Latest news with #Kaulig
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
NASCAR Driver Signs New Deal After Sudden Exit From Kaulig Racing
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Following his abrupt ousting from Kaulig Racing last month, NASCAR Xfinity driver Josh Williams has signed a new deal with Alpha Prime Racing, starting with next weekend's race at the Daytona International Speedway. Kaulig announced ahead of the race weekend at Iowa Speedway that it was parting ways with Williams with immediate effect. The team plans to collaborate with other drivers over the remainder of the 2025 NASCAR season. Williams brings an impressive record of 240 Xfinity Series race starts, with a best finish of sixth. Apart from Daytona, the 32-year-old driver will also race at Charlotte Roval, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and Phoenix Raceway. At Alpha Prime, Optum will be the primary sponsor for his No. 45 Chevrolet and the Josh Williams Hospital Tour (JWHT). Speaking about the deal with his new team, Williams stated: Josh Williams, driver of the #11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet, Christian Eckes, driver of the #16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet, Josh Bilicki, driver of the #91 SBC Contractors Inc Chevrolet, and Ryan Sieg, driver of... Josh Williams, driver of the #11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet, Christian Eckes, driver of the #16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet, Josh Bilicki, driver of the #91 SBC Contractors Inc Chevrolet, and Ryan Sieg, driver of the #39 Sci Aps Ford, race during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 at Sonoma Raceway on July 12, 2025 in Sonoma, California. More"It's real important for me to have companies that believe in me, my career, and my dedication to the hospital tour. Alloy Employer Services has been behind me for years and having Optum join the program is another reminder that what we're doing matters. "This has been a trying time for my family, me and my fans, and the support throughout the garage and my partners has been a bright spot. I'm looking forward to representing Optum at races throughout the year as well as on the Josh Williams Hospital Tour." Speaking of Kaulig, the team's president, Chris Rice, gave an update about the contract of Cup Series driver Ty Dillon, whose current contract expires this year. He is currently 32nd in the points standings. Dillon joined Kaulig this year as a full-time driver, mostly securing places in the top 20. He has finished once in the top 10, which has likely helped him negotiate with Kaulig for a contract extension. Rice confirmed that Kaulig was in talks with Dillon to renew his contract for the 2026 NASCAR season, given the "good job" done by him despite the "ups and downs." He told SiriusXM: "We're still in negotiations. I think by Friday we'll 100% know. We're real close to having Ty's deal done again for 2026. "We feel like he's done a good job. He's had some ups and downs, yes, but he hasn't done what everyone thought he was gonna do — run around last and be way off the pace. He's actually been in contention at some races." Rice added that Dillon helped Kaulig improve in several areas. He said: "Ty has done a really good job for us. The thing that makes us better is we are better as an organization on the Cup side. We run faster; we've had speed. To get in the playoffs is really tough. ... For us to be in the conversation, I think Ty is part of that. He's pushed us to be better in certain areas. I think we'll make him better if he gets one more year in the car."
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Josh Williams on departure from Kaulig Racing: Ive got more drive than ever
Kaulig Racing announced on Wednesday it was parting ways with driver Josh Williams after more than a year and a half together. Both sides felt it was for the best. After a 22nd-place finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, discussions began internally about the immediate future of the No. 11 car. Williams is 19th in the regular-season championship standings and needed a Hail Mary to make the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs, so there was no sense in delaying the inevitable. 'We had our differences a little bit. I don't think they were happy, and I wasn't happy,' Williams told 'It seemed like it was the best thing to do for both of us that we can all move forward and work towards the future a little bit faster. It worked out for both of us.' MORE: | Chris Rice, team president for Kaulig Racing, agreed with Williams. The relationship just wasn't working out for either party. 'Sometimes, chemistry just doesn't work in marriages, life, anything' Rice told on Thursday morning. 'When you look at our Xfinity program, there's a lot of potential there but we haven't been putting it to work. Those decisions are tough. When you think about our M.O., we're all about having fun and trying to win trophies. At the end of the day, it's not about that — it's about giving people opportunities to showcase their talent and making sure our stuff is up to par for everybody else.' Williams earned six top-10 finishes in 54 starts in Kaulig's flagship No. 11 Chevrolet, with a best effort of sixth in May at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Williams led 14 laps total in those starts. Kaulig Racing is winless through 21 races in 2025, with Rice considering the season unacceptable. That is on the heels of a 2024 season where Shane van Gisbergen dominated three road-course races in Kaulig equipment and AJ Allmendinger ultimately made the Championship 4 by scoring an upset victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Round of 8. 'We all want to win, but we want to be in contention to win and have a better opportunity to win and run top 10, run top five and we haven't even come close to that,' Rice added. 'We've got to figure that out. I think over the next couple of weeks before we get into the playoffs, we can judge our Xfinity program and see what needs to be changed and what we need to do for 2026.' Rookie Christian Eckes is the only Kaulig driver to score a top-five finish in 2025, earning three so far this year. He leads Kaulig with eight top-10 finishes, while fellow rookie Daniel Dye has seven top 10s. Williams wouldn't go as far as saying he didn't get a fair shot with Kaulig, but he said, 'it wasn't an ideal situation.' 'The past few years, as a whole organization, the performance wasn't as good as it was a few years before I even got there,' Williams said. 'Teams go through cycles. A lot of times, teams are really good and then they fade off a little bit and go back to being good. We were in that low part. I don't think it's anybody's fault; it's just the position that we were in.' Since the news dropped on Wednesday, Williams' phone hasn't stopped buzzing. Countless people within the racing industry reached out, making the process easier to reconcile. Rice said the same with the No. 11 car being a key opening leading into the offseason. Currently, he's unsure if Kaulig will operate two or three full-time Xfinity cars come 2026. 'I've had numerous Xfinity teams, numerous truck teams reach out to me,' Williams said. 'A lot of team owners, other drivers, people very high up in NASCAR, Hall of Fame drivers — I've had a lot of people reach out to me today and they are all on my side and everyone is behind me.' With a host of people checking in on Williams, he feels satisfied despite the circumstances. Every colleague working directly on the No. 11 Chevrolet reached out to him, aside from crew chief Eddie Pardue, Williams added. 'It goes to show you what type of person that I am,' he said. 'I can't walk down pit road without being late to the car because I've got to stop and talk to 100 people on the way. Everyone respects me and knows who I am as a person and how I treat people. 'I never burn a bridge because you don't know what the future holds. Motorsports is the smallest community in the world. Everything is a circle, no pun intended. We're all in this small circle and you never know when you're going to need that person one day. I might need Kaulig Racing one day and they might need me one day. You've got to keep those doors open.' Rice appreciated the opportunity of getting to work with Williams and alluded to being thankful for the partnership they had. Williams isn't done racing in 2025. Highlighted by primary partner Alloy Employer Services, Williams has a loyal sponsorship following that is committed to four more races this season. He couldn't confirm yet which races he will participate in or with which team. 'I have the people who are important to further my career on my side and that means a lot,' Williams said. Nailing down 2026 plans is top of mind for Williams. Separating from one of the series' mainstays didn't hurt too much, Williams said, because 'I know where my future is going.' 'It's still upsetting because I'm a racer; I want to go race,' he said. 'I have a plan for the future, so I feel like that makes it easier. I feel like I've got more drive than ever.'
Newsweek
31-07-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
NASCAR's Kaulig Racing Parts Ways With Josh Williams, Iowa Replacement Confirmed
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. NASCAR Xfinity Series team Kaulig Racing has parted ways with driver Josh Williams, effective immediately, ahead of the race weekend at Iowa Speedway. The team stated that it will collaborate with various drivers over the remainder of the NASCAR season to pilot the No. 11 Chevrolet. Williams was ranked 19th in the Xfinity Series standings thus far. Williams joined Kaulig last year from DGM Racing, but his performance could be a reason for his team to part ways with him. In 2024, he finished in the top ten in only six of the 54 race starts, finishing 18th in the standings. Announcing the big decision on X, Kaulig stated: Josh Williams, driver of the #11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet, looks on during practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Explore the Pocono Mountains 250 at Pocono Raceway on June 21, 2025 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.... Josh Williams, driver of the #11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet, looks on during practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Explore the Pocono Mountains 250 at Pocono Raceway on June 21, 2025 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. More"Kaulig Racing announced that it has parted ways with NASCAR Xfinity Series driver, Josh Williams, effective today. "Kaulig Racing will field the No. 11 Chevrolet with multiple drivers over the remaining 12 NASCAR Xfinity Series races. More announcements regarding the driver lineup will be forthcoming." An update regarding the No. 11 Chevrolet: — Kaulig Racing (@KauligRacing) July 30, 2025 For this weekend's race weekend at Iowa, Kaulig has decided to reunite with Cup Series driver Carson Hocevar, who will pilot the No. 11 car. Hocevar stated he was glad about the opportunity, confirming that he would make the most of it. He 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." Another driver who won't be racing at Iowa this weekend is Richard Childress Racing's Austin Hill, who was handed a one-race suspension after he right-rear hooked Aric Almirola at Indianapolis. Hill will lose his playoff points as a result of the penalty given by NASCAR. His team stated that it won't be appealing the penalty. A statement from RCR read: "Richard Childress Racing will not appeal the penalty NASCAR issued to the No. 21 team following the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We remain focused on winning a championship with Austin Hill in 2025. Austin Dillon will race the No. 21 Chevrolet at Iowa Speedway." Almirola, who finished one place behind Hill in P35, stated that Hill's move during the race was intentional. He said: "Oh, it was definitely intentional. He blocked me three times. He had damage on his nose, so he was really slow in the corners. So, it was time to go. I mean, we're coming to 10 laps to go or nine laps to go. Uh, the leaders are starting to put a gap on us. So, it's time to go, and I got him loose. Yeah, you just turn left and hook me in the right rears. Honestly, one of the biggest hits in my entire NASCAR career. Very reminiscent of the hit I took when I broke my back. "So, glad I'm okay, thankful to everybody back at the shop at Joe Gibbs Racing for building amazing race cars and making them safe. Disappointed, felt like we had a shot to win. I have so much fun every time we run these races. We have great race cars, and I love doing it. It's just unfortunate that guys like that, especially that guy. He stood up in front of a meeting at Martinsville and said he was going to be a role model for all the young kids to look up to, and racing etiquette, and I think that's kind of laughable after that one."
Fox Sports
14-02-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
From Cody Ware to Joey Logano, ranking entire 2025 Daytona 500 field
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR's biggest race of the season is the Daytona 500, and it all goes down this Sunday, Feb. 16 on FOX. It will be part battle, part chess match for 200 laps — at least. The nature of racing at Daytona International is a combination of roll-of-the-dice luck and fearless genius. So who will win the 2025 race? Here's a ranking of drivers, along with insight on their chances of winning the sport's most cherished trophy. 41. Cody Ware (Starting 28th) Ware will be without crew chief Billy Plourde as Plourde was ejected for the weekend after his team adjusted weight in the car after tech. Tommy Baldwin, a former crew chief and team competition director, will guide the Rick Ware Racing team — which had to make significant repairs to his car after a crash in the duels. Ware was 14th in the 2023 Daytona 500, but even to finish there could be an uphill climb after a rough week. 40. Helio Castroneves (41st) The four-time Indianapolis 500 winner is in the race with a special provisional for an elite driver who can bring a significant audience. He is driving a non-chartered car for Trackhouse and hopes a test last month at Talladega (where he primarily worked on pit stops) and his experiences this week will give him enough experience to at least make it to the end. He didn't get that far in his qualifying race on Thursday and his team had to repair the entire front of the car for the 500. 39. Zane Smith (37th) Smith has competed in the Daytona 500 twice, and both times he finished 13th. He does have two truck wins at Daytona (2022, 2023) so he has shown some ability to work the draft at the end of the race. But his team had to make significant repairs after the Thursday races and the car likely won't be the same. 38. Josh Berry (29th) Berry begins his Wood Brothers tenure knowing that the last time the series was at Daytona, Harrison Burton earned the team's 100th victory last August. Berry still has more to learn on the superspeedways but just has to hope this race doesn't end like his did last August when he went sliding on his roof into the inside wall. 37. Ty Dillon (seventh) Dillon was a surprise with a fast lap in qualifying and then a third-place finish in his duel. He is back to full-time Cup racing after running seven Cup races in 2024 for Kaulig. The Kaulig program made an early name for itself for its strength at Daytona in the Xfinity Series. They are still working on finding similar success in Cup. 36. Cole Custer (30th) Custer returns to the Cup Series after a couple of years in Xfinity, including earning the title in 2023. He has a best finish of 11th in three Daytona 500 starts. He was relatively happy with his car in the qualifying races Thursday — until a last-lap crash resulted in the team having to make major repairs. 35. Riley Herbst (24th) The Cup rookie raced in the 2023 and 2024 Daytona 500s, so at least there is a little bit of foundation of experience for the 23XI Racing driver. He did have to go to a backup car after a last-lap crash in his qualifying race on Thursday. 34. Justin Haley (35th) In his first points race with new Spire crew chief Rodney Childers, Haley looks to use his drafting skills to his advantage. He has four wins in Xfinity at the drafting tracks. And he won the 2019 summer race at Daytona, albeit on a pit strategy where he stayed out while most of the field pitted. And then it rained and the race never restarted. He will be in a backup car after a crash in his qualifying race on Thursday. 33. Corey LaJoie (12th) LaJoie made the Daytona 500 in a second, non-chartered Rick Ware Racing car, and that showed he can handle himself in the draft. That's no surprise because the superspeedways were some of his top races. He was fourth in the Daytona 500 a year ago. 32. Noah Gragson (32nd) Gragson has his crew chief Drew Blickensderfer from last year but opens his Front Row Motorsports tenure. Gragson is used to change, though, as this will be his fourth Daytona start and with four different teams. He was ninth in the race last year. A top 10 would be a good day. 31. John Hunter Nemechek (18th) Nemechek enters his third full-time Cup season with new crew chief Travis Mack. It was a struggle for Legacy Motor Club last year, so Nemechek hopes this is the start of better times. He has finished in the top 15 in all four of his Daytona starts. 30. Shane Van Gisbergen (26th) SVG, as he's known, is making his first Daytona 500 start. The three-time Supercar champion is a Cup rookie this season at Trackhouse. He finished 26th at Daytona last August. He will race a backup car after he had significant damage from a last-lap crash in his qualifying race on Thursday. 29. Ryan Preece (27th) Preece landed at RFK Racing after the closure of Stewart-Haas Racing and looks to earn his first Cup victory in his 188th start. He is fearless and hopes that he can make a Daytona highlight, other than the one he made in 2023 with several flips. 28. Todd Gilliland (14th) Gilliland will not have his crew chief, as Chris Lawson was ejected Wednesday night for the team adjusting weight in the car after going through tech. Engineer Kevyn Rebolledo will replace Lawson. That shouldn't impact Gilliland too much as the race is pretty straight forward from a strategic end. Plus, Gilliland has failed to finish all three of his Daytona 500 starts, thanks to accidents (not necessarily of his own doing). 27. Daniel Suarez (36th) Suarez has seven Daytona 500 starts, with a seventh-place finish in 2023. He's failed to finish it five times because of accidents, and an accident Thursday will send him to a backup car for the race. The Trackhouse driver won a drafting race at Atlanta last year. 26. Jimmie Johnson (40th) The seven-time Cup champion and two-time Daytona 500 winner (2006, 2013) will make his 22nd start in the race after qualifying in on speed. He is scheduled to race only twice this year — the Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in May. So he will want to make the best of it. 25. Justin Allgaier (19th) Allgaier makes his debut for JR Motorsports in the Cup Series, a one-race program. He had to race his way in with a last-lap move on JJ Yeley just to make the race. This team feels like it has already won. And that could make them dangerous with a nothing-to-lose 'tude. 24. Carson Hocevar (33rd) Hocevar, the 2024 Cup Rookie of the Year, will make his second Daytona 500 start. Last year, an early wreck ended his day and he finished 40th. So there's nowhere to go but up. 23. Ty Gibbs (23rd) Gibbs seeks his first career Cup win in his first race with crew chief Tyler Allen. He has finishes of 17th and 25th in his two Daytona 500 starts. He will start the race in a backup car after damage suffered in his qualifying race on Thursday. 22. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (31st) Stenhouse won the 2023 Daytona 500 and has two career victories at Daytona. He is known for his ability on superspeedways, with his latest triumph a win at Talladega last October. This will be the first race for this team under the Hyak Motorsports name after an ownership shift where Gordon Smith took over from Tad Geschickter. 21. Alex Bowman (38th) Bowman has three poles and six front-row starts in the Daytona 500. This year won't be one of them, and the Hendrick driver will be at the rear for the start of the race in a backup car. But what's probably bigger is that he has finished top six in three of his last four Daytona races. 20. Christopher Bell (20th) Bell doesn't love superspeedway drafting racing. But he's finished third in three of the last four Daytona races and third in the last two Daytona 500s. Before then, he never had a top-10 finish in the Daytona 500. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver seems to be more willing to make late moves to gain spots than earlier in his career. 19. Ross Chastain (ninth) Chastain enters Daytona after a bit of a frustrating 2024, as he didn't make the playoffs but then won at Kansas. The Trackhouse Racing driver was on the front row on the restart with four laps to go in the 2024 Daytona 500. If he is in the same position, he'll need to show he can get the job done. 18. AJ Allmendinger (13th) Allmendinger is set to start his 12th Daytona 500 and has twice finished third in the race. He has finished in the top 10 in his last four Daytona 500 starts. So he knows how to get to the finish. And if you can do that, anything can happen. 17. Martin Truex Jr . (39th) The 2017 Cup champion has retired from full-time Cup racing but is in this race to see if he can win the Daytona 500 in his 21st start. He is reunited with former crew chief Cole Pearn as part of a Tricon Garage-fielded car with a Joe Gibbs Racing alliance. He locked himself in the race with a great qualifying lap, so things have been going well for him this weekend. 16. Kyle Busch (21st) Busch is set to start his 20th Daytona 500. He has qualified for 21 but missed the 2015 race after suffering injuries in an Xfinity crash the day before the race. He still seeks that first victory. He rides a 57-race winless streak into the weekend, which is the longest of his career. It would be a storybook moment if the driver with 63 Cup wins earns No. 64 on Sunday. 15. Kyle Larson (22nd) Larson might be a stud driver, but the superspeedway drafting tracks are not his jam. He has never finished in the top five at Daytona. But he was leading the 2017 race when he ran out of fuel on the last lap. And he was fourth at Talladega last October. So there is hope for the Hendrick driver, albeit with him having to come from the rear in a backup car after damage in his qualifying race on Thursday night. 14. Austin Dillon (15th) Dillon has already shown speed in his first Daytona with new crew chief Richard Boswell. The winner of the 2018 Daytona 500, Dillon has two career victories at the track. The Richard Childress Racing driver is coming off a career-low 32nd in the standings (thanks in part to some penalties). 13. Chase Briscoe (first) Briscoe captured the pole for the Daytona 500 in his first race with Toyota — the first Daytona 500 pole in Toyota's history. Briscoe made the move to Joe Gibbs Racing to replace Martin Truex Jr. That might seem a little unlucky for the Daytona 500, but he's showing that past history might not matter. 12. Erik Jones (fourth) Jones has memories of good days at Daytona, as his first Cup victory came in the July 2018 race at the track. But then on Thursday, he thought he won his qualifying race, only to have NASCAR rule he was behind Austin Cindric when the caution came out. While last year was a miserable one for him, one of his top-10 finishes was his eighth in the Daytona 500. He has a new crew chief in Ben Beshore, who worked with Jones for a handful of races at the end of last year. 11. Tyler Reddick (11th) Reddick has competed in six Daytona 500s and doesn't have a top-five finish. He doesn't have a top 10 in this race. And doesn't even have a top 20 finish. A top-25 finish? Nope. His best is 27th and he has failed to finish five of those races. He's certainly a better driver than that. He won a duel last year, but the racing gods don't like the 23XI Racing driver in this race. 10. Michael McDowell (25th) McDowell won the Daytona 500 in 2021, which was his first Cup victory in 358 starts. It is arguably the biggest win in Front Row Motorsports history, but McDowell is now with Spire Motorsports. Both McDowell and crew chief Travis Peterson moved from FRM to Spire, where McDowell expected to run well and be a team leader. 9. Ryan Blaney (16th) Blaney finished second in the 2017 Daytona 500 and second again in the 2020 Daytona 500. But the Penske driver's last three Daytona 500s have ended with a visit to the infield medical center. His most recent superspeedway victory came in August 2021 in Daytona. 8. Chase Elliott (17th) Elliott won the preseason Clash at Bowman Gray. His car has some speed. The Hendrick Motorsports driver appears ready. The 2020 Cup champion has the longest driver-crew chief relationship in the garage with Alan Gustafson. Elliott has 19 career wins and no one would be surprised if he wins the 500. However, only once since 2000 has the driver who won the Clash also won the Daytona 500. 7. Chris Buescher (sixth) Buescher won the August 2023 Cup race at Daytona, and he has won at a variety of tracks for his six career Cup wins. The RFK Racing driver doesn't have too many enemies, so he will get help if he needs it — as long as he has a fast car. 6. Brad Keselowski (34th) Keselowski seeks that elusive Daytona 500 victory as he makes his 16th Daytona 500 start. The RFK Racing driver and co-owner has just one top-10 finish in the last 10 Daytona 500s (with six DNFs in his last eight). But he also has been masterful at times in controlling the draft. 5. William Byron (fifth) Byron is the defending Daytona 500 winner, and his win was his only finish better than 21st in seven Daytona 500 starts. The Hendrick driver hopes to carry some momentum from the end of last year when he finished sixth or better in the last seven races. 4. Austin Cindric (second) Cindric starts on the front row and won his qualifying race on Thursday night. He's had a good week at a track where he has had some of his best days. Cindric won the 2021 Daytona 500 as a rookie in just his eighth Cup start. That's the Penske driver's only top-10 finish in the 500. He has a fast car and doesn't seem to do dumb things in the draft, which makes him a contender for the win. 3. Denny Hamlin (eighth) The three-time Daytona 500 winner Hamlin seeks a historic fourth victory. Only two drivers have won more than three. He has a new crew chief, and that could be a good thing, as two of his three Daytona 500 wins have come after an offseason crew chief change. So why not think the Joe Gibbs Racing driver will win? He doesn't have a top-10 finish in the three years of the Next Gen car in this race. 2. Bubba Wallace (third) Wallace won his qualifying race on Thursday night and seems to just have that confidence and swagger that this is going to be a good week. He has finished second twice in the Daytona 500, so he knows what it is like to be in the mix at the end. He has a new crew chief in Charles Denike as he rides a 79-race winless streak into the weekend. 1. Joey Logano (10th) Don't tell the defending Cup champion that the last time a Cup champion won the Daytona 500 the following year was in 2000 with Dale Jarrett. Logano won the Daytona 500 in 2015. The Penske driver likes to show no mercy, but on the superspeedways, he needs to show a little mercy and is adept at that style at Daytona. Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass. recommended Get more from NASCAR Cup Series Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
