CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Rick Hendrick first met William Byron as a local Charlotte teenager, fan of Hendrick Motorsports and budding NASCAR driver. Something about the 15-year-old struck Hendrick, who recognized a young talent with a potentially bright future in NASCAR. Hendrick snagged Byron away from the Toyota camp in 2016, promoted him to the Cup Series in 2018 when he was 20 years old and fresh off an Xfinity Series championship and gave him the tools to become a star. It’s paid off as Byron heads to Phoenix Raceway this week with a shot at winning his first Cup title.
