Two-time ARCA Menards Series East champion will drive the No. 18 Starkey / SoundGear Toyota GR Supra fulltime
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (October 21, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing announced today that William Sawalich will drive the team’s No. 18 Starkey / SoundGear Toyota GR Supra fulltime in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2025. Sawalich, who won the 2023 and 2024 ARCA Menards Series East championships driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, will make his Xfinity Series debut this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The 18-year-old Minnesota native has achieved remarkable success over the past two seasons in the ARCA Menards Series. Over the past two seasons, Sawalich has racked up 18 victories in 39 starts across ARCA’s three platforms – national, east, and west. He recently claimed his first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series pole award at Talladega Superspeedway, one day after his 18th birthday.
”I am honored to be driving the No. 18 fulltime in the Xfinity Series next year,” Sawalich said. ”It has been really cool to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing, and I feel like I have developed so much as a driver over the past two years. I still have a lot to learn, especially with moving to a new series, so I am looking forward to taking this next step in racing.”
The Toyota development driver’s No. 18 will be sponsored by Starkey featuring their SoundGear product line. 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.
Sawalich is joining the winningest team in Xfinity Series history. Joe Gibbs Racing owns 214 wins, including 10 this year. Since the team’s inception, 23 different drivers have taken JGR to victory lane in the Xfinity Series with 14 of those drivers claiming their first career victory in the series driving for JGR. The organization has earned four Xfinity Series driver championships and six owner’s championships.
“We are thrilled to announce William’s promotion to the next stage of his racing career with us,” said Steve de Souza, Executive Vice President of Xfinity Series and Development at JGR. “His outstanding record of victories and development over the past two years shows he’s ready for the Xfinity Series. We’re confident he’ll remain a strong contender for wins as he takes on this new challenge in 2025.”
About Starkey:
Starkey is a privately held, global hearing technology company headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Founded by Bill Austin in 1967, Starkey is known for its innovative design, development, and distribution of comprehensive digital hearing systems. Led today by President and CEO Brandon Sawalich, Starkey is the only American-owned provider of hearing technologies. The company has more than 5,000 employees, operates 29 facilities and does business in more than 100 markets worldwide. Learn more at starkey.com.
About SoundGear:
Founded in 2010, SoundGear represents the latest advancements in hearing protection. SoundGear hearing protection and enhancement products are ideal for hunting, competitive shooting, law enforcement, construction, heavy industry, concerts and events, garages, motorsports, and much more. SoundGear engineers products that provide 100% digital sound enhancement to deliver superior environmental awareness, while still protecting your hearing. SoundGear products are manufactured by Starkey, a global leader in hearing technology and premier provider in hearing health care headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
About Joe Gibbs Racing
Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR with four NASCAR Cup Series teams, four NASCAR Xfinity Series teams, an ARCA Series team, and a driver development program. JGR is based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by 2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Joe Gibbs, who also earned his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was named as one of the NFL’s top 10 coaches of all-time with a winning career that included three Super Bowl Championships as head coach of the Washington franchise. JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, capturing more than 400 wins over that span. No team has more combined wins across the sport’s three national series in the history of NASCAR. In addition, JGR has won five Cup Series championships along with four Xfinity Series driver championships and six Xfinity Series owner’s championship. The organization also has captured four Daytona 500 titles, considered to be NASCAR’s premier event each season.
Source: Joe Gibbs Racing
