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. – Innovator and inventor are two words that can be used to describe Leonard Wood, who was inducted Friday night into the NASCAR Hall of Fame with Rusty Wallace, Buck Baker, Cotton Owens and Herb Thomas.
However, when it comes to the personable Wood’s close-knit, Stuart, Va., family, they prefer to identify him as [...]
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In 1984 Scott Pruett was a rookie in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Now, at age 52, the pole winner for this year’s around-the-clock event still “absolutely loves” competing in the race that kicks off the new motorsports season.
“Ever since I can remember, even as a kid, being part of the Rolex [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – Rick Hendrick believes any of his four NASCAR Sprint Cup teams can win this year’s championship, but his drivers admit they have to figure out how to make the new 2013 Chevrolet SS compatible with their respective driving styles.
“It might not fit my driving style the way [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – This year’s car puts the stock back into stock car racing.
It’s a statement continuously heard on this week’s NASCAR Sprint Media Tour presented by Charlotte Motor Speedway when competitors and officials talk about the 2013 cars known as “Gen 6”.
The manufacturers are happy about the way the [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – Tony Stewart may have turned down Roger Penske’s offer to drive for the 15-time Indianapolis 500 winning car owner in this year’s historic Memorial Day weekend open-wheel race, but that doesn’t mean the opportunity is gone forever.
The three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion said Monday during the kickoff [...]
CONCORD, N.C. – Some adjustments must still be made on the cars to be raced next year in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series, but during Tuesday’s test at Charlotte Motor Speedway drivers were giving a nod of approval to the 2013 car nicknamed “Gen 6.”
“The cars drive really good,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr., who noted it [...]
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – With 25 laps remaining in Sunday’s TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway, Brad Keselowski asked crew chief Paul Wolfe to let him make the call on whether to pit. Wolfe obliged and Keselowski stayed on the tough, half-mile track.
However, the Penske Racing driver and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were the only [...]
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – When Ryan Newman and Matt Borland first appeared on the NASCAR scene more than a decade ago they produced an on-track magic that caused nightmares for their competitors.
In five NASCAR Sprint Cup seasons they totaled 12 victories, 37 poles, 52 top-5s and 83 top-10s. Newman became the second rookie to win the [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Talladega Superspeedway is always cited as the wild card in a championship battle, but the tough, half-mile Martinsville Speedway proved Saturday it could overshadow the 2.66-mile track.
In Saturday’s Kroger 200, the historic, paperclip-shaped track caused a shakeup in the NASCAR Camping Work Truck Series standings that kept [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Five-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson said Friday he believes a change is coming in how NASCAR deals with drivers that may have a concussion.
“We know that a series of concussions within a short period of time is very dangerous and we need to keep our sport safe,” [...]