With a Learning Curve Underway, William Sawalich Has a Solid Race at Atlanta Motor Speedway

HAMPTON, Ga: Entering his full-time freshman year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, William Sawalich knew there would be a learning curve, and a big one at that.

In his first start at Daytona International Speedway, the Rookie of the Year contender qualified in fifth place and would have finished in the top-10 if not for a massive wreck with two laps to go, which relegated him to the 28th-finishing position.

Even with that being said, the No.18 Soundgear Toyota GR Supra driver came into the Bennett Transportation and Logistics 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a goal of taking every lap to learn everything that would get him to the front of the field and in contention for a win.

Starting the race in 11th position, the Eden Prairie, Minn. native, with the help of his spotter, Nick Payne, was coached lap by lap to learn his craft on a whole new level.

Being cautioned not to let anyone take the left rear away from him, Sawalich would figure out that on the superspeedway races, no one is your friend and would end the stage in 17^th place.

Coming to pit road for a new set of Goodyear tires and Sunoco Racing fuel, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver would return to the field in the 11^th position and try to move up through the field again.

“Save fuel under these cautions,” crew chief Jeff Meendering would remind his driver.

Climbing as high as the eighth, Sawalich seemed to be moving in the right direction when he got caught up in traffic, was hung out to dry, and fell back in the field.

The team would tell him, “You did everything right there. There’s nothing we can do.”

After finishing the second stage in 15th place, the team stuck to the plan, coming to pit road for fuel and two new tires and returning to the field in fifth place.

Coming to the green flag for the third and final stage, Sawalich continued to be methodical and patient as he worked to stay in a good position and possibly finish in the top-10.

Finally, multiple cautions for accidents and debris would bring the race to a three-lap shootout, and for Sawalich, luck would be on his side.

With the white flag flying in the air, the field came past the start-finish line. Sawalich was in 11th place when a last-lap wreck ensued on the backstretch.

Maneuvering through the field, the young driver would earn his first top-10 finish of his rookie season and end the second Xfinity Series race of the season in ninth.

Acknowledging that he had a solid day, Sawalich stated, “I learned a lot about how to stay in the draft and how to manage your position and how to manage runs.

”We had a good Soundgear GR Supra today. We had some speed – not so much in the first and second stage, but we brought it together for the third stage, and we had good pit stops and did the little things right today.”

William Sawalich’s next event is the Focused Health 250 at Circuit of the Americas on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. E.T.

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