Prior to the 2024 NASCAR season, a driver for Hendrick Motorsports hadn’t won a Daytona 500 since Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2014. It had been almost a decade since the organization’s last victory; however, that changed on Monday evening. [autotag]William Byron[/autotag] barely beat teammate Alex Bowman in the 2024 Daytona 500, which ended in a 1-2 finish for Hendrick Motorsports.
Following Byron’s victory in the Great American Race, crew chief Rudy Fugle, vice chairman Jeff Gordon, and team owner [autotag]Rick Hendrick[/autotag] sat down for a press conference. Hendrick talked about how thrilling it is to win the Daytona 500, which is NASCAR’s biggest race.
“I forgot how thrilling it really is because the disappointment of coming off of 4, leading and getting crashed,” Hendrick said. “It’s hard to put into words how I feel about NASCAR the sport and being able to participate in it, and now tying, I guess, the all-time record for wins here in the 500, I think it’s going to sink in next week a little bit more, but yeah, the flyover was pretty cool the other night.”
William Byron *barely* beat Alex Bowman to win the 2024 Daytona 500.
It’s Byron’s first Daytona 500 victory as the No. 24 car returns to victory lane in the Great American Race.
pic.twitter.com/8AduUkx5BC— Austin Konenski (@AustinKonenski) February 20, 2024
“But I’m in awe of how hard it is to win this race. I’m just so happy for [William Byron] and [Rudy Fugle] and the organization and to see [Alex Bowman] finish second. That was great.
The last time Hendrick Motorsports won the Daytona 500 was the second of two straight victories as Jimmie Johnson won in 2013. The hope is that the past replicates itself and another Hendrick Motorsports driver wins in 2025. For now, the NASCAR organization will focus on the task ahead, and that’s another race weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
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