William Sawalich delivered a competitive performance in Friday's Black's Tire 200 at Martinsville Speedway, finishing ninth in his No. 5 TRICON Garage Toyota. The Joe Gibbs Racing development driver started 18th and advanced nine positions during the 200-lap event.
Sawalich entered the race hoping to gain additional experience in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series while continuing his primary commitments in NASCAR's O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.
The opening stages featured a dominant performance from Layne Riggs, who controlled much of the race. Sawalich remained deeper in the field during both segments, missing opportunities to collect stage points while working toward the top 10.
His afternoon became more challenging during the final stage when
a multicar accident erupted in Turns 1 and 2. Sawalich was among the competitors involved, but his Toyota avoided race-ending damage and remained competitive.
The race continued featuring numerous accidents and restarts, allowing Sawalich to recover his lost positions. He ultimately finished ninth, completing all 200 laps and recording a strong result for TRICON Garage. The performance provided another encouraging outing during his limited Truck Series schedule as he continues developing his NASCAR career.
This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: William Sawalich's race recap in the 2026 Chase race at Martinsville
