For the fourth consecutive year, the Daytona 500 winner is a first-timer. After Michael McDowell, Austin Cindric and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. all won the Great American Race for the first time over the previous three years, William Byron claimed victory under caution Monday to insert his name into the race’s lore.
Byron’s victory was the first for Hendrick Motorsports at the Daytona 500 since 2014, and it marked his 11th NASCAR win overall.
Like Cindric, Byron is on the younger end of Daytona 500 winners — nearly a decade younger than recent winners McDowell and Denny Hamlin when they crossed the finish line in Daytona.
William Byron wins the Daytona 500 🏁 pic.twitter.com/5rbnUgJm5X
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) February 20, 2024
Here’s what you need to know about Byron’s age and where he ranks among the youngest drivers to claim victory at the Daytona 500.
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How old is William Byron?
Byron is 26 years old. He won’t turn 27 until late November.
Byron made his NASCAR debut at the 2018 Daytona 500, though his first win didn’t come until August 2020 after the season resumed under heavy precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Just as other drivers have used the Daytona 500 to put themselves in position for Cup Series championship contention, Byron has a realistic chance to do the same. He’s improved his Cup Series finish in each of the last three years, ranking third last season after winning six races, and a victory at Daytona — a race that has otherwise given him trouble throughout his career — is a positive sign for the 26-year-old.
Here’s where Byron ranks among the youngest winners in the history of the Daytona 500.
Youngest Daytona 500 winners
Byron is the fifth-youngest driver to win the Daytona 500.
| Driver | Age | Year |
| Trevor Bayne | 20 | 2011 |
| Austin Cindric | 23 | 2022 |
| Joey Logano | 24 | 2015 |
| Jeff Gordon | 25 | 1997 |
| William Byron | 26 | 2024 |
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Even while ranking in the top five, Byron isn’t close to the record set by Trevor Bayne in 2011. Bayne is the only drive under the age of 23 to win the Daytona 500, and he did so just a day after turning 20.
Cindric (2022), Joey Logano (2015) and Jeff Gordon (1997) are the only other drivers to win the Daytona 500 under Byron’s age of 26.
