Will Rodgers Bio
William Palmer Rodgers (born October 8, 1994) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He is best known as a road course specialist, with multiple victories in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and a long run of part-time schedules across NASCAR’s national touring divisions. Rodgers has competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the ARCA Menards Series, and the ARCA Menards Series West.
Early Life and Background
Will Rodgers was born in Maui, Hawaii, and grew up surrounded by the islands’ car culture before relocating to the mainland. As a young child, he was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a rare liver disease that required frequent biopsies and colonoscopies throughout his youth. The experience shaped his perspective on health and later inspired him to start the Will Rodgers Liver Health Foundation.
Rodgers eventually settled in Huntersville, North Carolina, a hub for NASCAR teams and drivers. He began his motorsports career in sports car racing, competing in the Pirelli World Challenge before transitioning into stock cars. His early road course experience in sports cars helped build the race craft that later made him a threat in NASCAR’s developmental ladder.
Path to NASCAR
Rodgers moved into NASCAR’s developmental ladder in 2016, debuting in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West at Sonoma Raceway with team owner Dave Hanson. He closed his rookie season with four top-ten finishes, showing enough speed to earn a full-time ride the following year. In 2017, he joined Jefferson Pitts Racing to run the West Series full-time.
That summer, Rodgers finished second to 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick in the West Series race at Sonoma, a result that drew national attention. Harvick publicly praised Rodgers and used his radio show to promote the young driver. The performance led to opportunities in the K&N Pro Series East and set the stage for Rodgers’ climb into NASCAR’s national series.
Will Rodgers Career
Early Career (2016–2017)
Rodgers’ first full season in the K&N Pro Series West came in 2017 with Jefferson Pitts Racing. He opened the year with four consecutive top-five finishes and earned his first career pole at Sonoma before finishing second to Harvick. He also added another runner-up result at Evergreen Speedway, establishing himself as a consistent front-runner.
That same year, Rodgers branched into the K&N Pro Series East, running the two road course events. He won the Finger Lakes Wine Country 100 at Watkins Glen International, holding off Rubén García Jr. after a late-race battle, and followed it up with a victory at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Harvick visited Victory Lane at Watkins Glen to congratulate him on the breakthrough win.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2017–2018)
Rodgers added to his road course reputation in 2018, returning to the East Series and dominating at New Jersey Motorsports Park. He qualified second, led 49 of 55 laps, and earned his third K&N road course win in four tries. A week later, he returned to the West Series at Sonoma, qualified on pole, and beat a stacked field that included Aric Almirola, William Byron, Daniel Suárez, Erik Jones, and Alex Bowman to win his fourth consecutive K&N road course race.
He also made his ARCA Racing Series debut in 2018 with Ken Schrader Racing at Daytona International Speedway, finishing 30th after an early accident. He later bounced back with an eighth-place run at Charlotte Motor Speedway and a career-best sixth place at Michigan International Speedway. That same year, he picked up his first ARCA Menards Series West victory in the Carneros 200 at Sonoma.
Xfinity Series and Truck Series Debuts (2019–Present)
Rodgers made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in July 2019 with Brandonbilt Motorsports at Iowa Speedway, finishing 43rd in the U.S. Cellular 250. After a quiet 2020, he returned to the Xfinity Series in 2021 with Sam Hunt Racing, running a three-race slate at Nashville Superspeedway, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, and the Charlotte Roval.
He later expanded into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, making his first start in the 2021 United Rentals 176 at Watkins Glen. He has continued to run part-time across all three national NASCAR series, most recently driving the No. 70 Chevrolet Camaro SS for Cope Family Racing in the Xfinity Series and the No. 20 Chevrolet Silverado RST for Young’s Motorsports in the Truck Series.
Driving Style and Strengths
Rodgers built his reputation as one of the top road course talents in NASCAR’s developmental ladder. His sports car background gives him confidence braking deep into corners and managing tire wear over long runs. Teammates and competitors have pointed to his consistency on twisty tracks as his defining strength.
Notable Races and Milestones
His three K&N Pro Series East wins, including the 2017 Watkins Glen victory and the 2018 New Jersey Motorsports Park sweep, headline his resume. The 2017 Sonoma duel with Kevin Harvick is widely considered the race that put him on the national radar. His 2018 Sonoma win over a deep Cup Series field remains his most celebrated K&N moment.
Will Rodgers Career Wins
Rodgers has built a respected resume at the regional and developmental levels of NASCAR, with all of his victories coming on road courses. His ability to win against Cup Series talent has made him a recognizable name in the K&N and ARCA ranks.
ARCA Menards Series East Highlights
Rodgers won three times in the ARCA Menards Series East, all on road courses. His first win came at Watkins Glen International in 2017, where he held off Rubén García Jr. after a late challenge. He added a second win at New Jersey Motorsports Park later that year and a third in 2018 at the same New Jersey track, leading 49 of 55 laps. He also recorded four top-ten finishes in the series.
ARCA Menards Series West Highlights
In the ARCA Menards Series West, Rodgers posted one win and two poles, with 22 top-ten finishes across his career. His lone West victory came in the 2018 Carneros 200 at Sonoma Raceway, where he qualified on pole and beat several NASCAR Cup Series drivers. He closed 2017 with a fifth-place run in the season standings, his best result in the series.
Will Rodgers Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Rodgers was born and raised in Maui, Hawaii, before relocating to the mainland to pursue a professional racing career. He currently lives in Huntersville, North Carolina, near many of the NASCAR teams he has worked with throughout his career. The Rodgers family has supported his racing journey from the early days in Hawaii to his current home in the heart of NASCAR country.
Personal Life
Off the track, Rodgers has been open about his battle with primary sclerosing cholangitis, the liver disease he was diagnosed with at age three. He founded the Will Rodgers Liver Health Foundation to raise awareness and support others living with the condition. He is active on social media, where he shares updates about his racing schedule and foundation work.
2025 Season Performance
Rodgers entered 2025 with a familiar part-time schedule across NASCAR’s national series. He continued to drive for Young’s Motorsports in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and ran the No. 70 for Cope Family Racing in select NASCAR Xfinity Series events. He also returned to the ARCA Menards Series West with Naake-Klauer Motorsports, picking up the No. 88 Ford for selected races.
His 2025 Truck Series campaign has been limited, with a best result reflected in a 97th-place points standing. In the Xfinity Series, he has continued to chase his first top-ten finish at the national level while building chemistry with the Cope Family Racing group. His ARCA Menards Series West program has remained the most consistent part of his season, with Sonoma serving as a focal point each year.
Heading into the closing stretch of 2025, Rodgers remains focused on logging clean finishes and sharpening his road course edge. With his foundation work and developmental schedule keeping him busy, his sights are set on landing a more consistent Xfinity Series ride and chasing that elusive first national series win.
