The night was supposed to belong to William Sawalich. He had just crossed the finish line at New Smyrna Speedway, claiming what seemed to be a well-earned victory in the World Series of Asphalt Super Late Model opener. But celebrations were short-lived. A penalty stripped Joe Gibbs Racing of the win, handing the top spot to Carson Brown. It was a shocking turn of events, but for Sawalich, it was only the beginning of a string of missteps that would put his team under fire once again.

Meanwhile, NASCAR veteran Kevin Harvick had high hopes after partnering with Rackley W.A.R. But, instead of smooth sailing, challenges started mounting! Now, with Sawalich once again caught in a rule-breaking controversy, the team has to weather yet another storm.

Rick Turner hands over another DQ to Sawalich

“I know what kind of money it takes to do this deal, I know the time it takes, and I really feel for them. But I have to uphold the rule too, and that’s why they have hired me.”  This is what Rick Turner had said after the Joe Gibbs Racing driver had to move from his victory position. In Late-model racing, the tread width is a key performance factor and this is where the Rackley W.A.R team lacked. Regulations usually cap in at 66 inches, however, due to high tire wear, teams do not put much importance on it. 

However, even after post-race adjustment, his tread width was way behind the legal limits. Sawalich had shown immense skills by masterfully holding off his rivals in the final five laps. However, whether it was the track width that paved his way to this lead is not known.

Just as the team was reeling from the first penalty, a post by Matt Weaver made it to Twitter. It read, “William Sawalich and KHI-Rackley WAR were disqualified again. This time, they drove to tech and immediately jacked up the car, in violation of the rules. Head inspector Rick Turner ran over and immediately shouted ‘What are you doing’ and said he hates to do it but DQ’ed them.” Here is a video of the Chief Tech Inspector explaining the criteria for the disqualification uploaded on FloRacing’s Instagram handle.

The team had high hopes after they joined hands with Kevin Harvick and his son Keelan.  The idea was simple, to strengthen its NASCAR Truck Series and Late Model programs. This collaboration aims to accelerate driver development, benefiting rising talents like Sawalisch himself where they could leverage Harvick’s vast experience to elevate the team’s competitive edge.

However, the team’s momentum was briefly overshadowed by technical infractions. Jacking up the car usually denotes lifting the vehicle off the ground and it could end up causing major adaptations to the car with regards to suspension or even tires. For a race like this one, it is strictly prohibited and hence his step invited trouble with a second DQ. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver had finished the race in fifth position. Even names like Connor Jones have faced technical scrutiny, given the tight competition that late-model racing brings forth. 

Kevin has ‘proud dad moment’ with Keelan

While Kevin Harvick might not be mighty impressed with how his team is performing and the back-to-back DQs, he is surely impressed with his beloved son, Keelan. The 12-year-old recently won his first Limited Late Model Race under the banner of Kevin Harvick Inc. Racing. Keelan led all the laps and he ended the race four seconds ahead of his competitor, Ricky Loclair. 

Speaking of the achievement that his son has accounted for, Harvick took to his social media account and shared an emotional post. It read, “Proud dad moment today! @KeelanHarvick won his first Limited Late Model race @FmSpeedway2025 after sitting on the pole and leading all 50 laps. Can’t wait to see what this season holds for him!” 

Even Keelan was ecstatic and could not thank the team enough for the opportunity. His post read, “What a day! I won my first Limited Late Model race at the Icebreaker @FmSpeedway2025! I sat on the pole and led all 50 laps! The guys at @khi_racing gave me a fast car and I can’t thank them enough for all their hard work!” The Harvick duo is set to share the track as they compete for Rackley W.A.R. in the JEGS All-Stars Tour on July 16. The Masters of the Pro’s 200 at Owosso Speedway, a 0.375-mile paved short track, offers a whopping $25,000 prize money too!