Connor Zilisch grabbed the spotlight at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday, but it was another young driver who caught Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s attention.

While JR Motorsports swept the top spots in the Xfinity Series race, NASCAR legend Earnhardt Jr. took time to praise Joe Gibbs Racing’s William Sawalich for breaking through with his first top-five finish of 2025.

Why Did Dale Earnhardt Jr. Single Out Sawalich’s Performance?

NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. was ecstatic after his JR Motorsports squadron swept Saturday’s Xfinity feature at Sonoma Raceway. No. 88  teenage sensation Connor Zilisch stole the show, edging teammate Shane van Gisbergen for the win while the rest of the JRM cars finished inside the top 10.

However, while the veteran was certainly happy with his team’s performance, his praise went beyond the JRM garage toward Joe Gibbs Racing’s phenom William Sawalich, who broke his dismal streak and earned his first top-five finish of the season.

On Saturday, 18-year-old ARCA sensation Sawalich shook off what has been a rough rookie season so far. While Zilisch and van Gisbergen outclassed the pack, clearing a path for themselves at the front and leading the field with a 13-second lead, Sawalich, in his Toyota, made the most of the day, distancing himself from the rest with a four-second gap.

Reflecting on the youngster’s performance, Earnhardt took to social media. Lauding the 18-year-old’s upswing, he noted, “Good run by @WilliamSawalich today. It’s been a very tough introduction to this level for him this year, but runs like today help add confidence.”

Good run by @WilliamSawalich today. It’s been a very tough introduction to this level for him this year but runs like today help add confidence.

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) July 13, 2025

The 2025 campaign hasn’t been a smooth ride for Sawalich. In 19 starts this season, the Minnesota native has racked up just one pole and four top 10s, at the expense of seven agonizing DNFs. But at long last, his career-best Xfinity Series finish came Saturday at Sonoma.

Following the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250, Sawalich told Frontstretch media about his day. “Yeah, it was a good day,” he said. “We had the speed to run third all day, but the front two were in a league of their own. We had speed to run with them for about ten laps, but after that, they just kind of slowly started creeping away. The Starkey Soundgear Toyota Supra was really good today.”

While Saturday’s top-five finish gave him a much-needed jolt in confidence as the playoff bubble tightens, Sawalich was on his toes for 24 hours. It started with his picture-perfect ARCA Menards Series West finish before the Xfinity Series feature.

On Friday, he took the checkered flag in the General Tire 200, racking up his 24th win across the ARCA National Series. He outdueled NASCAR Truck Series standout Christian Eckes and Alon Day to win a dramatic three-wide finish, kicking off a thrilling weekend.

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