Liberty University student William Byron will be part of the Championship 4 for the first time in his career as he goes for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET in Phoenix.
Byron finished 13th in Martinsville this past week, and it was enough for him to clinch the fourth and final spot in the Championship 4, advancing by just eight points over Denny Hamlin. He will face Martinsville winner Ryan Blaney, his Hendrick teammate Kyle Larson, and Christopher Bell in the title-decider at Phoenix Raceway. The Cup championship will go to the highest finishing driver in Sunday’s race.
Byron has more wins than any other drive in the NASCAR Cup Series and won the most recent Cup race at Phoenix in March. His best points result until now was sixth in 2022.
Byron, a 25-year-old Liberty student and driver of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24, visited Liberty’s campus recently to help cheer on the Flames against Middle Tennessee. Byron was recognized on the field at the end of the first quarter of the game Liberty would go on to win, 42-35.
Byron is pursuing his B.S. in Strategic Communication through Liberty’s online program and once studied as a residential student. Liberty has sponsored Byron since 2014 and is the primary sponsor for the No. 24 Chevrolet for 13 of the 36 Cup Series races this past season and 12 more in each successive season through 2026.
He has been one of the best drivers throughout his career, competing in the Cup Series playoffs for a fifth season in a row after missing the cut but winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2018.
While Byron was on campus last month, he met with Liberty head football coach Jamey Chadwell who will be cheering him on to victory this weekend.
“It was awesome meeting him,” Chadwell said of Byron. “He was just down to earth. I was very interested in learning what they do and how they prepare to go race. It was pretty cool to see him and how awesome he’s doing. It’s amazing that students, graduates of Liberty, are being able to have success in so many different areas. It’s pretty cool to see him and on the national stage how he is improving.”
*photo courtesy Liberty University
