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
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Several recent marketing campaigns focus on the young drivers entering the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and that bothers 32-year-old Kyle Busch.
“We’ve paid our dues, and our sponsors have and everything else, and all you’re doing is advertising all these younger guys for fans to figure out and pick up on and […]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – Perhaps Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. provided the best summation of Charlotte Motor Speedway’s new challenging road course Monday when he said it would “break some people’s hearts.”
That’s heartbreak that could come in the form of elimination from the playoffs.
“It’s a wildcard for […]
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Kyle Busch punched his ticket to the championship round with a narrow victory in Martinsville Speedway’s First Data 500, but the final 10 laps in Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race provided more twists-and-turns than a TV soap opera.
“The last run of the race there, everybody was just set on kill […]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – First-time winners usually bring a breath of fresh air to an environment that has a tendency to become jaded. Such was the case Saturday when rookie Noah Gragson won the Texas Roadhouse 200 at Martinsville Speedway.
After exiting his truck on the short track’s frontstretch, the teenager […]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Half of the drivers remaining in NASCAR’s playoffs for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup championship have earned a title in the series, but Denny Hamlin said Saturday he doesn’t believe that experience gives them an advantage like it once did.
“I think it’s about the speed that you […]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Cousins Jeb and Harrison Burton are no strangers to Martinsville Speedway, having grown up at the tough NASCAR short track when their fathers competed against each other.
On Saturday, however, the two will bring the family ties full circle when they race against each other for the first […]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – “Interesting”, “challenging”, “intimidating” and “tricky” are just a few of the words used Wednesday by NASCAR drivers to describe Charlotte Motor Speedway’s road course that will be used next year for the Bank of America 500.
“(We’re) still trying to figure it all out,” said Martin Truex Jr., […]
Midway through the NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship, Steve Torrence possesses a 42-point lead in Top Fuel, but the Texas native believes it’s the length of time his team has worked together that eventually will make the difference in the title battle.
“Some of those guys have been with me six years,” the 34-year-old Torrence said. […]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – Four years ago Martin Truex Jr. didn’t know if he would ever have the opportunity to race competitively in NASCAR’s premier series again.
In 2013 Truex found himself without a sponsor and without a ride due to fallout from a team orders scandal at Michael Waltrip Racing. Following […]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – NASCAR driver Erik Jones escaped injury Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway when the NBC track car hit aluminum steps that were on the speedway.
The aluminum steps were at the frontstretch gate located at the flagstand. They are used for those walking from the grandstand to the infield […]
