NASCAR Xfinity veteran Josh Williams has released an emotional statement following his abrupt departure from Kaulig Racing this week. The 31-year-old was let go in the middle of his tenth year of competing in NASCAR‘s Xfinity Series.

Williams was sitting 19th in the series standings before his release. Full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver Carson Hocevar has been named as Williams’ temporary replacement at Iowa. Hocevar, who is a controversially aggressive on-track driver, will not be able to compete in the Xfinity series for the remainder of the 2025 season, with full-time Cup drivers limited to just five races before the playoffs.

“As most of you have seen, Kaulig Racing has made the decision to release me for the remainder of the season,” Williams said. “This has been a difficult day for my family, friends, long-time partners and fans, whom I can’t thank enough for standing by my side through all of this.

“We will be back soon and looking forward to a much brighter chapter in my racing career. I wish nothing but the best for my guys on the 11 team.”

Williams also revealed he had differences with the team, which may have been a driving factor behind the decision to part ways mid-season. “We had our differences a little bit,” he added. “I don’t think they were happy, and I wasn’t happy.

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“It seemed like it was the best thing to do for both of us that we could all move forward and work towards the future a little bit faster. It worked out for both of us.”

Across nearly 50 starts in the Xfinity Series, Williams failed to finish inside the top five once, with most races ending mid-pack or worse. This year, his best campaign saw an eighth-place finish at Rockingham Speedway.

Hocevar says he “jumped at the opportunity” to race in Xfinity for Kaulig. The 22-year-old is one of NASCAR’s up-and-coming stars who hasn’t been scared to ruffle the feathers of series vets. He was even on the receiving end of a verbal confrontation with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

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The 2024 Cup Rookie of the Year said: “I love to race, anywhere, anytime, so when I was asked to drive the Kaulig Xfinity car at Iowa, I jumped at the opportunity.

“I’m grateful to the team at Kaulig Racing for believing in me and to Jeff Dickerson and my Spire team for letting me have some fun with the 11 team this weekend. I promise to make the most of it.”