FLAT ROCK, MICHIGAN — The hot streak continues for young William Sawalich, who at 16 has just won his second ARCA Menards Series East win of 2023. He’s the latest young talent driving a No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs, and continues to show he has the talent to succeed at higher levels.

Sawalich started Saturday’s race in 4th position, but was showing speed all race at the quarter-mile track, which hadn’t hosted an ARCA event since the year 2000.

The first 100 laps of the 150-lap event were dominated by Sean Hingorani, another young driver who had claimed the pole for the Flat Rock event, held in front of an enthusiastic crowd that welcomed the return of the series with open arms.

Even with a handful of cars falling out of the 16-car field for various reasons, there was still a lot of lapped traffic to negotiate, eventually taking its toll on Hingorani and allowing his competitors to catch up.

The schedules for the ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West have been finalized, with seven races slated for the East and eleven set for the West.

The ARCA Menards East season will commence with the series’ ninth visit to New Smyrna Speedway on Tuesday, February 15. The ARCA Menards West season kicks off a month later with a combination race with the ARCA Menards Series at Phoenix Raceway on Friday, March 11.