Josh Williams released from Kaulig NASCAR Xfinity team
WELCOME, N.C. — Kaulig Racing has released Josh Williams from their NASCAR Xfinity Series program, according to a statement Williams issued Wednesday.
Williams and Kaulig each confirmed the split Wednesday. Kaulig will have different drivers in its No. 11 Chevrolet during the final 12 Xfinity races. They plan to make more announcements regarding their lineup in the coming times.
Williams came to Kaulig Racing on the heels of a viral moment in an Xfinity race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Williams was so disgruntled about NASCAR ordering him to bring his car to the garage and end his race for causing a debris caution that he parked his car on the frontstretch and walked across the track to pit road.
Although NASCAR suspended Williams for the move, fans enjoyed it. They even bought t-shirts made after the incident.
Sponsor Alloy Employer Services enjoyed it too. They saw a boost on their return on investment, which spurred the driver-sponsor duo’s move from DGM Racing to Kaulig Racing in 2024.
In year one, Williams scored four top-10 finishes. However, an average finish of 21.7 kept him from the playoffs by a long way – while teammate A.J. Allmendinger made the Championship 4.
This year, Williams improved his average finish to 20th. However, he only scored two top-10 finishes and was far away from a playoff spot after 21 races.
In the eight previous seasons, dating back to the team’s inception in 2016, the driver of the flagship No. 11 car made the playoffs every year and scored an average finish of at least 17.6 — even netting an average finish of 10.3 and a Championship 4 appearance in 2020 with Justin Haley.
Combined with Kaulig’s Xfinity program being in decline this season and Williams still being behind his teammates in points despite improving — and it appears Williams drew the short straw in a transitional time within the organization.
Josh Williams issued this statement:
“As most of you have seen, Kaulig Racing has made the decision to release me for the remainder of the season. 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.”
Despite the release, Williams could reportedly make some starts in the series later this year.
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com