NASCAR team owner calls out driver on social media

NASCAR team boss Joey Gase has hit out at NASCAR Xfinity Series driver William Sawalich after a wreck in Saturday's race at Rockingham.

Sawalich hit Katherine Legge from behind toward the end of the first stage, wrecking the pair in Legge's return to NASCAR racing after her controversial Cup Series debut in Phoenix.

That Cup Series debut ended in a final stage wreck, prompting questions over whether a driver with such little stock car experience should've been parachuted into a seat, and the British driver returned to the Xfinity Series this weekend in Rockingham.

After failing to qualify, Legge came to an agreement with Joey Gase Motorsports to replace JJ Yeley in the #53 car, as he had qualified it for the race. After running at the back of the field for most of the first stage, she was hit from behind by Sawalich as he came through to lap her, wrecking out again.

Gase: Legge crash shows Sawalich struggles

18-year-old Sawalich is racing full-time in Xfinity for the first time this year after three races at the end of 2024, and looked to have adapted quickly from the ARCA Menards Series East with two top-10 finishes in the first three rounds before falling down the standings.

The Joe Gibbs #18 driver isn't the only teenager in the Xfinity Series, with Connor Zilisch particularly impressing, but Gase took out his frustration on the youngster with a post on social media.

"And this is why this Joe Gibbs driver is 24th in owner points. Sad. [Katherine Legge] was doing a hell of a job."

It's unclear how Gase's comments will be received by the Joe Gibbs team as they look to support their young driver making a move into the higher profile series.

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