Joe Gibbs Racing has added championship-winning driver William Sawalich to its Xfinity Series lineup for the 2025 season.
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According to an announcement from the organization, Sawalich will drive the No. 18 Toyota GR Supra full-time as he moves up to the second-tier NASCAR series. Starkey will continue its support of Sawalich while promoting its Soundgear products.
"I am honored to be driving the No. 18 full-time in the Xfinity Series next year," Sawalich said in a statement.
"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."
Sawalich moves to the Xfinity Series after two seasons in the ARCA Menards Series East. The Minnesota native won the ARCA East title twice while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. He won 18 races across the three ARCA series.
Along with the time spent in ARCA, Sawalich ran a partial schedule in the Craftsman Truck Series before turning 18 years old. He made six starts for Tricon Garage in 2023 and another seven this season. He posted three top-10 finishes and scored his first pole award.
Sawalich is the latest piece added to the revamped JGR lineup for 2025. He joins Brandon Jones, who returns to the organization on a multi-year deal after two seasons at JR Motorsports, and current Craftsman Truck Series championship contender Taylor Gray.
Jones and Sawalich will race with Joe Gibbs as the team owner. Gray will have Ty Gibbs as the listed team owner.
Sawalich and Gray will both join a packed rookie class that also includes Daniel Dye (Kaulig Racing), Christian Eckes (Kaulig Racing), Connor Zilisch (JR Motorsports), Carson Kvapil (JR Motorsports), and Nick Sanchez (Big Machine Racing).
"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, in a statement.
"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."
