Editor’s note: This story originally ran July 12, prior to Byron’s fifth series win of 2016 at Pocono Raceway.
William Byron had one request for his father when he attended his first-ever NASCAR race at Martinsville Speedway on April 2, 2006.
To see the ever-popular burnout.
“My first race I went to, actually, Tony Stewart won and he climbed the fence at Martinsville,” Byron told NASCAR.com at the Kyle Busch Motorsports shop in Mooresville, North Carolina earlier this month. “I told my dad when I went to my first race that we had to stay for the burnout, and now I get to do the burnouts, I get to do the cool celebrations, so that’s a neat part for me.”
Now with four 2016 wins in just 11 career starts and an official lock in the Chase, the Camping World Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender has left his own marks on the start/finish lines of Kansas Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway and, most recently, Kentucky Speedway on July 7. For Byron — who confessed he didn’t even know how to do a burnout after his first win in Victory Lane — the initial wave of success has taken the 18-year-old on a strong current that has left the NASCAR community wondering: where did this kid come from?
Most recently, the hallways of Charlotte Country Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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It wasn’t long ago that young Byron was living the life of an ordinary high school student in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. Balancing classes, homework and the everyday tasks of high schoolers, he earned his first Camping World Truck Series win at Kansas Speedway just three weeks before donning a cap and gown for high school graduation.
Diploma now in hand and atop the Camping World Truck Series point standings, he hasn’t let off the gas since.
“The first win was nerve-wracking and kind of got that out of the way so we could focus on the Chase,” Byron said. “But then we kind of realized we had to get a second win to make sure we were locked into the Chase. When we got that second one at Texas, everything just started to roll after that.”
His success in a short period of time has surprised and impressed many. His mother, who was also at the race shop on Monday afternoon following a team win luncheon, showed off a picture of one of her son’s early wins in racing, much like any proud mother would of her star high school football player, talented musician or stellar student.
Several years ago, she wouldn’t have anticipated William would be racing like he is today.
Neither did William.
“When I was a fan, I was a big fan of Jimmie Johnson ,” Byron recalled. “… I just watched the races just like any young kid out there and aspired to be in racing. Not necessarily a driver, but now I’ve been able to drive and it’s a dream come true.”
Byron kick-started his career later than most budding racers, purchasing his first Legends car at the age of 14, just four years ago.
“When I was 12 or 13 … I started to understand racing and how I could drive a race car,” Byron said. “I started to do iRacing and I was pretty good at it, so then I said, well if I can do that, maybe I can get into a Legend car or a real car and succeed in that.
“Every step was kind of a new check off the list to see if I could do it.”
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As the 2016 season rolls on, Byron continues to check boxes off his list. His win at Kentucky marked the 51st win for Kyle Busch Motorsports, the most for any Camping World Truck Series team in series history. He matched Kurt Busch‘s 2000 record in the Truck Series for the most wins in one season by a rookie with four trips to Victory Lane. Only difference between a young Busch and Byron? Busch recorded his final 2000 Truck Series win at the end of the season, while Byron has 13 more races to surpass that record and pencil his own name into the history books.
“That’s another incentive going down the road to try and get another win to break that record,” Byron said of the potential milestone. “That’s a personal incentive, but I like the team incentive that we set, just like getting the 51st win was really important to my guys and just really good for our team.”
With a humble and friendly demeanor, Byron gives credit to his team, both his own No. 9 crew as well as teammate and Gateway winner Christopher Bell, who he’ll lean on for dirt experience in the upcoming race at Eldora Speedway. Bell won the race at the dirt track last year.
And of course, there’s team owner Kyle Busch, who has served as a mentor for several young drivers, including reigning Camping World Truck Series champion Erik Jones . Busch often refers to his young pupils jokingly as students in the “Kyle Busch School of Charm” — but that charm dissipates slightly on the race track, as “Rowdy” transitions into often his students’ fiercest competitor.
“Kyle’s competitive, obviously; he wants to win every week,” Byron said of the boss man. “But at the same time, he doesn’t compromise the race team and helping us grow as young drivers to make sure we know what we need to do on the race track. So, he’s a coach, a mentor and also a competitor. But when we get out there on the race track, he’s definitely trying to win and that’s the cool part about it.”
Byron may be passing the School of Charm with flying colors but he’ll become a student in a different facet in the fall, when he attends Liberty University as a business major. He’s begun taking a couple courses now, but will start attending classes on campus when the new semester commences.
Tack on the start of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase in September, and the 18-year-old is looking at quite a hectic autumn.
“The number one focus is the race team and that’s what we’re making sure to do, is that we stay focused on what I need to do around the shop or how I need to manage that,” Byron said. “But Liberty does a great job of managing my school around my racing. They know my schedule is busy, they see the races on T.V. and and they make sure that they’re following me, so they’re going to know in the fall that there’s a lot going on but I think they really support it and they’ll be able to work around it.”
As for the Chase? Byron & Co. have already started their homework.
“The Chase races are races that we’re, as a race team, are really good at,” Byron said. “The mile-and-a-half races, we’ve won three of those of the four this year, and a couple short tracks we’ve done well on too. I think we’re going to be really strong in Martinsville in the Chase and I’ve got a win at New Hampshire in the K&N car, so hopefully we can get a win there and solidify our spot in the next round and get to Martinsville to get to Homestead.
“It’s a tough challenge, but I’m just hoping that we have solid finishes and get a couple wins.”
Win by win, the column of checked boxes on Byron’s list seems to get longer and longer. While he focuses his target on the Camping World Truck Series championship for now, he aims higher later down the road.
“Hopefully I can get to the (Sprint) Cup Series in the next four, five years,” Byron said. “That’s ultimately the goal to race at the top level of NASCAR.
“I’m just trying to build those opportunities as they come and hopefully that’s what lies ahead.”