William Byron ’16 WINS DAYTONA 500!

William Byron ’16 got his 2024 season off to a great start by winning the biggest prize in racing on February 19–the Daytona 500. The victory was the 11th of William’s career in his seventh season at the Cup Series level.

Driving the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports, William has been working his way up to this moment since he first began racing during his Upper School days at Country Day. He won the 2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Championship and the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award in the 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. The following season he won both the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship and 2017 Sunoco Rookie of the Year. William also won the 2018 MENCS Sunoco Rookie of the Year award. And William starred in Netflix’s five-part docuseries NASCAR: Full Speed, which profiled the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

Despite living in the fast lane, William continues to share his time and energy with his alma mater. Whether attending the Homecoming Alumni Tailgate, hosting his former teachers at Hendrick Motorsports, taking time between races to return to campus for a visit, recording a podcast with students in our state-of-the-art recording studio, or popping a confetti cannon to honor his favorite teacher during Bucs Together Days of Giving, William’s service to Country Day remains steadfast.

As William finished the last, exciting lap of the Daytona 500, former Country Day teachers, classmates, and fellow alumni took to Instagram to celebrate his win. Longtime teacher Beth Brady commented, “William’s second-grade teacher is so incredibly proud!!” and fellow alumnus Thomas Ingram ’04 posted, “Honored to be a Buc right now!”

We remain one of William’s biggest fans and could not be more proud to call him a #BucsforLife!