Byron’s future bright, but timeline murky
Hendrick must decide if driver is ready for leap
William Byron is cognizant of the speculation.
He seems appreciative of the energy being generated on his behalf from beyond the perimeter of Hendrick Motorsports. And the occasional calls he gets from owner Rick Hendrick encourage the 19-year-old Xfinity Series driver about his future. As the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to Pocono Raceway (Overton’s 400, Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network), Byron returns to Iowa Speedway (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, NBC) after winning the June Xfinity race there.
He knows he won’t be elevated to Cup next season as a replacement for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88 Chevrolet. Inhouse product Alex Bowman officially was awarded that promotion last week. So Byron can focus on his current gig — one in which he has won three times in the last five races.
But all that success keeps outside chatter a daily part of his existence, because, though Kasey Kahne won the Brickyard 400 on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway — ending a 102-race winless streak — Hendrick was vague on the future of the No. 5 Chevrolet or Kahne as its pilot for 2018.
This weekend, Kahne and the rest of the Cup drivers will turn their focus to the Tricky Triangle. Last month, Ryan Blaney — another young Cup driver who, like Byron, was working his way up the ladder just a few short years ago — posted his first career Cup win there and qualified for the playoffs. Six races remain for drivers to secure one of four remaining postseason slots.
Byron, having heard nothing about his possible relevance to the matter of Kahne and the No. 5, told USA TODAY Sports this week that he would continue to concentrate on an Iowa sweep. But if Hendrick or anyone else is asking, he said, he’s ready for the next step.
“I think I’m ready for anything,” Byron said in a phone interview. “I’ve raced against the Cup guys the last few weeks and shown that I can beat them. That’s what it takes.
“You have to do that to get the opportunity. But right now, I’m focused on this year.”
Byron said he was pleased to learn of Bowman’s new deal, particularly because the 24-yearold’s promotion represented an opportunity for a young driver. They are friends and chat amid their simulator work at the shop in Concord, N.C.
Byron said handling speculation about his possible ascent has “not been too bad,” and he projects confidence that his time is coming. As was the case with Bowman, Hendrick would have to consider driver readiness and sponsor reaction while consider- ing promoting Byron, who has 42 starts combined in Xfinity and the Camping World Truck Series and won the 2015 K&N Pro Series East championship.
Kahne’s program faces sponsor shortfalls for next season, with Farmers Insurance and Great Clips departing.
“I’m just focused on what we’re doing and trying to do the best job I can,” Byron said. “I know that opportunity will come sooner rather than later. I know down the road I want to be with Hendrick Motorsports, and they’ve been supporting me a lot … so I’m excited.”
Hendrick signed Byron — who, at the time, was in the process of setting a rookie record with seven wins for Kyle Busch’s truck series team — to a developmental deal in August 2016 and assigned him to affiliate JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series for this season. After finishing second at Michigan International Speedway by 0.012 seconds — to a car driven by Cup regular Denny Hamlin that failed postrace inspection — Byron won consecutively at Iowa and Daytona In- ternational Speedway and held off Cup veteran Paul Menard by 0.108 seconds at Indianapolis last week.
He is second in points, 40 behind JR Motorsports teammate and mentor Elliott Sadler, and hoping for more calls from Hendrick, for multiple reasons. Hendrick has deflected questions on Byron’s future with a wry grin and a proclamation of his pupil’s “great job.”
“Right now, I’m just kind of focused on this year,” Byron said. “Right now, honestly, I don’t know anything. ... I know that I’m racing this car this year and trying to do the best job I can this year.
“It’s very cool to have the relationship I do with Mr. Hendrick and for him to take a chance on me this year after racing in the truck series and moving me up to this team and everything like that.
“It’s been great to hear his reaction, to hear him on the phone when we’ve won races, and hopefully that continues this year and I can get a few more phone calls from him.”