NASCAR: William Byron reunites with old team for three races
By Asher Fair
William Byron is set to reunite with Kyle Busch’s Kyle Busch Motorsports for three races on the 2023 NASCAR Truck Series schedule.
An unlikely NASCAR reunion is set to take place at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, April 1. William Byron, who competes full-time for Hendrick Motorsports in the Cup Series, is set to compete in the dirt race for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
The 25-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina native is also set to compete in the race at Darlington Raceway on Friday, May 12 and the race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Saturday, May 20.
Byron competed full-time for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series behind the wheel of the No. 9 Toyota in 2016 and was denied a chance to compete for a championship in heartbreaking fashion with an engine issue at Phoenix Raceway, after having been the season’s most dominant driver.
He won the Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but it only secured him fifth place in the standings. The following year, he moved up to the Xfinity Series and competed for JR Motorsports and Chevrolet.
After winning the championship, William Byron was promoted to the NASCAR Cup Series.
Byron has driven the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports since 2018. Kyle Busch, meanwhile, is back with Chevrolet this year for the first time since he competed for Hendrick Motorsports to open up his Cup Series career from 2005 to 2007.
Busch left Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota after 15 years to join Richard Childress Racing, a move which, at this time last year, never would have entered anybody’s mind as even a remote possibility. As a result, Kyle Busch Motorsports also switched from Toyota to Chevrolet, opening up the door for this reunion with Byron.
Kyle Busch Motorsports run two trucks full-time, including the No. 4 Chevrolet for full-time driver Chase Purdy and another which is shared by multiple drivers. The second truck, the No. 51 Chevrolet, is the one Byron is set to drive in his three starts.
Busch and Jack Wood have each driven the truck in one race this year, with Busch winning his start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Next. All-time NASCAR Cup Series wins list. dark
Busch is set to make four more starts while Wood is set to make an additional nine, so Byron’s new deal leaves the No. 51 Chevrolet needing a driver for five of the season’s remaining 21 races.