Kenny Wallace teases William Byron with light-hearted comment after contract extension

Former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace has shared a light-hearted response to William Byron’s four-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports. 

The Rick Hendrick-led team announced today that it had signed a four-year contract extension with the 27-year-old driver, securing him through the 2029 NASCAR Cup Series season. When asked how often he hears of this length of contract extension, Wallace took the opportunity to poke fun at the announcement. He shared, jokingly:

“@WilliamByron has checked all the boxes. He is one of us too. He can go to the local short track and race you hard. Plus, he’s very vanilla and that fits the @TeamHendrick moto.”

Byron made his Cup Series debut in 2018, and has since secured 14 race wins. 111 top-ten finishes, and 15 pole positions. The two-time Daytona 500 winner has also made the Cup Series Playoffs in every season since 2019, and reached the Championship 4 in both 2023 and 2024.

Commenting on why the team were so keen to secure the driver in long-term, Hendrick claimed that he is “the real deal.” He added:

“What makes him so special is that he combines natural ability with an unrivaled work ethic. You see it in the great ones – the drivers who could get by on talent alone but choose to outwork everyone anyway. That’s William.

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: James Gilbert / Getty Images

“On top of it all, he’s a person of high character and embraces his role as a leader. We’re proud to have him in our lineup and look forward to many more wins together.”

This comes ahead of the Coca-Cola 600 race weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Byron heads into the longest race on the NASCAR calendar second in the championship standings with 434 points, trailing the leader Kyle Larson by 35 points.

The Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 is set to take place on Sunday, 25 May at 6 p.m. ET and can be followed live on Prime Video, PRN Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.