| Birth Date: | 3 October 2006 |
| Birth Place: | Eden Prairie, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Achievements: | 2023 ARCA Menards Series East Champion 2023 All American 400 Winner 2022 SCCA Trans-Am TA2 ProAm Series Champion 2022 Rumble by the River 125 Winner 2022 Throwback 276 Winner (LMSC) 2023 Orange Blossom 100 Winner |
| Awards: | 2022 SCCA Trans-Am TA2 ProAM Series Rookie of the Year |
| Busch Car Team: | No. 19 (Joe Gibbs Racing) |
| Total Truck Races: | 8 |
| Years In Truck: | 2 |
| Best Truck Pos: | 30th (2023) |
| Truck Car Team: | No. 1 (Tricon Garage) |
| First Truck Race: | 2023 Long John Silver's 200 (Martinsville) |
| Last Truck Race: | 2024 Long John Silver's 200 (Martinsville) |
| Truck Wins: | 0 |
| Truck Top Tens: | 3 |
| Truck Poles: | 0 |
| Total Arca Races: | 17 |
| Years In Arca: | 2 |
| Best Arca Pos: | 8th (2023) |
| Arca Car Team: | No. 18 (Joe Gibbs Racing) |
| First Arca Race: | 2023 General Tire 150 (Phoenix) |
| Last Arca Race: | 2024 Zinsser SmartCoat 150 (Mid-Ohio) |
| First Arca Win: | 2023 Zinsser SmartCoat 200 (Berlin) |
| Last Arca Win: | 2024 Shore Lunch 250 (Elko) |
| Arca Wins: | 10 |
| Arca Top Tens: | 15 |
| Arca Poles: | 13 |
| Total Arca East Races: | 13 |
| Years In Arca East: | 2 |
| Best Arca East Pos: | 1st (2023) |
| Arca East Car Team: | No. 18 (Joe Gibbs Racing) |
| First Arca East Race: | 2023 Pensacola 200 (Pensacola) |
| Last Arca East Race: | 2024 Atlas 150 (Iowa) |
| First Arca East Win: | 2023 Pensacola 200 (Pensacola) |
| Last Arca East Win: | 2024 Music City 150 (Nashville Fairgrounds) |
| Arca East Wins: | 5 |
| Arca East Top Tens: | 11 |
| Arca East Poles: | 8 |
| Total Arca West Races: | 7 |
| Years In Arca West: | 2 |
| Best Arca West Pos: | 15th (2023) |
| Arca West Car Team: | No. 18 (Joe Gibbs Racing) |
| First Arca West Race: | 2023 General Tire 150 (Phoenix) |
| Last Arca West Race: | 2024 General Tire 200 (Sonoma) |
| First Arca West Win: | 2023 Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 (Phoenix) |
| Last Arca West Win: | 2024 Portland 112 (Portland) |
| Arca West Wins: | 3 |
| Arca West Poles: | 3 |
| Arca West Top Tens: | 6 |
| Updated: | June 21, 2024 |
William Sawalich (born October 3, 2006) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the ARCA Menards Series East, part-time in the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series West, driving the No. 18 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 1 Toyota Tundra for Tricon Garage, and part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 19 Toyota Supra for JGR. He is the 2023 ARCA Menards Series East champion.
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]
He 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.[2] He won an INEX sanctioned Legends division feature race at Elko Speedway (MN) on August 22, 2020.[3]
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 17th 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]
On December 9, 2022, it was announced that Sawalich will join Joe Gibbs Racing to run 20 races in the ARCA Menards Series. This included a full season in the ARCA Menards Series East, along with select races in the main and West Series.[11] Swawlich would make his debut at Phoenix on March 10, 2023, winning the pole and finishing 13th. In his first East Series start at Five Flags Speedway, Sawalich won the pole, and led every lap to earn his first career ARCA win.[12] 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.[13] He earned his second win of the season at ARCA's return to Flat Rock Speedway, leading the final 50 laps of the race.[14] He scored his third win of the season at Berlin Raceway, after passing Jesse Love for the lead with two laps to go.[15] Following the Bristol race, Sawalich clinched the ARCA Menards Series East championship.[16]
On December 13, 2023, it was announced that Sawalich would run a more expanded ARCA Menards Series and West Series schedule, along with a full-time East Series schedule. He will run the No. 18 for the 14 races in the ARCA Menards Series, and the No. 18 as well in the East and the West Series. Tanner Gray will be the driver of the No. 18 for the six tracks in the ARCA Menards Series that Sawalich is too young to race at.[17] He would start his season in the ARCA Menards Series along with the ARCA Menards Series West with a victory at Phoenix after leading 66 laps in a weather shortened race.[18] In the East Series first race of the season, Sawalich would lead the most laps at Five Flags, but he would end up finishing second to Gio Ruggiero.[19] At Dover, Sawalich won the pole and once again led the most laps,[20] before being involved in a late race incident, unable to complete the race and finished 17th, the first DNF in his career.[21] In the following race at Nashville, Sawalich rebounded and led 145 of the 150 lap race to score the dominating win.[22] 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.[23]
On January 19, 2023, it was announced that Sawalich will join Tricon Garage for six races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, making his debut in the series.[24] He made his debut at Martinsville Speedway, finishing ninth after running near the top ten for most of the race.[25]
After earning three top tens in 2023, Tricon announced that Sawalich would returning to the No. 1 team in 2024, this time with an expanded nine race schedule.[26] Sawalich would start his season with a 21st place finish at Bristol, along with a 26th place finish at Martinsville.
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. He will be sharing the ride with Ryan Truex, Joe Graf Jr., Taylor Gray, Aric Almirola, and Ty Gibbs.[27]
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.[28] He has a sister, Amelia, who is in a relationship with fellow NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Sam Mayer.
He is currently an online student at Liberty University Online Academy, and is a client of KHI Management.[29]
(key) (
Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | Pts | Ref | |
| 2023 | Tricon Garage | 1 | Toyota | DAY | LVS | ATL | COA | TEX | BRI | MAR 9 | KAN | DAR | NWS | CLT | GTW | NSH | MOH 27 | POC | RCH 10 | IRP 6 | MLW 26 | KAN | BRI 30 | TAL | HOM | PHO | 30th | 138 | [30] |
| 2024 | DAY | ATL | LVS | BRI 21 | COA | MAR 26 | TEX | KAN | DAR | NWS | CLT | GTW | NSH | POC | IRP 12 | RCH 22 | MLW | BRI | KAN | TAL | HOM | MAR | PHO | -* | -* | [31] | |||
(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 results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Pts | Ref | |
| 2023 | Joe Gibbs Racing | 18 | Toyota | DAY | PHO | TAL | KAN | CLT | BLN | ELK | MOH | IOW | POC | MCH | IRP | GLN | ISF | MLW | DSF | KAN | BRI | SLM | TOL | 8th | 558 | [32] |
| 2024 | DAY | PHO | TAL | DOV | KAN | CLT | IOW | MOH | BLN | IRP | SLM | ELK | MCH | ISF | MLW | DSF | GLN | BRI | KAN | TOL | -* | -* | [33] | |||
| ARCA Menards Series East results | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Pts | Ref | |
| 2023 | Joe Gibbs Racing | 18 | Toyota | FIF | DOV | NSV | FRS | IOW | IRP | MLW | BRI | 1st | 420 | [34] |
| 2024 | FIF | DOV | NSV | FRS | IOW | IRP | MLW | BRI | -* | -* | [35] | |||
| ARCA Menards Series West results | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Pts | Ref | |
| 2023 | Joe Gibbs Racing | 18 | Toyota | PHO | IRW | KCR | PIR | SON | IRW | SHA | EVG | AAS | LVS | MAD | PHO | 15th | 162 | [36] |
| 2024 | PHO | KER | PIR | SON | IRW | IRW | SHA | TRI | MAD | AAS | KER | PHO | -* | -* | [37] | |||