Dale Jr. says Xfinity champ William Byron "is the total package"

After being hired by Hendrick Motorsports last season, William Byron joined JR Motorsports this season to run full-time in the Xfinity Series.

Much like his rookie season with Kyle Busch Motorsports in Camping World Trucks in 2016, Byron wasted little time showcasing his talent. He won his first pole in this season’s fourth race and by race No. 14 he was in Victory Lane at Iowa Speedway.

He advanced to the playoffs and ultimately the Championship 4 and out-dueled JRM teammates Elliott Sadler and Justin Allgaier to win the the title at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a third-place finish as fellow rookie Cole Custer won the race.

Praising Byron's talent

Three months before he even won the championship, HMS team owner Rick Hendrick had already decided to elevate him next season to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, where he will drive the iconic No. 24 Chevrolet.

“I’m happy for William. What this kid has – he’s the total package,” Earnhardt said. “Obviously, we see he’s got talent, but I think what is going to be exciting for everybody that already knows him so well, is to watch everybody else get to know what kind of person he is. 

“As he goes on to the Cup Series and he gets introduced to the fans and the industry more, it’s going to be fun for everybody else to see what we already see.

“You know, I appreciate William’s efforts. He came in as a rookie. We never had to worry about any rookie mistakes. He’s drove like a veteran all year, and I’m thrilled for him to be able to take this trophy and put it into his resumé as he moves on up into the Cup Series next year.”

Rapid rise to the top

Byron’s NASCAR star has been on a meteoric rise.

It was only about four years ago, at the age of 15, that Byron first talked with JRM about running some Late Model races with the organization.

In the time since, he’s won a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship, won seven Truck races in his lone season in that series and now an Xfinity Series title.

“It’s been an awesome few years to come back to this company and really grow with it, and to see the commitment they had to me to get me back to this point in the Xfinity Series and run for a championship,” Byron, 19, said.

“We learned a lot this year. Dave (Elenz, crew chief) and I got so much better together, and we really were at our best the last few races. It’s been a total team effort, and it’s really cool.”

The resilience Byron showed battling toe-to-toe with veterans over twice his age this season – and in the championship race – is what distinguishes him from other newcomers, Earnhardt said.

“Some guys just have it. Some people just have it in them. He shouldn’t be able to do what he did (at Homestead) at his age with the limited experience he has, but he has it,” Earnhardt said. “Whatever it is about his mental toughness and his ability to remain calm in a very high-pressure situation is going to serve him well in this job for sure.

“I think that you have to give Kyle (Busch) some credit for grooming drivers like William. William has to understand what a great car feels like to know how to find it again, and he has to understand what he’s looking for when he wants a fast car.

“Being able to get in Kyle’s trucks, he certainly learned a lot.”