Rookie William Byron Driving Away With The Points Lead

Nearly one-third of the way through the 2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season, rookie William Byron is a surprise leader in as the championship race heads to famed Bowman Gray Stadium this Saturday for the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150.

Byron, 17, is sitting at the top of the standings with 176 points after earning two wins, three top fives and four top 10s. The Charlotte product got a late start racing, purchasing his first Legends car in the fall of 2012, and began competing in the U.S. Legend Young Lions Division in 2013. In just his first year competing in Legends, Byron won the 2013 U.S. Legend Young Lions National Championship and has been on the fast track to success ever since.

He’s trailed by a pair of drivers who have also visited Victory Lane this season. Series veteran Austin Hill, 21, is 15 points back. The Winston, Georgia, native started off the season strong by winning the season opener at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway to extend his victory streak to three and has four top 10 finishes this season. Rookie Kyle Benjamin is in third place, five behind Hill, and the Easley, South Carolina, earned his first Victory Lane visit at Bristol Motor Speedway in April.

After that, Byron’s already put 37 points — nearly a full race — on the rest of the field. By contrast, just 30 points separate fourth-place Gray Gaulding and fifth-place Scott Heckert, who both have 139 points, from 14th.

NASCAR PR