Press room

Eden Prairie, Minnesota (September 15, 2023) – Starkey and SoundGear are thrilled to congratulate William Sawalich for winning the 2023 ARCA Menards Series East championship after earning the victory at Bristol Motor Speedway. Earlier this year, Sawalich signed a multi-year agreement with Joe Gibbs Racing at the age of 16 and has since driven to multiple victories with his No. 18 Toyota Camry during his very first year.

To help raise awareness of the impact of long-term noise exposure on hearing loss, Toyota Racing Development (TRD) and Starkey announced a partnership this May, naming SoundGear the official Hearing Protection Partner of TRD and the Toyota Performance Center. SoundGear offers a wide range of hearing protection, racing, and enhancement products designed to improve communication between team members, as well as reduce damaging noise levels. As part of the partnership, Toyota development drivers and members of the TRD staff received custom racing receivers and hearing protection to help them communicate more clearly on the racetrack without potential damage to their hearing.

“I’m incredibly proud of everything William has accomplished so far in his young and impressive career. He has terrific instincts, drives with commanding precision, and is surrounded by a great team,” said Brandon Sawalich, President and CEO of Starkey. “While racing at over 120 miles per hour, communication and trust in your crew is paramount. We are honored to provide unmatched sound quality, communication and hearing conservation to TRD staff, drivers and team members.”

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About Starkey
Starkey is a privately held, global hearing technology company headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Founded by Bill Austin in 1967, Starkey is known for its innovative design, development, and distribution of comprehensive digital hearing systems. Led today by President and CEO Brandon Sawalich, Starkey is the only American-owned provider of hearing technologies. The company has more than 5,000 employees, operates 29 facilities and does business in more than 100 markets worldwide. Learn more at starkey.com.