Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been taking notice of William Byron’s recent hot streak. And now believes the 26‑year‑old driver has become Hendrick Motorsports’ top dog.
Even though Kyle Larson has more wins, laps led and playoff points this season, Earnhardt Jr. believes something has begun to shift in the team dynamic. And the Hall of Famer had no problem letting people know what he thinks post-race at Michigan.
“Yeah, the last couple of weeks, I think that he’s [Byron] eclipsed Larson as the best car at Hendrick Motorsports,”Dale Earnhardt Jy’s really been able to say that for a long time. Larson was so good throughout the majority of this season. But he’s stumbled and kind of been neutralized a little bit over the last couple of weeks.”
He’s not wrong. Statistically, Byron leads the regular season standings by 41 points over Larson and 82 over race-winner Denny Hamlin. And while the stats still favor Larson in some areas, three wins to Byron’s one, more top-fives and top-10s, Byron has outscored him in stage points and looked better the last few races.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. says that’s exactly where Byron needs to capitalize.
“We know that won’t last forever, but Byron needs to take advantage of that and try to go out there and get his wins,” he added. “He’s got a really good shot to separate himself from that pack and put himself in a championship contender form.”
Meanwhile, Larson hasn’t had an easy run lately. From wrecking out early at Charlotte to battling through the field at Nashville, the №5 team has cooled off after a hot start.
Ultimately, The battle between the Hendricks’ teammates is far from over. But with Dale Earnhardt Jr. saying Byron is Hendrick’s new top driver, the conversation around who’s really in charge will keep getting louder.
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