William Byron has a busy week ahead as he prepares for his first career Cup Series race at the Daytona 500, but first he has some studying to do.
The 20-year-old Hendrick Motorsports rookie is also taking online classes at Liberty University, and he has some schoolwork to do before Sunday's Daytona 500.
"I can do it pretty much when I want,'' Byron said via Yahoo Sports. ''It's really flexible as far as my schedule goes. I do it basically before I get to the racetrack, and it's fun. It's cool. It kind of gives me a chance to get away from everything for a little bit. I enjoy that part of it.
"I just kind of manage it whenever I can, so it's not too bad. They work with me.''
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Byron enrolled at Liberty University in 2016 and spent one semester there before decided to finish his degree in business online so he could pursue racing. Now, the school sponsors him and has since he was 16.
His college work is due each Monday, and he made sure to finish before heading to Daytona for qualifying. Now, he can start on next week's assignments before the actual race on Sunday.
Byron finished fifth during qualifying at the Daytona 500, and he's managed everything well so far. The rookie has a lot on his plate, but he's proven in recent years he can handle the pressure of racing and school.
A full Cup Series schedule might be daunting along with classwork, but the rookie is confident he can manage both. He has expectations for himself in both areas, but there's plenty of reason to believe he'll rise to the challenge.