After William Byron’s big win, no one looked as happy as Jeff Gordon. The Hall of Famer was ecstatic to see the 24 in victory lane again. It might have helped that this was the 100th win for the 24 car in the NASCAR Cup Series. 93 of those wins came under Gordon’s control, and the other 7 belong to Byron.
When Mr. H and Jeff Gordon are in town for a race, you know it’s a big deal. They thought they were going to see Kyle Larson fight for the win, but a late restart wreck with Ross Chastain stopped that from happening.
In third place at the time was William Byron. He took that No. 24 Chevy and put it across the finish line ahead of Kevin Harvick. Byron was sporting the gold, color-changing paint scheme Gordon repped in the 1998 All-Star Race for NASCAR’s 50th anniversary. Surprisingly, Jeff didn’t win that race, although he did win 13 others and the championship that season.
Look at this excitement from the Rainbow Warrior to his winning driver.
No one else has been able to put that No. 24 in victory lane since Jeff Gordon except for William Byron. Let’s not forget other drivers, Chase Elliott included, had their chances to make it a winning car again. Only Byron was able to get it back P1 and he keeps adding to that win total with a Goodyear 400 checkered flag.
Jeff Gordon ‘very proud’ of the 24 car’s legacy
When Jeff Gordon sees that 24 do well, he probably feels like a driver again. He made his name in that car and put together one of the most legendary careers in NASCAR history behind the wheel of it. 100 wins for that car and the legacy continues.
“Congratulations, William! I have so many special memories of driving the No. 24 to victory, and today seeing William get the 100th for the 24 is exciting and makes me very proud to see the legacy continue.”
William Byron seems to understand the importance of his position. He isn’t just driving for his own legacy, but for Jeff’s and for the whole Hendrick organization. It looks like he might be on his way to a major breakthrough, too.
Jeff Gordon will be smiling through the whole thing.
