Sawalich Dominates ARCA Sprecher 150 at Milwaukee Mile

Photo by ARCA Racing

Other than two laps following the mid-race break, William Sawalich led every other lap enroute to a dominating win in the ARCA Menards Series Sprecher 150 at the Milwaukee Mile.

“We kind of had to set a good pace,” Sawalich said in Victory Lane. “And then I think the 28 (Conner Zilisch) fell off a little bit, so then got a little less challenging on me to have to set quite as fast a pace. The whole time just worried about saving my tires. But a really good Starkey SoundGear Toyota Camry today. Joe Gibbs Racing always brings me a good car, and we're competitive at every race we go to. So, super thankful for that.”

It was the seventh national series win for the 17-year-old driver from Eden Prairie, Minnesota in ten races this season. The win also edged Sawalich, the reigning ARCA Menards Series East champion, closer to current series point leader Zilisch in the standings. Zilisch, who finished second in the race, leads Sawalich by just 16-points with one race remaining in the East Series.

Zilisch, in the No. 28 Chevrolet Performance/Silver Hare Development Chevrolet, raced Sawalich side-by-side for two laps following the mid-race break, but the Joe Gibbs Racing development driver retook the lead and eased away for the win by 4.675-seconds.

“I knew he was kind of backing off the pace, and then he'd kind of make a run at it, and then try and probably get me to use my stuff up. But, I mean, we were just so good, I didn't have to worry about it too much. Even if he did get around me, I feel like I would have been able to race him and get back around. I knew we had that much long run speed and that much longevity.”

In his back-to-back ARCA Menards Series wins at Milwaukee, Sawalich has led 289 out of a possible 300 laps.

Drive for Diversity driver Lavar Scott, second is the national series standings in Max Siegel’s Rev Racing Chevrolet, finished third.