The 24-year-old Cup Series driver signed a three-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports that will retain him as the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet through the 2025 season.
That will put Byron in the position of negotiating his next deal just as NASCAR’s current 10-year TV contract expires at the conclusion of the 2024 season.
The introduction of the Next Generation car in the Cup Series this season came with plenty of hype and the preseason Clash held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum kicked off the new season with a big bang.
Byron, a relative newcomer to NASCAR, also appears to be finding his groove just as the sport looks to have received a much-needed revival in interest.
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“I think our sport is going through a big change; a change for the better, really. We’re really thriving I think as a sport – seeing how much the fans are turning out to the races, how the TV ratings are and things like that,” he said.
“It’s exciting. For somebody like me coming into the sport, I’m 24-years-old and hopefully have a long career ahead. I want to see this sport do well. I want to see fans be interested in what I’m doing.
“I’ve got a lot of support from friends from high school, and things like that, that are watching the races. I didn’t get those messages a few years ago, so it’s cool to see that. Hopefully, as drivers, we can continue to benefit from the success of the sport.”
Becoming a title threat
Byron, whose first Cup Series start came less than four years ago, is one of only two drivers so far this season with multiple wins. He’s ranked third in the series standings entering Sunday’s race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
His recent success – which included a victory and 10th place finish in the series standings last year – put him in a good bargaining position on a contract extension, something the iRacing standout has not been accustomed to.
“This is kind of my first deal outside of my rookie contract and I…
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