[autotag]Jeff Gordon[/autotag] won the Daytona 500 three times in 1997, 1999, and 2005. Almost 19 years to the day of Gordon’s last Daytona 500 victory, he witnessed his famous No. 24 car return to glory. William Byron won the 2024 Daytona 500 after barely beating Alex Bowman before the caution flew on the final lap. It is Byron’s first win in the Great American Race.
Following Byron’s victory, Gordon, crew chief Rudy Fugle, and team owner Rick Hendrick sat down for a press conference in Daytona. Gordon was asked if the No. 24 car made the victory more special for him, and he gave an honest answer.
“I try not to be biased, but [William Byron] is making it hard on me,” Gordon said. “It is 2024, and the No. 24 car is always going to be very, very special to me. But what I loved the most is seeing him make it his number and building that fan base not only — 24 fans have been around for a long time, but his own fans.”
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
“A win like this, my gosh, this is going to elevate that up to the next level and bring a whole lot more new fans to the sport and for William. That’s what I get excited and look forward to.”
Gordon may not be driving the No. 24 car anymore, but it’s easy to tell how special that moment was for him. Byron is driving his famous number and turning into a NASCAR superstar. The NASCAR world spent 23 years witnessing Gordon’s greatness in the No. 24 car. Now, it’s Byron’s turn to strike fear into his competitors following the Daytona 500.
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