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
Two adages often heard in motorsports are: “What goes around comes around” and “The more things change the more they stay the same.” Such is the case with NASCAR’s rules governing two-way radio communications this year.
When the green flag waves on Speedweeks, drivers will be allowed to talk only with [...]
For nearly two decades the NASCAR community has cited the intense 1992 season finale title bout at Atlanta between Alan Kulwicki and Bill Elliott as a legendary race. Sunday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway another season-ending event, this one between Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards, assumed its place in the history-making ranks.
Sunday’s 2011 season finale was [...]
Team orders.
Those two words simply describe the way business is conducted in Formula 1. In stock car racing, however, they’ve always carried a great deal of distain.
Yet, with two drivers, from two different racing organizations and two different automotive manufacturers vying for NASCAR’s Sprint Cup championship the question of whether team orders will exist in [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – For NASCAR Sprint Cup crew chiefs Bob Osborne and Darian Grubb, their strategy for Sunday’s season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway is quite simple – win the race.
With only three points separating the first place Carl Edwards and second place Tony Stewart, if one of those two [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Tony Stewart has partnered with tough championship battles throughout his storied racing career, so to hear him issue a challenge to NASCAR Sprint Cup point leader Carl Edwards after winning Sunday’s TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway shouldn’t have surprised anyone.
“He better be worried. That is [...]
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Hendrick Motorsports has dominated Martinsville Speedway this century, winning 10 of the last 17 races with Jimmie Johnson claiming six of them.
In fact, from April 2003-March 2009 Hendrick Motorsports lost only three Martinsville races – one to Rusty Wallace, one to Tony Stewart and another to Denny Hamlin. When Johnson wasn’t in [...]
(Editor’s Note: Saturday’s Sprint Cup qualifying session at Martinsville Speedway has been canceled by rain.)
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. cited a playing field that’s “way too level” as the catalyst for numerous incidents last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway that spilled over into a racing ethics discussion at Martinsville Speedway on Friday.
On a day that [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – NASCAR Sprint Cup cars equipped with an electronic fuel injection system sounded no different Monday at Charlotte Motor Speedway than those that raced in Saturday’s Bank of America 500, but everyone admitted there was still much to be learned before the 2012 season opening Daytona 500.
“There is [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – Despite auto racing’s worldwide existence, it is a small community and when tragedy strikes, as it did with Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon’s death in Sunday’s IndyCar Series season finale, it is felt by every series competitor and sanctioning body.
“Those of us walking around the garage today, [...]
By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com
CONCORD, N.C. – Matt Kenseth’s Saturday night Bank of America 500 victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway marked the half way point in a title chase that has displayed only one characteristic – unpredictability.
In fact, third-place finisher and points leader Carl Edwards readily admits “this season’s not like others.” He believes [...]