Deb Williams, Senior Writer
An award winning motorsports journalist, Deb Williams has covered auto racing for more than 30 years. She began her career covering weekly short-track races in Asheville, N.C., while a student at East Tennessee State University and continued after becoming the sports editor at the newspaper in Waynesville, N.C. Upon joining United Press International in Raleigh, N.C., as a general assignment reporter, she began covering NASCAR's top two series and continued to do so after being named UPI's Charlotte, N.C., bureau manager. After leaving UPI, she spent 18 years with the publication NASCAR Winston Cup Scene, serving as its editor for 10 years. Her numerous honors include the Henry T. McLemore Award, the Russ Catlin Award and the George Cunningham National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year award. She has received NMPA awards for columns, news, features and magazine stories. She has written three books. Her most recent, “The Evolution of NASCAR, A Historical Collection, was released in November 2010. Williams has taught the Evolution of Southern Motorsports at Appalachian State University, and has been interviewed for historical motorsports shows that have aired on ESPN and SPEED. She resides in Concord, N.C.
Articles by Deb Williams
Justin Haley, right, is congratulated after winning Sunday’s rain-shortened Cup Series race at Daytona. (RacinToday/HHP photo by Harold Hinson)
By Deb Williams | Senior WriterRacinToday.com
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Justin Haley’s description of himself is pretty simple – “just a dirt track racer from Indiana.” However, he can now add the phrase: Who has won at Daytona […]
NASCAR’s new rules package is having a big effect on the art of blocking in the Cup Series. (RacinToday/HHP photo by Harold Hinson)
By Deb Williams | Senior WriterRacinToday.com
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Blocking is illegal in many racing series, but not in NASCAR. And Friday at Daytona International Speedway several drivers said it’s a maneuver that […]
Tim Richmond won the 1986 Firecracker 400. It was one of the final Firecrackers. This year, the traditional Fourth of July weekend’s run at DIS comes to an end. (Photo courtesy of NASCAR)
By Deb Williams | Senior WriterRacinToday.com
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Blistering Florida sun, walking on the beach, ocean breezes, fireworks exploding over the Atlantic […]
Martin Truex Jr. won NASCAR’s marathon event on Sunday. (Photo courtesy of NASCAR)
By Deb Williams | Senior WriterRacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – Martin Truex Jr.’s chances for his second Coca-Cola 600 victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway appeared to disintegrate on lap 74 when he blew a tire and hit the wall while leading Sunday night’s race, but […]
Driving 600 miles at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend is a long tradition in more ways than one. (RacinToday/HHP file photo by Brian Cleary)
By Deb Williams | Senior WriterRacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – Discussions constantly swirl as to whether NASCAR Cup races should be shortened, but several series champions cite the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte […]
Jeffrey Earnhardt survived a spin to go on to record a podium finish in the Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday. (RacinToday/HHP photo by Alan Marler)
By Deb Williams | Senior WriterRacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – Under the scorching Carolina sun that sent temperatures soaring into the mid-90s, Jeffrey Earnhardt produced his best career finish […]
Xfinity Series driver Austin Cindric will start his Memorial Day weekend driving the No. 22 Ford Mustang in Concord, N.C., and will end it in Indianapolis watching his father try to win the 500. (RacinToday/HHP file photo by Alan Marler)
By Deb Williams | Senior WriterRacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – On Saturday, Austin Cindric’s primary focus is the […]
William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports is on pole for the 600. (RacinToday/HHP file photo by David Tulis)
By Deb Williams | Senior WriterRacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – William Byron became the youngest driver to ever win a pole at Charlotte Motor Speedway Thursday, claiming the No. 1 starting position for this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 with a 183.424-mph […]
The front row for the start of the first 600-miler at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (Photos courtesy of Charlotte Motor Speedway archives)
By Deb Williams | Senior WriterRacinToday.com
Decades before the reality television show “Survivor” there was an event that truly tested one’s survival skills. No script existed for this “survivor” show because there had never been a […]
Tony Stewart will enter NASCAR’s Hall of Fame. (RacinToday/HHP file photo by Christa L Thomas)
By Deb Williams | Senior WriterRacinToday.com
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Tony Stewart’s election Wednesday into the NASCAR Hall of Fame was no surprise, but the connection the other four had to the Indiana native during his career created a special class.
Joining Stewart in […]
