“Unlike anything I’ve ever seen”: Jeff Gordon makes feelings known about William Byron’s progress after Martinsville thriller

Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon recently sat down for the media day availability after William Byron won the Martinsville Speedway race. During the post-race interaction, Gordon talked about the progress Byron has made so far in his nearly decade-long career in the Cup Series.

The 27-year-old driver debuted with HMS in 2018 and has been driving Gordon's #24 Chevy since then. He has delivered promising results since his rookie season. He has been qualifying for the Championship Four race for the past two seasons and has achieved this feat again this year. Byron secured the pole position for the Martinsville race and dominated the race, winning both stages.

During the media interaction, Jeff Gordon was impressed by his successor's progress in the series. He claimed Byron never lacked effort, and "it's unlike anything" he has ever seen. Gordon further stated [00:30 onward]:

"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) "You know, we all have things in our life going on, but, you know, he's, he's just laser beam right now. And I think that it shows in his effort, his prep, you know, his relationship with his team and Rudy and everybody. And he had that fire today burning and was not going to hold him back," he added.

William Byron won the fall Martinsville Speedway race for the first time in his career. This victory advanced him to the Championship Four race at Phoenix scheduled for November 2, 2025.

---

"I cannot put into words what Hendrick Motorsports means to me": Jeff Gordon got candid about quitting FOX Sports for a role at HMS

Former NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon debuted in the Cup Series with Hendrick Motorsports. He stayed with the team throughout his career and won multiple championship titles.

After his 25-year glorious career, Gordon retired in 2015 and began his career as a NASCAR broadcaster for FOX Sports. He spent nearly six years with the broadcasting network before getting the opportunity to join HMS again. Following that, in 2021, Gordon united with Hendrick Motorsports as vice chairman.

Recalling that, Jeff Gordon told the media:

"I cannot put into words what Hendrick Motorsports means to me. In many ways, it’s my home, and the people here are my family. I’ve never lost my passion for the organization, for our sport, and for the sheer challenge of racing and winning at the highest level. Being part of the competition is where I’m happiest and feel I can make the biggest contribution to the continued, long-term success of the team."

Jeff Gordon amassed 93 wins, 325 top fives, 475 top tens, and 81 pole positions in 797 starts in the #24 Chevy. He also won the Winston Cup Series championship four times, in 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

Edited by Karan Yadav