Byron, 19, is one of six racers competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in NASCAR’s XFINITY Series. He has three victories and is second in the points standings heading into this weekend’s Zippo 200 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International.
Rick Hendrick, wife Linda, and Liberty University president Jerry Falwell were among those on hand for Wednesday’s announcement, held in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
“It’s something that’s really special to the Hendrick family and something I’m really excited to do,” Byron said following the unveiling. “Hopefully, we can go down there and get a win; that would be really cool. I know everyone is going to have some awesome throwback schemes and we’re just really excited about this one.”
JR Motorsports is co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller and Rick Hendrick.
Liberty sponsored Byron’s 2016 racing efforts in the Camping World Truck Series, as well as this year in the XFINITY Series. The Lynchburg, Va.-based university backed his racing efforts in the Camping World Truck Series in 2016.
Byron’s Chevrolet for the Darlington race will feature a look similar to that used by Hendrick during his 2001 Camping World Truck Series effort. That year, he won his first race in the series, at Kansas, and finished sixth in points. Overall, he had 30 career starts in the Truck Series.
Rick Hendrick said when Dale Earnhardt Jr. called him and asked about running his son’s paint scheme, there was no hesitation.
“I said, ‘Are you kidding? We’d be honored for you to do that,'” Hendrick said. “When I saw the renderings of it and I knew what we were going to do today, it was all really special.”
Byron said he was “really young” when Ricky Hendrick was competing but added that he has “watched videos and understood everything he had accomplished.
“It’s kind of neat because now I’m in an XFINITY team that’s and extension of what Mr. Hendrick and he accomplished,” he said.
Between 1999 and ’02 Hendrick made 38 starts in the XFINITY Series, including 22 in ’02. However, a hard crash early in the year at Las Vegas Motor Speedway forced him to miss six races with a shoulder injury.
He returned and made 19 more starts before announcing his retirement from competition in October of ’02.
Upon his retirement, the younger Hendrick became car owner of the No. 5 team. The following season, Vickers won the XFINITY Series championship and Hendrick won his first and only championship as a car owner.
Also on hand Wednesday for the unveiling were 13 members of the No. 5 team, including crew chief Lance McGrew. All remain employed at Hendrick Motorsports.
“It’s just going to be super special for us and all the folks that worked on the team to see that car on the track again in those colors,” Hendrick said. “I can’t tell you … the throwback deal is fun but this one is going to be so rewarding for us.”
The Bojangles’ Southern 500 is the sport’s official nod to the past on one of the series’ oldest venues. This is the third year of the throwback program, which features today’s entries adorned with paint schemes from the past.
Should Byron notch the win, Hendrick joked that he would “probably ride back to Charlotte with William in the car and a police escort.”
“I said I’d never get in one again after I almost fell out of the window with Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) but I’d probably make an exception,” Hendrick said. “That would be awful special.”
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