Joe Gibbs Racing’s 18-year-old phenom is finally finding his footing and challenges this year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. As a full-time rookie, his averages tell a tough story, with 7 DNFs in 19 starts. Despite flashes of brilliance on road courses, mixed results and equipment problems have often kept him off base this season, drawing criticism that he may have been promoted to the Xfinity series too soon.
To rebuild his confidence, he returned to the ARCA Menards Series West on Friday, where his performance delivered redemption. His commanding display on the road course, culminating in a near-perfect start, caught the attention of Dale Earnhardt Jr., who quickly took notice and shared his admiration for the young driver’s resilience and talent.
Dale Jr. feels for William Sawalich after Xfinity slump
Friday began quietly during Sonoma’s opening practice and qualifying sessions, highlighted by Shane van Gisbergen winning the Xfinity pole, but the real fireworks came later in the ARCA West race. William Sawalich dominated early, leading every lap and looking locked in for a clean wire-to-wire win.
Then came drama. Stalled Kyle Keller brought out a caution on the front stretch, triggering an overtime restart. At the final green, ARCA West rookie Alon Day, a four-time NASCAR Euro series champ, shoved Sawalich wide in turn 1, sending him into the dirt. Not to be denied, Sawalich slid back on the track, still in contention, amidst contact with Christian Eckes.
In a breathtaking three-wide finish, Sawalich, Eckes, and Day scraped towards the line. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver, with door-to-door racing and a last-lap charge, edged out Eckes by a mere 0.066 seconds, sealing one of the tightest ARCA photo finishes ever at Sonoma. A very happy Sawalich said to Frontstretch post-race, “Yeah, it was a good day, we had the speed to run third all day, but the front two were in a league of their own. We had speed to run with them for about ten laps, but after that they just kind of slowly started creeping away. The Starkey Soundgear Toyota Supra was really good today.”
The performance didn’t escape Dale Junior, who praised William’s toughness and potential while acknowledging the gravity of his struggles this year in Xfinity, writing, “Good run by @WilliamSawalich today. It’s been a very tough introduction to this level for him this year but runs like today help add confidence.”
Good run by @WilliamSawalich today. It’s been a very tough introduction to this level for him this year but runs like today help add confidence.
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) July 13, 2025
When asked about the final lap, Sawalich added, “I don’t know what happened in (Turn) 1. I don’t know if I overshot it or — I’m pretty sure I got ran into. It is what it is. It was a good race.”
With zero wins, only four top tens, and an average finish hovering in the mid-20s, William has not had it easy, but this ARCA win is definitely a booster for him. He even went on to break Kevin Harvick’s record. Kevin Harvick, who got beaten by his son Keelan Harvick, was also overtaken by Joe Gibbs Racing’s protégé.
William Sawalich’s lucky Sonoma streak extends to Xfinity
Heading to Sonoma, William Sawalich’s rookie Xfinity campaign could be best described as punishing. Despite the fanfare surrounding his promotion to Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 car, the 18-year-old struggled to convert potential into results. A pair of top tens at Atlanta and COTA were the only signs of life, but they were overshadowed by a string of DNFs, mechanical failures, and poor qualifying performances that left him buried at 25th in the standings. For much of the season, William looked like a prodigy thrown into the fire a little too early.
But after his thrilling ARCA win on Friday, something changed. With momentum on his side and Sonoma’s technical road layout playing to his car and road racing roots, William pieced together his most complete Xfinity Series drive yet. Qualifying fifth, he stayed in the top back throughout the race, calmly navigating through restarts and long green flag stretches, eventually passing road course ace Shane van Gisbergen for second place in the final stage.
While Connor Zilisch and SVG ultimately dueled for the win, William hung tough and finished third, marking not only his first top five of 2025 but also a personal best in his young Xfinity career. William told CW Sports, “It was a great weekend for us. Just a great day, to be honest. It feels good to do this and put a full race together. It’s something to build on for the future.”
That third-place run also gave William his fourth top 10 of the year, proof that when he stays clean and executive, the speed is absolutely there. The timing couldn’t be better either. With seven regular races remaining, William will need a win to make the Xfinity playoffs. But for the first time all season, that no longer feels out of reach. Between his ARCA West hero X and his composed Xfinity driver, William left Sonoma with more than just a confidence boost. He left with momentum and the praise of a legend like Dale Junior on his side.
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