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William Sawalich
American racing driver (born 2006) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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William Sawalich (born October 3, 2006) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 18 Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing, part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for Tricon Garage, and part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West, driving the No. 18 Toyota Camry for JGR. He is the 2023 and 2024 ARCA Menards Series East champion.
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Racing career
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Early career
Sawalich began racing at the age of nine, running various midget races, including Sr. Animal's and World Formula. From 2017 to 2019, he won several track championships at Little Elko Speedway.[1]
Sawalich moved into legends cars in 2020, winning the INEX Young Lions State Championship in Minnesota. He scored multiple top fives and podiums during his legends car efforts.[1][2] He won an INEX sanctioned Legends division feature race at Elko Speedway (MN) on August 22, 2020.[3]
Late models
Sawalich made the transition to late models in 2021, running nearly a full season in the Carolina Pro Late Model Series. Despite missing two races, he finished fourth in the standings, with one win at Carteret County Speedway,[4] and seven top fives. Along with that, he continued to run in select legend car races. He made his CARS Tour debut at Tri-County Motor Speedway in September, in which he started on the pole. He finished seventeenth after being involved in a late-race accident.
In 2022, Sawalich increased his late model schedule, running in the CARS Tour, the Champion Racing Association, the ARCA Midwest Tour, the Southern Super Series, and the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing. In the CARS Tour, Sawalich ran nine races, earning six wins, four of them in row.[5][6][7][8] His streak came to an end at Tri-County in September, after he got spun on the last lap by Jake Garcia.[9]
In 2023, Sawalich won the All American 400 in a controversial ending, after the top eight drivers were eliminated due to fluid on the racetrack, causing them to slip up and hit the wall. He also became the youngest driver to win the All American 400.[10]
ARCA
ARCA Menards Series
On December 9, 2022, it was announced that Sawalich would join Joe Gibbs Racing to run twenty races in the ARCA Menards Series.[11] Sawalich would make his debut at Phoenix, winning the pole and finishing thirteenth. He earned his first ARCA main win at Berlin Raceway, after passing Jesse Love for the lead with two laps to go.[12]
On December 13, 2023, it was announced that Sawalich would run a more expanded ARCA Menards Series schedule. He would run the No. 18 for the fourteen races in the series. Tanner Gray would drive the No. 18 for the six tracks in the ARCA Menards Series that Sawalich was too young to race at.[13] He would start his season in the ARCA Menards Series with a victory at Phoenix after leading 66 laps in a weather-shortened race.[14] At Dover, Sawalich won the pole and once again led the most laps,[15] before being involved in a late race incident, unable to complete the race and finished seventeenth, the first DNF in his career.[16] In fourteen races in the main ARCA series, Sawalich won nine races to go with thirteen top-fives and finished tenth in the points standings. Sawalich's performance during the season contributed to the No. 18 winning the owner's championship in the main ARCA Series.
ARCA Menards Series East
On December 9, 2022, it was announced that Sawalich would join Joe Gibbs Racing. This included a full season in the ARCA Menards Series East.[11] In his first start at Five Flags Speedway, Sawalich won the pole and led every lap to earn his first career ARCA win.[17] At Nashville, Sawalich was in contention to win his second race, until the caution came out on the final lap. He would spin his tires on the final restart, ultimately giving the win to Luke Fenhaus.[18] He earned his second win of the season at ARCA's return to Flat Rock Speedway, leading the final fifty laps of the race.[19] Following the Bristol race, Sawalich clinched the ARCA Menards Series East championship.[20]
On December 13, 2023, it was announced that Sawalich would return full-time in the ARCA Menards Series East.[13] In the first race of the season, Sawalich would lead the most laps at Five Flags, but he would end up finishing second to Gio Ruggiero.[21] At Dover, Sawalich won the pole and once again led the most laps,[15] before being involved in a late race incident, unable to complete the race and finished seventeenth, the first DNF in his career.[16] In the following race at Nashville, Sawalich rebounded and led 145 of the 150 lap race to score the dominating win.[22] Overall, Sawalich scored three wins and seven top-three finishes to clinch his second consecutive ARCA East championship.[23]
ARCA Menards Series West
On December 9, 2022, it was announced that Sawalich would join Joe Gibbs Racing to run select races in the ARCA Menards Series West.[11] Sawalich would make his debut at Phoenix, winning the pole and finishing thirteenth.
On December 13, 2023, it was announced that Sawalich would run a partial ARCA Menards Series West schedule.[13] He would start his season with a victory at Phoenix after leading 66 laps in a weather-shortened race.[14] At Portland for the West Series race, Sawalich took the lead from Brandon Jones in the middle stages of the race, and led the final 31 laps to earn his first road course win in ARCA.[24]
Sawalich returned in 2025, where he would earn a win at Sonoma by leading all 65 laps and winning by a measly 0.066 seconds over Christian Eckes.[25]
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
On January 19, 2023, it was announced that Sawalich would join Tricon Garage for six races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, making his debut in the series.[26] He made his debut at Martinsville Speedway, finishing ninth after running near the top ten for most of the race.[27]
After earning three top tens in 2023, Tricon announced that Sawalich would return to the No. 1 team in 2024, this time with an expanded ten-race schedule.[28] Sawalich would start his season with a 21st place finish at Bristol, along with a 26th place finish at Martinsville. During the season, he scored his first career pole at Talladega, one day after his eighteenth birthday.[29]
NASCAR Xfinity Series
On December 13, 2023, it was announced that Sawalich would run the No. 19 for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series part-time in 2024, starting in the fall. Sawalich ran the final three races of the season at Homestead, Martinsville, and Phoenix.[30] At Phoenix, he scored his first career pole in his third career start.[31]
On October 21, 2024, it was announced that Sawalich would run full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2025, driving the No. 18 Toyota for JGR.[32] Sawalich started the season with a 28th-place DNF at Daytona. Throughout the year, he earned top-ten finishes at Atlanta, COTA, Mexico City, Dover, and Indianapolis. Sawalich would earn his second career pole at Nashville. His best finish of the season came at Sonoma, finishing third.
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Personal life
William's father, Brandon Sawalich, is the president of Starkey Hearing Technologies, the largest hearing aid manufacturer in the United States. Starkey sponsors his racing efforts. Brandon is the stepson of businessman William F. Austin.[33]
He is currently an online student at Liberty University Online Academy, and is a client of KHI Management.[34]
Motorsports career results
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Stock car career summary
† As Sawalich was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.
NASCAR
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Xfinity Series
Craftsman Truck Series
* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points
ARCA Menards Series
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.)
ARCA Menards Series East
ARCA Menards Series West
CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.)
CARS Pro Late Model Tour
(key)
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References
External links
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