Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announced today that young up-and-coming driver William Sawalich has signed a multi-year agreement to drive for the team. Sawalich will run the No. 18 Starkey Toyota Camry in the ARCA Menards Series (AMS) in 2023.
Sawalich, 16, hails from Eden Prairie, Minnesota. He started racing at the age of nine and found success in quarter midgets and legend cars early on. He currently competes in Pro and Super Late Model, Late Model Stock, and TA2 racing series. He saw success in 2022 with six wins in CARS Tour Pro Late Model Series, three late model stock wins, two Southern Super Series wins, two ARCA/CRA wins, and two additional pro late model wins, a third-place finish in the Winchester 400, and a second-place finish in the Redbud 400 at Anderson Motor Speedway in Indiana.
“We take a lot of pride in our development program with Toyota at Joe Gibbs Racing and we think William has shown tremendous potential to become a great driver in our sport,” said Steve DeSouza, Executive Vice President of Xfinity Series and Driver Development. “He has already shown the desire and dedication it takes to be successful at his young age and we’re excited to watch his progress through ARCA and ultimately NASCAR ranks.”
The Toyota development driver’s No. 18 will be sponsored by Starkey featuring their SoundGear product line for the 2023 AMS season. SoundGear products provide both hearing protection and enhancement products ideal for hunting, competitive shooting, law enforcement, and motorsport teams, its fans, and much more. Engineered and manufactured by Starkey, SoundGear products provide 100% digital sound enhancement to deliver superior environmental awareness, while still protecting your hearing. Starkey is a global leader in hearing technology and premier provider in hearing health care headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
“I am thankful for the opportunity with Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota and am humbled to be in the presence of a great leader like Coach Gibbs,” Sawalich said. “I know that he has put together a great team and the results show with the drivers that have come before me. My goal is to learn from their expertise, work hard and represent JGR well. I think together, we are capable of great things in the coming years.”
JGR PR
