William Sawalich Bio
William George Jerome Sawalich, born on October 3, 2006, in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, driving the No. 18 Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing, while also running part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Tricon Garage. Sawalich is a two-time ARCA Menards Series East champion, having claimed the title in 2023 and 2024, and has quickly developed a reputation as one of the most promising young talents in American motorsports.
Early Life and Background
William Sawalich grew up in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, where his family has deep roots in both business and motorsports culture. His father, Brandon Sawalich, is the president of Starkey Hearing Technologies, the largest hearing aid manufacturer in the United States, and the company serves as a primary sponsor of William’s racing efforts. Brandon is also the step-grandson of businessman William F. Austin, the founder of Starkey.
Sawalich began racing at the age of nine, competing in various midget divisions including Sr. Animal and World Formula events. From 2017 to 2019, he captured several track championships at Little Elko Speedway, building a strong foundation in grassroots racing. He later enrolled at Liberty University Online Academy, allowing him to balance his education with a rapidly expanding racing schedule.
Path to NASCAR
In 2020, Sawalich moved into legends cars and won the INEX Young Lions State Championship in Minnesota, collecting multiple top fives and podium finishes along the way. He added a sanctioned legends feature win at Elko Speedway in August of that year, signaling his readiness for larger machines.
By 2021, Sawalich transitioned to late models, contesting nearly a full Carolina Pro Late Model Series campaign. Despite missing two races, he finished fourth in the standings with one win at Carteret County Speedway and seven top fives, and he also made his CARS Tour debut at Tri-County Motor Speedway. In 2022, he expanded into the CARS Tour, the Champion Racing Association, the ARCA Midwest Tour, the Southern Super Series, and the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, earning six wins in nine CARS Tour starts, including four consecutive victories.
William Sawalich Career
Early Career (2017–2022)
Sawalich’s earliest success came at Little Elko Speedway, where he won multiple track championships between 2017 and 2019 while still in his early teens. His strong results in midget racing earned him a smooth transition into legends cars, and he added an INEX Young Lions State Championship in Minnesota in 2020.
After a promising Pro Late Model debut season in 2021, Sawalich became a dominant force in regional late model competition in 2022. He added the SCCA Trans-Am TA2 ProAm Series Rookie of the Year award and a championship, along with victories in the Rumble by the River 125 and the Throwback 276. He capped the year by winning the prestigious All American 400 in 2023, becoming the youngest driver ever to take that title after a dramatic late-race incident involving the leaders.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2023–2024)
On December 9, 2022, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Sawalich would join the organization to run twenty ARCA Menards Series races. He made his debut at Phoenix, where he captured the pole and finished thirteenth, before earning his first series victory at Berlin Raceway by passing Jesse Love with two laps to go. His rapid development earned him a more expanded fourteen-race ARCA schedule in 2024, during which he scored nine wins and helped the No. 18 team secure the ARCA owner’s championship.
Sawalich also became a force in the ARCA Menards Series East, winning the 2023 championship in his rookie season after leading every lap at Five Flags Speedway in his first start. He followed that with a second consecutive East title in 2024, finishing the year with three wins and seven top-three results. In the ARCA Menards Series West, he added wins at Phoenix and Portland, including his first ARCA road course victory in 2024, and returned to score additional West wins at Sonoma and Portland in 2025.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (2023–Present)
Sawalich made his Truck Series debut at Martinsville Speedway in 2023 with Tricon Garage, finishing ninth. He went on to record three top-ten finishes that season, prompting Tricon to expand his schedule to ten races in 2024 with the No. 1 team.
In 2024, Sawalich scored his first career Truck Series pole at Talladega, one day after his eighteenth birthday, while continuing to log top-ten runs for Tricon Garage. He has continued to balance his Truck Series efforts with his full-time O’Reilly Auto Parts Series commitment.
Joe Gibbs Racing Era (2024–Present)
On December 13, 2023, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Sawalich would run the No. 19 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series part-time during the fall of 2024, starting with the final three races of the season. At Phoenix, he captured his first career national series pole in only his third start, showcasing his qualifying speed.
On October 21, 2024, JGR elevated Sawalich to a full-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series ride in the No. 18 Toyota for 2025. He collected multiple top-ten finishes at Atlanta, COTA, Mexico City, Sonoma, Dover, Indianapolis, and the Charlotte Roval, added a pole at Nashville, and recorded second-place results at Portland and Gateway. On January 6, 2026, JGR announced his retention, and he opened 2026 by winning at Rockingham, becoming the first Minnesota-born driver to win a NASCAR national series race.
Driving Style and Strengths
Sawalich is recognized for his smooth, calculating approach behind the wheel, with particular strength on short tracks and road courses. He consistently leads laps, manages tire wear effectively, and has shown a knack for late-race restarts, traits that have made him a reliable asset for Joe Gibbs Racing and Tricon Garage.
Notable Races and Milestones
Highlights include becoming the youngest winner of the All American 400 in 2023, sweeping back-to-back ARCA Menards Series East championships, and winning at Rockingham in 2026 to become the first Minnesota-born driver to win a NASCAR national series race. His ARCA victory at Berlin Raceway in 2023, his Truck Series pole at Talladega in 2024, and his first Xfinity pole at Phoenix in 2024 further mark his rise through the NASCAR ladder.
William Sawalich Career Wins
Across stock car racing’s national and regional levels, William Sawalich has built an impressive resume that includes a NASCAR national series win, two ARCA Menards Series East championships, and more than two dozen ARCA victories across the East, West, and main ARCA Menards Series.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Highlights
Sawalich’s first NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win came at Rockingham in 2026, a landmark moment that also made him the first Minnesota-born driver to win a NASCAR national series race. Earlier in his Xfinity career, he earned poles at Phoenix in 2024 and Nashville in 2025, along with multiple top-ten finishes, including runner-up results at Portland and Gateway.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside of NASCAR’s top tier, Sawalich has won thirteen ARCA Menards Series races, seven ARCA Menards Series East events, and five ARCA Menards Series West races. He also captured the 2022 SCCA Trans-Am TA2 ProAm Series championship, the 2022 Rumble by the River 125, the 2022 Throwback 276, the 2023 All American 400, and the 2023 Orange Blossom 100.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series | 1 | 16 | 3 |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| ARCA Menards Series | 13 | 29 | 16 |
| ARCA Menards Series East | 7 | 16 | 9 |
| ARCA Menards Series West | 5 | 9 | 6 |
William Sawalich Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
William comes from a Minnesota-based family with a strong business background. His father, Brandon Sawalich, leads Starkey Hearing Technologies, the largest hearing aid manufacturer in the United States, and the company sponsors William’s racing efforts. Brandon is also the step-grandson of businessman William F. Austin, the founder of Starkey.
Personal Life
Sawalich has balanced his racing career with his education as an online student at Liberty University Online Academy. He is also a client of KHI Management, the sports and talent agency that represents several prominent NASCAR drivers.
2025 Season Performance
William Sawalich’s 2025 season marked his first full-time campaign in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with Joe Gibbs Racing. Driving the No. 18 Toyota GR Supra, he opened the year with a 26th-place result at Daytona before settling into a strong rhythm, capturing a pole at Nashville and recording runner-up finishes at Portland and Gateway. He also added top-ten runs at Atlanta, COTA, Mexico City, Sonoma, Dover, Indianapolis, and the Charlotte Roval, establishing himself as a weekly contender in the series.
Outside the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Sawalich remained active across multiple ARCA divisions, scoring wins at Sonoma and Portland in the ARCA Menards Series West and continuing to log part-time starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Tricon Garage. His late-summer stretch was interrupted by a multi-car wreck at Talladega, which kept him in a nearby hospital overnight and forced him to miss Martinsville and Phoenix with concussion-like symptoms, with Justin Bonsignore substituting in his place.
Despite the setbacks, Sawalich closed the year with momentum and was confirmed for another season with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2026. His blend of road course pace, short track strength, and qualifying speed positioned him as a rising threat in the national series ranks.
