Alex Sedgwick will become the next Euro Series driver to make his racing debut in the United States after the Brit announced that he will be making his ARCA Menards Series West debut with Bill McAnally Racing in ARCA West’s season finale race at Phoenix.
Alex Sedgwick will become the next Euro Series driver to make the journey across the Atlantic to make his racing debut in the United States after the 21-year old Brit announced that he will be making his ARCA Menards Series West debut at Phoenix on November 7.
Sedgwick will be driving the No. 12 Toyota Camry for ARCA West powerhouse team Bill McAnally Racing. The No. 12 Camry itself will made its return to competition after Lawless Alan drove the car in the first four races of the season.
Sedgwick will be carrying sponsorship from Wiley X, an American premium sunglasses company. Wiley X itself is no stranger to NASCAR, as drivers such as Cup champions Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick had endorsement deals with Wiley X.
Wiley X also previously sponsored Matt Kenseth and Sterling Marlin in the Cup Series, with Kenseth bringing home a Wiley X-sponsored car to the Victory Lane when he won the Spring Dover race in 2011.
“We are very excited to support Alex Sedgwick as he enters the sport of NASCAR in the United States,” said Wiley X’s President of Sales and Co-Owner Myles Freeman. “We are very selective as to who we support and who represents our brand and we feel Alex will be a great addition to our already stellar roster. Our goal is to help elevate him into the next wave of championship drivers.”
“Having a brand on board that is not only the choice of NASCAR champions but also NAVY SEALS and military heroes is an honor so early in my career. I’m incredibly grateful for the support and excited to represent Wiley X not only on the track but whenever the Sun is out!” said Sedgwick.
Sedgwick previously competed in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series for the past two seasons. Primarily competing with Braxx Racing in the PRO class, Sedgwick showed promising pace as he scored 10 Top-10 finishes in 18 starts with a best finish of 4th in the 2019 season finale race at Zolder.
The successes that he achieved earned Sedgwick an invitation from NASCAR to attend the Daytona 500 earlier this year. The visit to Daytona, which allowed Sedgwick to see the NASCAR operations up close, solidifies his goal to become a Cup Series driver.
According to Sedgwick in the official announcement, Sedgwick plans to become the first full-time European driver in NASCAR and had been planning for an eventual jump to the States throughout the year. He also wants to become just the second European driver to win a NASCAR national series race.
So far, the only European driver to win a NASCAR national series race is motorsport legend Mario Andretti. Andretti, who was born in Italy, achieved the feat when he won the 1967 Daytona 500 with Holman-Moody.
“Alex is a unique and highly marketable driver,” said Ryan Johnston, President & CEO of InterPhase Entertainment. “We had a strong feeling about Alex and the results have quickly proven as expected, Wiley X is one of many companies that have not only shown an interest in Alex but are negotiating to be the next in line to sign agreements with Alex to support his rise in NASCAR here in the United States. We want to thank Myles and Wiley X for supporting Alex’s rise in the sport.”
Disclaimer: All photos used in this article are courtesy of the respective sources.