Joe Williams, Jr. will maintain his position with AM Racing for the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign, the organization announced on Tuesday. Williams, an industry veteran, will be partnered with Hailie Deegan as crew chief of the No. 15 Ford Mustang.
The driver-crew chief pairing will begin their working relationship in the season-opening United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway, as Deegan begins her first full season competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Williams first joined AM Racing during the 2022 off-season, as he began the process of building the family-owned team from the ground up, and into a competitive outfit beginning in 2023 with Brett Moffitt.
In the team’s debut season, with Williams as crew chief, the No. 25 Ford Mustang managed to click off a single top-five and nine finishes inside the top-10. Now, Williams will work to propel Deegan to Rookie of The Year honors, against a stacked list of candidates.
“I am looking forward to working with Joe [Williams] next year as my crew chief,” said Deegan. “With Joe’s knowledge and experience with AM Racing, alongside the support from the Ford Performance team, I’m really excited to see what we can accomplish together.”
In 2022, Williams earned his first-ever victory as a crew chief in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, when Cole Custer drove the No. 07 SS GreenLight Racing Ford Mustang to victory lane at Auto Club Speedway.
“I am excited about the chance to continue to lead AM Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series,” said Williams. “The team has accomplished a lot in a short amount of time, but there is a lot more to be desired. We continue to work hard to strengthen our Xfinity Series program, and with Hailie behind the wheel, it presents us an opportunity to continue showcasing our efforts but also put her in a position to not only contend for top-10 finishes but hopefully challenge for a win throughout the year too.”
Deegan and Williams have already worked together in the past, with the two pairing for her NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where she finished 13th-place in the No. 07 for SS GreenLight Racing.
“AM Racing is excited to have Joe lead our organization again as crew chief in 2024,” said AM Racing team president Wade Moore. “Joe was instrumental in helping make AM Racing’s inaugural Xfinity Series successful. With his leadership and passion, we expect to get better and frequently challenge for top-10 finishes and hopefully make a run at the Xfinity Series Playoffs.”
In 131 starts as an Xfinity Series crew chief, Williams has collected one victory, eight top-five results, and 30 finishes inside the top-10, a statline he hopes to improve upon with Hailie Deegan in 2024.
