William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will have seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief Chad Knaus at the helm of his team for the 2019 season. At the time of publication, Byron was currently leading the Cup rookie of the year standings.
Knaus was a member of the storied No. 24 Rainbow Warriors team from 1993-98 with Jeff Gordon, the winningest Cup driver in NASCAR’s modern era, and proved to be an integral part of Gordon’s 1995 and 1997 titles. Knaus guided Jimmie Johnson to a record-tying seven championships since starting as his crew chief in 2002.
William Byron
Byron, who has managed a demanding race schedule while pursuing his business communications degree through Liberty’s online program, is excited about the new partnership within Hendrick Motorsports’ four-car racing team.
“It’s a blessing,” Byron said of Knaus’ move to the No. 24. “This year, I’ve learned a lot. It’s a huge honor and blessing that I get a chance to work with somebody like that. Mr. (Rick) Hendrick has given me unbelievable opportunities. That is all you can dream of as a driver.”
Knaus shares Byron’s enthusiasm and compares him favorably to Johnson early in his career.
“I don’t think people understand how quickly (Byron) has risen to where he is,” Knaus said of the 20-year-old driver. “For me to get the opportunity to work with him is just like getting the opportunity to work with Jimmie back then. That excitement level is very, very similar.”
Liberty served as Byron’s primary sponsor for 15 races in 2018 and will be a primary sponsor again in 2019. Liberty has also partnered with Hendrick Automotive Group to offer an Automotive Dealership Management specialization through the School of Business.
