Overview
- Hendrick Motorsports announced Tuesday that William Byron will drive a red, orange, yellow and black 'Firestorm' Axalta throwback on the No. 24 at the Freeway Insurance 500 on Oct. 18 at Phoenix Raceway.
- The team and sponsors have billed the paint scheme as the final appearance of the Axalta name on Byron’s Cup car ahead of a planned corporate rebrand set for 2027 with the new brand yet to be revealed.
- The design is a direct throwback to the Jeff Gordon-era 'Firestorm' livery first seen on the entry in the late 2000s and when Axalta (formerly DuPont’s coatings business) returned as primary sponsor in 2013.
- Byron has driven the No. 24 since 2018 and carries 16 career Cup wins, including back-to-back Daytona 500 victories in 2024 and 2025, and he sits 13th in the 2026 Chase through 31 of 36 events with five top-five and 15 top-10 finishes.
- The Freeway Insurance 500 will air Sunday, Oct. 18 at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network with MRN Radio and SiriusXM coverage, and sponsors say they will unveil the 2027 branding and paint scheme at a later date.