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
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – Unstoppable and dominating. Those are the only two words to describe Steve Torrence’s history making run towards his first-ever NHRA Top Fuel championship.
With Torrence’s victory Sunday in the NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, the Texan remained undefeated in the Countdown to the Championship. He’s now 4-0 […]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – NHRA Top Fuel drivers Steve Torrence and Clay Millican don’t have hundreds of employees, but Torrence hopes that the fact they’re the top two in the standings with their single-car operations will be inspirational to others.
“We’re saying, hey, you don’t have to be a multi-car team to […]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – Tanner Gray has enjoyed success in the NHRA’s Pro Stock class ever since he entered it last year, but the 18-year-old competitor believes his future is in NASCAR because it provides more opportunities for young drivers.
“They (NASCAR) do a better job of marketing their sport,” Gray […]
CONCORD, N.C. – Two events ago Robert Hight experienced joy and pain when he took a 30-point lead in the NHRA Funny Car standings and broke his collarbone simultaneously, but he admitted Friday it was his own ingenuity that allowed him to remain in title contention.
“After surgery, I had a lot of time to lay […]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – Clint Bowyer, third-place finisher in Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400, strode into the media center, sat down at the interview desk, took a deep breath and remarked: “God almighty!”
Bowyer’s two words aptly described Charlotte Motor Speedway’s inaugural Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series road course race, which […]
CONCORD, N.C. – For Chase Briscoe and Justin Marks, Saturday’s Drive for the Cure 200 on Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 2.28-mile, 17-turn road course marked milestones in each competitor’s career.
Briscoe won his first-ever Xfinity race, finishing 1.478 seconds ahead of Marks. At age 37, it was Marks’ final NASCAR Xfinity race.
“I was holding back tears […]
CONCORD, N.C. – Daniel Hemric is no stranger to Charlotte Motor Speedway’s media center, having spent many evenings in it during the Summer Shootout Series. But Friday’s announcement that he was Ryan Newman’s replacement at Richard Childress Racing left him fighting back tears.
“I’m just incredibly humbled and honored to know that all those nights and […]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – Ryan Preece bet on himself in 2017, bringing full sponsorship to Joe Gibbs Racing for two NASCAR Xfinity Series events. It was an all or nothing scenario – produce or forgo his dream of competing at stock car racing’s top level.
Preece produced. In the two races […]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Austin Cindric, who has an extensive road racing background, said Thursday he was approaching Charlotte Motor Speedway’s ROVAL as if it were a street course.
“You have to have a lot of different compromises in your car and something that’s drivable,” says Cindric, who is […]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
RICHMOND, Va. – With the inaugural race at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s ROVAL looming on the horizon, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Christopher Bell breathed a sigh of relief following their performances at Richmond Raceway.
Busch’s Saturday night victory in the Federated Auto Parts 400 guaranteed him a trip to the […]