Who won the Daytona 500? Meet William Byron, NASCAR's rising star

The 24 car won the 2024 Daytona 500. And no, it wasn't Jeff Gordon.

William Byron held on for a thrilling victory at the Great American Race on Monday night, earning the white flag just as a crash broke out behind him. NASCAR ruled that Byron crossed the finish line in time to earn the trip to Victory Lane and his first career Daytona 500 win.

Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman finished second.

Byron is coming off a stellar 2023 season in which he won six races, the most in the NASCAR Cup Series. Monday's big victory was his 11th career Cup Series win and his second at Daytona International Speedway. He came into the race at +1750 odds to win it.

Here's a few things to know about the newest Daytona 500 winner.

William Byron's age: How old is William Byron?

Byron is one of the young rising stars of NASCAR. He was born November 29, 1997, and is 26 years old and is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Who is William Byron's girlfriend? Erin Blaney is fellow racer Ryan Blaney's sister

Byron has been dating Erin Blaney for about four years. She is the sister of fellow NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney, who beat Byron to win the 2023 NASCAR Cup championship.

William Byron set a record in Truck Series and won Xfinity Series

Byron has been on a meteoric rise in NASCAR. In 2016, he won seven races in the Truck Series, a record for a first-year driver. The following year, he won the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, winning four races.

William Byron's first NASCAR Cup Series win was at Daytona

In his third season in the Cup Series, Byron took home the checkered flag at the 2020 Coke Zero Sugar 400. With the win, he clinched a spot in the NASCAR Cup playoffs.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: William Byron: What to know about Daytona 500 2024 winner