DARLINGTON, S.C. — William Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team put together a record-shattering day in Sunday‘s Throwback Weekend race at Darlington Raceway.
Byron dominated much of the NASCAR Cup Series’ 400-mile South Carolina event, leading the first 243 laps consecutively before being dethroned by Denny Hamlin during a green-flag pit stop cycle with 50 laps to go.
RELATED: Race results | At-track photos: Darlington
But as the race neared its conclusion, Byron faded to fourth before a late-race caution for a spin by Byron‘s HMS teammate Kyle Larson renewed hopes for the silver and red-flamed No. 24, paying homage to Jeff Gordon, to return to the front. Ultimately, Hamlin capitalized on pit road to place his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in front during the overtime restart, securing his second victory of 2025 and relegating Byron to a runner-up finish.
By leading the first 243 laps, Byron surpassed Bill Elliott’s previous mark at Darlington of 107 laps led from the green flag in September of 1988. Although the native of Charlotte, North Carolina, had a dominant day, when the checkered flag waved, the neon red scoring pylon showed second place for the No. 24 team.
Instead of dwelling on disappointment, Byron chose to focus on the positives of the day.
“It sucks,” Byron said. “It’ll sting to be this close, but at the same time, it’s like, man, really proud of that effort by our whole team. It shows what we’re made of and, hopefully, a lot more of that to come.”
That resolve is something felt throughout the entire Hendrick Motorsports team, with crew chief Rudy Fugle echoing the comments made by the 27-year-old after the race.
“It’s a good track for us,” Fugle said outside of the No. 24 hauler. “We’re excited about coming here. You know, it’s good to showcase how good of a car it is, and it stinks to not win.
“I think we take it as a positive. It sucks we did not win, but a great car. We’re doing all the right things and preparations, right? Bristol has been tough for us. So, probably different goals to start with there. Got to be more in the ballpark with a better balance and see where we end up.”
The upcoming Bristol Motor Speedway (Sun., 3 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) has proven to be a challenge for Byron and his team, with the last two outings resulting in finishes outside the top 15. However, Byron leaves Darlington atop the points standings with a 49-point cushion over Hamlin.
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