Daytona 500 Champ William Byron on NASCAR Media Evolution, Passion for Golf

As the world’s top golfers compete for a Green Jacket at Augusta National this weekend, the Masters is drawing hundreds of thousands of patrons to the course, including some high-profile celebrities and athletes from other sports.

One of those big names is NASCAR driver William Byron, the winner of the two most recent Daytona 500s. Byron, who has 14 total Cup Series wins racing for Hendrick Motorsports, was on site at the Masters on Thursday, but caught up with Front Office Sports before heading to the course to talk about his passion for golf and some big issues facing NASCAR.

This interview has been edited slightly for clarity and brevity.

What is your relationship with golf?

I play it pretty often. I try to play weekly. I probably went through three or four months last year where I didn’t play much during the racing season. But I try to play pretty often, go to the range a couple times a week if I can. I’ve played pretty seriously since I was 18.

Do you have a handicap?

I’m a 10.

Have you found any similarities between racing and golf?

If anything, golf just allows me to decompress and get away from racing. I think rhythm is always important. Whether you’re racing or golfing, having that rhythm, being able to put shots together. Mentally, it’s a challenge being on the course, you’re always under pressure. So, I feel like the pressure is always a similarity. But they’re [a] very different pace from racing to golf.

Are there any golfers you take inspiration from?

I like Rory a lot. He’s one of my favorites, just his athleticism, his approach. And then I’ve always been a Spieth fan. When I was really getting into golf, he was playing really well. So, always try to follow those guys. Justin Thomas, I follow his Instagram.

Have you ever played Augusta National?

No, I haven’t. I’m really jealous. A couple of the guys I race against, some of my peers, have played it, I think, Ryan Blaney and some other guys. So, I’m jealous. But hopefully I can sometime. 

What are some of your other favorite golf courses?

I’d love to go out to Bandon Dunes in Oregon. I loved Pebble Beach. I went there with my dad a couple years ago. And maybe some of the Florida courses near Jupiter, like The Bears Club and some of those places.

You attended a TGL match this season. How was that?

It was fun. It was really unique seeing how they roll the grass in and then hit off the normal grass and into a simulator. I started with sim racing online, that’s how I got my career going, so it’s relatable, honestly, to see how they’re using that. I’m sure it’s really different for those guys, but as a spectator, it was fun to watch.

Would you be interested in investing in the league or a team as they expand?

Maybe, yeah. I’d love to see it more often. Maybe they can travel with it, bring it to different cities. To bring that to Charlotte, I think people would love to see pro golfers—household names—in person in a setting like that.

How do you think other teams’ disputes about NASCAR’s charter agreements are impacting the sport?

I think drivers can always be paid more. We always want to be appreciated for what we do, and the risk that we take going out there and putting our bodies at risk. But I think it could probably even out some, and hopefully the lawsuits and those things can help that.