NASCAR’s William Byron shares that his mother has a brain tumor, starting treatment soon

NASCAR driver and Charlotte-native William Byron shared on social media Tuesday evening that his mother, Dana Byron, has a brain tumor and is starting treatment soon.

Byron drives the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports and won a race earlier this year at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He said in a note posted on Twitter that his mother has a rare but treatable MALT lymphoma and that the cancer is localized on the left side of her brain.

“My Mom is in great spirits, she has SO much support from her family and friends,” Bryon wrote. “It has been really warming to see all of the people that have been there for her!! I love her so much and we have been able to spend time with her at home as well as at the hospital throughout the last few weeks.”

Byron said she was treated by doctors at Atrium Health in Charlotte after suffering a stroke-like event while at Martinsville for NASCAR’s Cup race in mid-April, and that she was first transported to a local hospital near the track in southern Virginia.

He said that she then received care from doctors at Atrium, including one who is a family friend, and that the lymphoma was discovered through a few days of testing.

“Treatment is planned for her and she is starting soon,” he wrote.

Byron, 23, is in the midst of one of his best NASCAR performances in his six-year career of full-time driving. He has nine top-10 finishes in a row since winning at Homestead in February. He often posts pictures of his family on his Instagram account, including photos with his mother.

Hendrick Motorsports said that the announcement will not impact Byron’s planned entry for the upcoming race at Darlington this weekend, where Byron will run a vintage Valvoline paint scheme inspired by Neil Bonnett’s No. 75 car from the 1980s for the Throwback Weekend. The race is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 9, which is also Mother’s Day.

“She is a fighter and knows that the process will not be easy but she has a great support group, and my Dad has been there every step of the way,” Byron wrote in his post. “It has changed all of our perspective on life in a short time.

“Thank you for your prayers and support in advance. We are thankful she is in good hands and we will continue to be with her as she fights through this.”