Kaulig Racing had to make a mid-race driver change Saturday afternoon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as Josh Williams dealt with health concerns.
The driver of the No. 11 Xfinity Series car struggled to breathe during the opening stage of Saturday's race, and he ultimately indicated to the team that he would not be able to continue racing.
Kaulig Racing responded by turning to relief driver Ty Dillon, who had been on standby. Dillon is a full-time Cup Series driver for the team.
Once Williams crossed the start-finish line to close out stage 1, he headed to pit road. The team spent a few minutes making the driver change while falling one lap behind the leaders. Once the switch was complete, Dillon headed back out onto the track while trying to adjust to a different car and cockpit setup.
The process took some time. The biggest issue for Dillon, according to the team's radio chatter, was the steering wheel. Dillon requested something smaller and said that Williams' wheel was so close to his face that he couldn't move his arms.
.@Josh6williams is doing okay, he’s up on the 11 box with his team helping any way he can with @tydillon. pic.twitter.com/4RDvh9zPwG
— Kaulig Racing (@KauligRacing) March 15, 2025
The health concerns were something Williams mentioned during Friday's practice and qualifying session. He told CW Sports that he had been sick since Circuit of the Americas.
The CW Sports broadcast noted that Williams had been hooked up to an IV on Friday night as he tried to make improvements for Saturday's race. However, this did not work.
Williams remained at the track after exiting the No. 11 Chevrolet Camaro. Instead of going to the infield care center, he headed up onto the pit box to provide support for Dillon and his team for the rest of the race.
With the driver change taking place at the end of stage 1, Dillon had plenty of time remaining to get the No. 11 back on the lead lap and in position for a decent finish. This was a message he conveyed to the team after taking over the Chevrolet.
"I hate I had to get in this way, but we can turn this thing around and still get you guys a good points day," Dillon said over the radio.