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
ABINGDON, Va. – FAA investigators were scheduled to arrive Saturday at South Holston Lake where a Food City corporate helicopter crashed after transporting passengers from Bristol Motor Speedway to a residence following Friday night’s Food City 250 NASCAR Nationwide race.
The 1996 Bell 407 helicopter crashed in the lake’s Washington [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Shades of the old Bristol Motor Speedway that fans loved and most drivers despised reappeared Friday night in the Food City 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race.
The 250-lap event that was delayed nearly an hour by rain and eventually won by Joey Logano produced nine yellow flags for [...]
BRISTOL, Tenn. –Trevor Bayne admitted Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway he has mixed emotions about Ricky Stenhouse Jr. being Matt Kenseth’s replacement at Roush Fenway Racing because he believes they both deserve a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series ride.
“At first when they said that [Stenhouse in the No. 17 next year] I was a little bit [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
BRISTOL, Tenn. – When NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner Tom DeLoach wants to remember his 65th birthday all he’ll have to do is look at his trophy case and focus on the unique hardware from Bristol Motor Speedway.
Given to DeLoach by driver Timothy Peters, it was a gift any [...]
CONCORD, N.C. – Kasey Kahne and Hendrick Motorsports possess an affinity for Charlotte Motor Speedway and it paid dividends for the 32-year-old driver Sunday night.
With a potent Chevrolet that no one could challenge in the Coca-Cola 600’s closing laps, Kahne and crew chief Kenny Francis snapped a string of bad luck that had stalked [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – After winning Saturday’s History 300 NASCAR Nationwide race Brad Keselowski wasn’t concerned about the 600-miles and 90-degree heat facing him Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he was headed to Concord Motorsports Park to enjoy a night of short-track racing.
“I’ve got a couple of Late Models running up [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – When Danica Patrick takes the green flag in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway it will be the first time in 36 years that a woman has competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series longest race.
It also will be the first time in seven years Patrick [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Selecting the 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees wasn’t easy for the 54-member voting panel and some said Wednesday they expect picking the five to only get tougher with each passing year.
“In the past, you had several that were slam dunks,” Ned Jarrett said when asked why [...]
SALISBURY, N.C. – Toyota’s 2013 Camry has a little bit different feel than the car currently raced on NASCAR’s Sprint Cup circuit, but it’s not the major jump the drivers experienced when the old car was mothballed in favor of the COT, Kyle Busch said Tuesday at Toyota Racing and Development headquarters.
Busch attributed the [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – For Hendrick Motorsports, the week has been phenomenal, as the nearly three-decade old team has won everything in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition except qualifying for the All-Star and Showdown races.
In a seven-day period, five-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson has recorded Hendrick’s 200th Cup victory at Darlington [...]