Josh Williams will return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Alpha Prime Racing, backed by sponsorship from Optum. The move comes after his two-year stint with Kaulig Racing, which ended this season after 21 races.Optum, a U.S.-based healthcare company, will serve as Williams’ primary sponsor for four races at Daytona, the Charlotte Roval, Las Vegas, and Phoenix, respectively. The company will also back the Josh Williams Hospital Tour, a charitable program in which the NASCAR driver visits pediatric hospitals (depending on where the race weekend is) to bring joy to young patients.In a press release, Josh Williams spoke about Optum sponsoring not only his racing career but also his charitable program, saying (via Frontstretch):“It’s really important for me to have companies that believe in me, my career and my dedication to the hospital tour. Alloy Employer Services has been behind me for years, and having Optum join the program is another reminder that what we’re doing matters.”“This has been a trying time for my family, me and my fans, and the support throughout the garage and my partners has been a bright spot. I’m looking forward to representing Optum at races throughout the year as well as on the Josh Williams Hospital Tour,” he added.His first race with the newly assembled team will begin in the Wawa 250 at Daytona on August 22. It will be followed by the Drive For The Cure 250 at Charlotte Roval on October 4, Focused Health 302 at Las Vegas on October 11, and the season finale at Phoenix on November 1.Williams will pilot the #45 Chevrolet, Alpha Prime Racing’s part-time entry. The team’s full-time lineup features Parker Retzlaff in the #4 and Brennan Poole in the #44, with the latter delivering the best results so far this season, earning two top-five and three top-10 finishes.“This has been a difficult day”: Josh Williams on being released from Kaulig RacingJosh Williams admitted that exiting the #11 Kaulig Racing team was difficult not only for him, but also for his family and long-time sponsors. He vowed to return to racing and wished the #11 team the best moving forward.In an X post, Williams wrote:“As most of you have seen, Kaulig Racing has made the decision to release me for the remainder of the season. This has been a difficult day for my family, friends, long-time partners and fans, whom I can't thank enough for standing by my side through all of this.”Josh Williams driving the #11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet at Sonoma Raceway - Source: ImagnDuring his time with Kaulig Racing, Williams earned six top-10 finishes in 54 starts. While he has yet to score his first top-five finish, he matched his career-best result of sixth place twice—first with DGM Racing at Kansas Speedway in 2020, and again earlier this year at Charlotte Motor Speedway with Kaulig Racing.For the remainder of the 2025 season, the #11 car will feature a rotating lineup. Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar kicked it off at Iowa, followed by Michael McDowell at Watkins Glen last week.