A new kid on the block. While most 18-year-olds focus on colleges and potential career paths, William Sawalich went on to make his debut in the Xfinity Series for Joe Gibbs Racing. The Minnesota native has been making waves in motorsports for quite some time now, and words such as ‘phenom’ and ‘superstar’ are casually being thrown around to describe the youngster’s racing prowess. Given his history, expectations are high from the driver now that he has bagged a full-time seat with the winningest team in NASCAR’s second tier.

Having recently made his Xfinity Series debut at Homestead-Miami, Sawalich will follow in Ty Gibbs’s footsteps by skipping a full-time role in the Truck Series to fastrack his goal of competing amongst NASCAR’s elite. Will he live up to the expectations?

William Sawalich is ready for the Xfinity Series

William Sawalich has been there and done that. While most of his friends graduated from high school, the racing driver announced himself to the motorsports community by winning two CARS Late Model Tour races in five appearances.

• Knowing that a career in NASCAR would be the most logical path for a driver of his talent, Sawalich went on to shift his attention to the ARCA Series, securing 18 victories in 39 appearances across the national, east, and west divisions.
• He recently secured his second ARCA East title after a hard-fought battle with another exciting prospect, Connor Zilisch.
• The youngster has already made 14 appearances in the Truck Series as a part-time driver, securing three top-ten finishes in the process.

While many speculated that a full-time seat in NASCAR’s third division was on the cards, Joe Gibbs Racing had another plan for the newly turned 18-year-old. Sharing his views about the future, William Sawalich said, “I had a good relationship with everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing. Feels like home right now. I feel like I’m ready to make the jump, I ran their ARCA car for two years, had good success with them. Kind of following the same path as Ty and Sammy hopefully.”

Expectations will be high from William Sawalich when he makes the next step in his motorsports career. Why wouldn’t it be? He will be joining one of the most prestigious teams in Xfinity Series history, and with it will come increased scrutiny. The Minnesota native couldn’t hide his excitement at the opportunity, saying, “I am honored to be driving the No. 18 full-time in the Xfinity Series next year.”

Partnering with him will be Taylor Gray, who will be piloting the No. 54 entry for Joe Gibbs Racing as well as Brandon Jones for the 2025 campaign.

In some ways, Sawalich’s career trajectory is similar to Ty Gibbs, who won the ARCA Menards Series in the 2021 season and went on to compete in the Xfinity Series the following year, skipping the Truck Series entirely. Joe Gibbs’ grandson won the championship in his debut season the following year, an achievement that the 18-year-old will hope to replicate.

The opportunity presented to William Sawalich could lead to an easy path into the Cup Series if he can impress through consistent performances. The driver has the talent to compete at the highest level; whether he can develop his skills to compete against the very best remains to be seen.

Joe Gibbs Racing has high expectations from Sawalich

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It’s one thing to have faith in your abilities, but William Sawalich will feel more confident knowing the level of faith Joe Gibbs Racing has in his talent. The driver recently finished 24th at Homestead-Miami on his debut in the penultimate Round of 8 playoff race. While he wasn’t eligible for a shot at the title, the chance to go wheel-to-wheel against competitors will help him prepare for what’s to come when he begins his full-time journey in NASCAR’s second-tier next year.

Highlighting the expectations from Sawalich, Steve de Souza, Executive Vice President of Xfinity Series and Development at JGR, said, “We are thrilled to announce William’s promotion to the next stage of his racing career with us. His outstanding record of victories and development over the past two years shows he’s ready for the Xfinity Series. We’re confident he’ll remain a strong contender for wins as he takes on this new challenge in 2025.”

Apart from his obvious talent and achievements in the ARCA Menards Series, financial backing may have also played a role in Joe Gibbs Racing taking a chance on William Sawalich as a full-time driver. The youngster will be carrying the primary sponsorship for his No. 18 Toyota from Starkey / SoundGear, a company owned by his grandfather Bill Austin.

With the expectations at an all-time high for the 18-year-old, will he rise to the occasion or wilt under the weight of the expectations placed on his shoulders?