“This feeling doesn’t get old.” Rick Hendrick said with pride when William Byron won his second Daytona 500 this season. Byron’s back-to-back wins there since last year have made him a rising force in the garage and among his fans. It isn’t just any ordinary win; never has been. Daytona 500 is the “Super Bowl” of racing, as Hendrick calls it, and even winning the race brings its own set of pressures with it.

But Byron’s recent Martinsville win proved he is someone who can deliver when it’s needed the most, as his championship stakes depended on it. But Hendrick believes that winning the Daytona 500 has an important part to play in this, as it raises the standard for any driver. Because winning it isn’t the end, it’s actually the beginning.

With a Daytona win comes greater responsibility

During the NASCAR Cup Scene podcast, Rick Hendrick opened up on the double-edged sword of Byron’s Daytona magic. “You come off of Daytona, it sets it up for the year for you,” he said. “You know, you’re a Daytona champion, and that’s the Super Bowl. But then you’ve got to run all the races because you want to be a champion.”

Hendrick’s team has chased 14 Cup titles, but he knows very well how glory fades fast without consistent wins. Byron’s 2025 Daytona win came amid multi-car wrecks on the last lap, yet he somehow dodged that pileup to snatch the win. Hendrick knows problems can come along your way that aren’t in your hands, be it random cautions, pit road misses, or tire issues. But he feels Daytona itself brings its own pressure to go that extra mile for points.

“Daytona is special, but I think right after you win Daytona, you realize that, hey, we’ve got to be up in the points, we’ve got to win races, we’ve got to advance, and there’s a tremendous amount of pressure all year long.”

Very few drivers go through their entire careers but never win this race, the one that everyone wants to. Byron‘s certainly added his name to that list. But living just on that win? No chance. That’s where the real journey begins, as all eyes are fixed on that winner for the entire year to perform the same way.

But sometimes, eagerness to win a race makes you do things that cost the race itself. So, understanding the fine line between motivation and over-motivation is very important, as the latter can put extra pressure on a driver. And that learning comes the hard way, and that’s exactly what happened with Byron when he hit a 21-race winless streak after winning this season’s Daytona 500.

But Byron’s Martinsville masterclass, where he swept stages and made a race-winning pass on Ryan Blaney, shows his learning curve, and how he’s learnt to deal with that pressure. Crew chief Rudy Fugle also commented on his evolution, saying, “He’s changed 100%. He’s got his own house now. He takes care of a lot of things he never had before. Just his routine… Maturity, I think, is the main thing.”

From an ultra-aggressive driver in 2018 to a much more mature contender for the title, Byron’s losses and experience of eight years in the sport have steadied him.

Fugle‘s words also hold true as Byron has led the most laps this year, with three wins. And now a more focused driver with lots of practice behind him helped him at short tracks like Martinsville, where Hendrick invested heavily in sims and setups post-2024 struggles. Now, in the final 4 alongside his teammate Larson, the duo eyes Hendrick’s 15th trophy.

As Hendrick eyes Phoenix, teammate insights sharpen the title picture.

Gordon said HMS is locked and loaded for ’25 chase

Jeff Gordon, Hendrick’s vice chairman and four-time champ, sees no stone left unturned for the 2025 title. “The resources or whatever you need are here for you,” he told Claire B. Lang this week. Gordon, with his 25 years of experience at HMS, knows owners like Rick Hendrick build empires with support from expert people. With Byron and Larson carrying the expectation for the 15th cup, the team is ready to provide any data, tweaks, parts, or setup changes in the car for November 2.

He doubled down on the depth, “That is what Rick has always offered, and it’s been amazing. Our guys will tell you. There’s nothing that they are lacking from that side of things.” This isn’t hype; Hendrick‘s $1 billion team campus fuels it, from providing wind tunnels to crew sims that helped HMS drivers and the team to stay updated and prep for any challenges virtually.

Byron’s pole-to-win at Martinsville? Those quick pit stops and setups that allow smooth working conditions for pit crews show how HMS invests in technicalities. Gordon’s guidance, pep talks, and strategy tweaks also molded Byron from a wildcard to a regular-season points leader this season.

It’s also personal for Gordon, as they both share a linked legacy through their No. 24 cars. Gordon mentored him since his Xfinity days, watching his raw speed turn into calculated risks.

Looking ahead, this setup positions Hendrick for a dynasty push. Byron in the final four with no weak links means drivers like him can hunt that elusive first title without excuses, setting up a fierce title defense next season.