ROCKINGHAM, N.C.: The 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season has gone anything but according to plan for Kaulig Racing’s Josh Williams.
Now in his second season behind the wheel of the No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro, Williams has encountered his fair share of challenges. But in Saturday afternoon’s North Carolina Education Lottery 250, the stars finally aligned, delivering the team its first top-10 finish of the season.
That long-awaited result came after a stretch of adversity that repeatedly tested the group’s resilience. For Williams, though, the performance was less of a surprise and more of a culmination — one he believed was possible well before the green flag waved.
Despite rolling off 21st, Williams was confident his No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet had the speed to compete inside the top 10 — and by day’s end, he proved it.
“I think we should’ve been running in the top 10 way earlier than we were,” he said. “We had a fast car, but obviously, some things you can’t plan for change the deal.”
Those unexpected deviations came before the race reached the halfway point. Williams was moving upwards through the first stage and the middle of the second stage, even reaching the top-10 by Lap 108.
However, the team faced its first significant test when Williams was caught speeding on pit road and sent to the rear of the field on the ensuing restart.
After taking the green flag, Williams was tagged by the spinning No. 18 of William Sawalich on the right side, necessitating repairs to the No. 11 Chevrolet.
The team was placed on the Damaged Vehicle Policy, which they easily cleared. However, crew chief Eddie Pardue’s team had to continue tinkering with the No. 11’s side skirt on additional stops; its deformation covered part of the car’s exhaust pipes.
Neither the speeding penalty nor the damage inflicted the No. 11 team’s efforts.
“We survived, for sure,” he said. “Obviously, the pit road penalty didn’t help us, and neither did getting hit in the door. Coming from the back a few times, making good strategy calls, and missing other guys’ wrecks gives us a solid top 10 to build off of.”
Williams is nearly back to full strength outside the race car, following a bout with pneumonia that impacted the early part of his Xfinity Series season.
Despite the setback, he has continued to push forward — a testament to his resilience and the steady support of crew chief Pardue.
“I think the biggest thing is that me and Eddie had a talk last week about the adjustments that we need to make, how far we need to go to keep up with the car on the race track,” Williams said. “I think we accomplished that.”
Pardue added, “Anytime you’re working with somebody, the more you work with them, the more you learn what they like and don’t like.
“Different adjustments during the race, when and how to deliver information. We’re always building and figuring that communication out.”
The combination now heads to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway for Saturday afternoon’s Ag-Pro 300, where surprise winners and underdog stories are often written. With momentum building and Williams returning to form, the team is optimistic about making a statement on the high banks of the 2.66-mile superspeedway.
Williams, a native of Port Charlotte, Fla., finished 20th in the season-opening superspeedway race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February.
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