CONCORD, N.C. – Before last weekend’s race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course, NBC shared a fun video with the pole-sitter for the race, William Byron.
NBC Sports’ Steve Letarte asked Byron to name one person in particular who helped him get started in his racing career.
The driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 picked Dennis Lambert, his Legends crew chief and mentor.
“He was always there kind of coaching me,” Byron said. “He kind of developed me as a driver.”
It just so happened that Lambert was there to surprise the driver, and the reaction was priceless.
“He just picked it up right away,” Lambert recalled of teaching Byron the ropes. “He really studies on what he’s doing and learns from it.”
Their relationship continued past their driver-crew chief days, as Lambert was down at Homestead-Miami Speedway to watch Byron win his NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.
“He was one of the first guys to the car after I did the burnout and jumped out of the car,” the driver said. “So, that was pretty special.”
Check out the full feature, including the surprise reunion, in the video above.