Sawalich's Daytona Crash Ends NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Bid

Nineteen-year-old driver William Sawalich and his No. 18 SoundGear Toyota GR Supra team ended their NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series regular-season bid with a heartbreaking crash at Daytona International Speedway.

Sawalich entered the finale, held on August 28, 2026, as the 11th driver in the standings and just one point above the Chase cutoff. He had worked tirelessly to make up a 44-point deficit after a disappointing 29th-place finish at Chicagoland Speedway in early July.

Sawalich's team responded with their most consistent stretch of the season, earning top-five finishes at EchoPark Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and a third-place result at Iowa Speedway. This momentum propelled Sawalich to 11th place, just one point above the cutoff entering the World Center of Racing.

On Lap 44 of the Winn-Dixie 250 Powered by Coca-Cola, a multicar accident involving Corey Day, Sammy Smith, Anthony Alfredo, and others left Sawalich's car with terminal damage. The young driver attempted to make the top lane three-wide but was unable to avoid contact.