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There was no doubt that Sawalich would re-sign with Joe Gibbs Racing
NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series driver William Sawalich. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There was no doubt that William Sawalich would re-sign with Joe Gibbs Racing

By Samuel Stubbs  |  Last updated Aug 6, 2026 2:32 PM ET
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William Sawalich has been with Joe Gibbs Racing since 2023, and there was never a doubt that the 19-year-old driver from Eden Prairie, Minn., would return to the organization in 2027. 

JGR on Thursday announced that Sawalich, who is in his second year as the driver of the No. 18 Toyota in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, signed an extension to return to the No. 18 in 2027. 

News of extension timely for William Sawalich

The news comes as Sawalich readies for a crucial two-race stretch to close the NOAPS regular season. He enters Saturday's race at Iowa Speedway 13th in the standings and seven points behind teammate Taylor Gray for the final spot in the Chase, which will begin at Darlington on Sept. 5. 

"There was really not a question to leave," Sawalich said Thursday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. "I've been here for so long, and it feels like family. Just felt like the right decision to re-sign with JGR."

After a tough rookie season that saw Sawalich miss the postseason and finish a disappointing 18th in points, the No. 18 team has rebounded in a big way. Not only is Sawalich in Chase contention, but he picked up his first career win at Rockingham on April 4. 

"It's just so hard as a driver to leave when you're trying to go up and move up the ladder," Sawalich said. "You can't jump around places. You have to stay where you're at and stay consistent and learn what you can for the time that you have in the series."

Samuel Stubbs
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Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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