William Byron goes public with famous new girlfriend during NASCAR off week
William Byron goes public with famous new girlfriend during NASCAR off week
Sian Jones Tue, August 4, 2026 at 8:18 AM UTC
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William Byron has gone public with his new girlfriend (Image: Getty)
NASCAR star William Byron has gone public with his new relationship, confirming his romance with a famous girlfriend during the sport's latest off week.
In an Instagram post, Byron shared a series of pictures from his break, including one with Kylan Darnell, alongside the caption: "Quality time."
The comments section has also fueled speculation that Darnell is the NASCAR driver's new girlfriend, with people close to the pair appearing to confirm the relationship. Friends of Darnell have commented on and reshared the post, with one writing, "Yay," further adding to the speculation. Darnell herself also appeared to acknowledge the relationship, commenting "My fav" on Byron's post before sharing it to her Instagram Story.
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Darnell is an American beauty pageant winner and social media personality who rose to prominence through TikTok. She was crowned Miss Ohio Teen USA in 2022 before representing Ohio at Miss Teen USA later that year, where she reached the Top 16 and won the Fan Favorite title.
She became particularly well known for her involvement in the viral "Bama Rush" phenomenon while attending the University of Alabama. Darnell documented her experience of formal sorority recruitment on TikTok, sharing videos about her outfits, recruitment tips and life at the university.
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Darnell was ultimately accepted into Zeta Tau Alpha, and her videos documenting the recruitment process and sorority life helped establish her as one of the prominent personalities associated with "Bama Rush" and "RushTok." In July 2023, Darnell also faced online backlash after posting a TikTok video criticizing Greta Gerwig's Barbie.
She has amassed 1.3million followers on TikTok with her videos racking up more than 101 million likes on her videos.
Darnell has also built a career as a digital creator and sports reporter, covering SEC football events and providing behind-the-scenes content for ESPN's College GameDay. She studied news media with a focus on sports broadcasting and has spoken publicly about the challenges of balancing her hands-on broadcasting work with mandatory college classes.
Byron has generally kept his personal life away from the spotlight, but the NASCAR star has previously been linked to another well-known racing family. The Hendrick Motorsports driver dated Erin Blaney from late 2019 until the pair split in spring 2024. Erin is the daughter of former NASCAR driver Dave Blaney and the sister of Ryan Blaney, who won the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Byron's 12th-place position in the Cup Series standings is a surprise given his status as the defending regular-season champion and a Championship 4 contender last year. The two-time Daytona 500 winner heads into Iowa without a top-10 finish since Chicagoland on July 5 and has managed just four top-five finishes through 22 races.
Hendrick Motorsports is also searching for a turnaround, with Byron and Alex Bowman's fourth- and fifth-place finishes at Chicagoland marking the team's most recent top-10 results. With the playoffs approaching, Iowa could provide a crucial opportunity for Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team to rediscover their form and build momentum.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
