William Byron becomes the first driver since Jimmie Johnson to earn major achievement through Martinsville victory

Hendrick Motorsports Ace William Byron has achieved a new milestone in his career after his third Martinsville Speedway victory. He tied the record of the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson winning the 0.526-mile track race from the pole position.

During the STP Gas Booster 500 held at Martinsville Speedway, the former HMS driver secured the win by starting the race from the pole position. He qualified with a best time of 19.244 seconds and a top speed of 98.400 mph in his #48 Chevy. Also, NASCAR's 'Superman' did so by leading an astonishing 346 laps.

Moving to 2025, William Byron qualified for the Xfinity 500 with a best lap time of 19.29 seconds and a top speed of 98.19 mph. Byron then won stages one and two of the 500-lap race, earning 20 additional points. He then crossed the finish line 0.717 seconds ahead of his Team Penske rival, Ryan Blaney, and led 304 laps.

Following that, the #24 Chevy Camaro ZL1 driver became the first to achieve the feat since 2013. Reflecting on the same, NASCAR analyst Dalton Hopkins wrote:

".@WilliamByron is the first driver to win at Martinsville from the pole since Jimmie Johnson in 2013."

Dalton Hopkins

@PitLaneCPT

.@WilliamByron is the first driver to win at Martinsville from the pole since Jimmie Johnson in 2013 #NASCAR #Xfinity500

William Byron's victory at the 0.526-mile short track advanced him to the Championship Four race scheduled for Phoenix Raceway on November 2, 2025. Byron will compete against his teammate Kyle Larson and Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe for the Cup Series title.

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“Unlike anything I’ve ever seen”: Jeff Gordon praised William Byron on his Martinsville Speedway race

Former Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon was featured in a post-race media appearance with NASCAR at Martinsville Speedway. During the interaction, Gordon praised the team driver, William Byron, for his remarkable success in the Cup Series.

Byron has been competing for HMS since 2018 and pilots Gordon's #24 Chevy in the series. The Cup Series driver has been improving since his rookie season and has secured a spot in the Championship Four race for the third time in his career. He dominated the Martinsville Speedway race and recorded his maiden fall season victory at the 0.526-mile short track.

Following that, Jeff Gordon claimed that he was impressed by William Byron's success in the #24 Chevy. He pointed out that Byron has been laser-focused on his goals and further stated:

"I know he's matured, you know, he's never lacked in effort. You know, I, you know, he'll have to share with you what kinds of things he does every week, prepping for races, but it's unlike anything I've ever seen. And you know, he's just very, very narrowly focused on it. You know, he cuts out distractions and minimizes them, like, unlike." (via NASCAR)

William Byron has logged 16 wins, 65 top fives, 120 top tens, and 16 pole positions in 287 starts in the #24 Chevy. His Xfinity 500 victory marked his third win of this season and ranks him third in the Cup Series playoffs table.