NASCAR power rankings: Who is Hendrick’s top driver?
By Asher Fair
Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR rankings – No. 1: William Byron
William Byron may have a long way to go to match the resumes of Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott, but if the last two races are any indication, he is a man on a mission who is fully capable of having a career year.
Byron has already matched his career-high single-season win total, and there are 32 races remaining on the 36-race schedule. He earned both wins by holding off Larson after a late restart too, sending a message to the NASCAR fanbase that he is unfazed by the pressure. He trails only Larson in laps led this year.
Let’s also not forget that more than half of Larson’s wins over his 10-year career came in one season (10 of 19 in 2021). While that is likely to change later this season, could Byron end up in a similar spot?
Larson entered 2021 with just six career wins over the course of seven seasons. Byron entered 2023 with just four over five. Is he finally ready to take the next step and become a true championship contender?
Despite winning half of the season’s four races thus far, Byron only sat in fourth place in the point standings before the penalty, as he still inexplicably hasn’t scored a top 16 finish in any one of a season’s first two races in six years in the sport.
Throw in some more consistency, and there is no reason he can’t return to Phoenix Raceway in November with a chance to win his first title. After all, look at the picture closely.