Fortunately, William Sawalich was able to walk away from an extremely hard crash in last Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 250 at Talladega Superspeedway, but on Wednesday, Joe Gibbs Racing confirmed in a statement that the driver will not be behind the wheel of the team’s No. 18 Toyota GR Supra this weekend at Martinsville Speedway.
Sawalich has been experiencing concussion-like symptoms since the hard crash, a crash that forced him to a local area hospital to undergo additional evaluation in the hours after the crash last Saturday.
Joe Gibbs Racing announced today that @WilliamSawalich will miss Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway after experiencing concussion-like symptoms following his accident during last Saturday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway.
In his absence,…
— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) October 22, 2025
“Joe Gibbs Racing announced today that @WilliamSawalich will miss Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway after experiencing concussion-like symptoms following his accident during last Saturday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway,” the team explained.
JGR also confirmed that Justin Bonsignore, who has driven the organization’s No. 19 entry part-time this season, will fill in for Sawalich this weekend at Martinsville Speedway.
After the statement from Joe Gibbs Racing, Sawalich issued a statement of his own, where he explained that while he’s upset to not be behind the wheel this weekend, he is focusing on his health so he can make a proper return.
I’m disappointed to not be in the car this weekend, but my health is my number one priority. I’m feeling better every day and working with Dr. Collins at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and NASCAR to go through their concussion protocol to return to the track as soon…
— William Sawalich (@WilliamSawalich) October 22, 2025
“I’m disappointed to not be in the car this weekend, but my health is my number one priority,” Sawalich said. “I’m feeling better every day and working with Dr. Collins at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and NASCAR to go through their concussion protocol to return to the track as soon as possible.”
Sawalich, 19, suffered a miserable stretch of races to open his NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign, but everything started clicking near the end of the regular season. While he ultimately failed to advance to the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs, Sawalich ended the regular season on a strong note with back-to-back runner-up finishes at Portland International Raceway and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
After the crash, which ended the day early for Sawalich at Talladega, the young racer ranks 17th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship standings heading into this weekend’s IAA and Ritchie Bros. 250, which he will unfortunately not be able to suit up for.
Joe Gibbs Racing has not put a timetable on Sawalich’s return, but there is hope that the rookie contender can end the season behind the wheel of the No. 18 machine next weekend at Phoenix Raceway.
