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. – California businessman Gene Haas said Monday he believes basing his Formula One operation in Kannapolis at the current Stewart-Haas Racing location will be an enhancement rather than a distraction to his four NASCAR teams.
“There are a lot of similarities between both forms of racing,” Haas said. “Both [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – NHRA 2009 Funny Car champion Robert Hight was the only familiar face in the Four-Wide Nationals victory lane Sunday at zMAX Dragway as three veteran drivers celebrated first-time wins in the unique event.
Antron Brown, the 2012 Top Fuel champion and the weekend’s fourth qualifier, earned his first [...]
CONCORD, N.C. – Drag racers always play mind games with one another and when it comes to the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway the challenges faced in the staging area are doubled.
“I know a lot of people think you just get in the car, stand on the pedal and put the parachutes out, but [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – On any given race weekend, a track record is always a possibility, but this Sunday in the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway a milestone could be reached in the victory department.
Women competing in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series have totaled 98 victories since Shirley [...]
Zone tread tire technology isn’t new to Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., just to racing.
Known as the Assurance Tripletred, the multi-zone passenger tire introduced in 2004 inspired the racing tire unveiled at Atlanta last Labor Day and used at Texas Motor Speedway. The passenger tire’s three zones are designed to deal with ice, wet and [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – When the checkered flag waved Sunday on Martinsville Speedway’s STP 500, Kurt Busch felt a sharp chill go through his body that he had done it, he was back, and he was a winner for the first time in two years.
The self-proclaimed “Outlaw” had snapped an 83-race [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – “If it wasn’t for Martinsville, I wouldn’t be racing today.”
Those were the words of Rick Hendrick Sunday at Martinsville Speedway prior to the STP 500. Thirty years ago in Martinsville’s spring race, Hendrick obtained his first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory with driver Geoff Bodine and crew chief [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Five different winners in the first five NASCAR Sprint Cup races is a trend that existed last year, but with the rule change for Chase admittance this season if the trend continues team strategy could be in flux until the September Richmond event.
“If we get into week [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
Throughout life there are certain people who touch your heart in a special way. Lynda Petty was one of those people.
In 1992 the paper I worked for assigned me to shadow the Petty family, specifically Richard, during his final season as a driver. Little did I know it was a [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
BRISTOL, Tenn. – NASCAR’s new format for making the Chase has created a “Winner’s Club” and it’s the desire to gain entrance into the select group that could cause Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway to resemble the tough half-mile track’s sheet metal banging affairs of old.
A victory [...]