motor Speedway | 9th |
| Ken Schrader | 38 | Aug. 15, 1993 | Michigan International Speedway | 16th |
While none of them were able to score a victory, there are some positive trends to observe. Both Elliott and Larson finished second in playoff races and while coming home as the runner up wouldn't lock Byron in on Sunday, it would likely go a long way considering his current standing, 27 points clear of the elimination line. Also, both Larson and Johnson went on to win a Cup Series championship in the same season they eclipsed the milestone.
“It’s just like when I sit and think about the fact that this is my seventh year at the top level of the sport … I do think I have obviously grown quite a bit since I started at Hendrick Motorsports and in Cup," Byron said. "Just in my decision making, how I prepare for a race, how I execute my part on the weekends, it’s all changed and evolved over time. I think my stats show that too.”
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And so do his words. And the occasional appearance of a rugged beard more befitting a driver much more advanced in age.
Yet, that lines up with his evolving driving style as well. An increasingly consistent and persistent force near the front of the pack, Byron is second in the Next-Gen era in wins (11), tied for fifth in top 10s and this year, nobody has scored more points at 1.5-mile tracks this season than Byron (238).
So, the future is bright, both of the immediate and distant variety.
"I have a great group of guys and I think they have their full trust in me, and I have my full trust in them, and that’s really helped me get to this point in my career," Byron said. "Hopefully, I’m (at Hendrick Motorsports) to make my 500th start."