TALLADEGA, Ala. (April 30, 2015) – – When it comes to restrictor plate racing, you never know what to expect.
And while ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards driver Josh Williams (@Josh6Williams) doesn’t know what to expect in Friday’s International Motorsports Hall of Fame 200 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, he knows it was imperative for his family-owned Josh Williams Motorsports (JWM) team to make the trip.
“As a team we get so excited for these restrictor plate races,” said Williams, driver of the No. 6 Southwest Florida Cable Construction Ford Fusion. “We know it’s a gamble, but it’s worth the gamble for us (to go). It’s an opportunity for us to win and that’s exactly the reason we’re going.”
Williams has been close to victory on the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards tour. So close, he can feel the victory champagne spray for himself – but, the dream hasn’t turned into a reality.
Yet.
“You never know what to expect with these plate races,” sounded Williams, who carries three top-five ARCA finishes, including two in the last five races. “Sometimes they play into the hands of veterans, sometimes rookie and sometimes even the unknown. That’s what makes these races so unpredictable, you never know what to expect and that’s our motivation to compete.”
The Port Charlotte, Florida native kicked off his 2015 campaign with three straight top-10 finishes, but a mechanical failure last weekend at Salem (Ind.) Speedway deadpanned the team’s streak.
But, Williams notes that Talladega is a place to start the streak over.
“We finished ninth at Daytona,” recalled Williams. “We were okay with that. A ninth place isn’t going to help our chances for the championship – or keep us in the spotlight. We need to put our No. 6 Ford Fusion up front and in contention. Since Daytona, we’ve worked hard and spent long hours to make sure our car is as smooth as glass, so when it hits the track, we’re right where we want to be.”
When push comes to shove on Friday afternoon, Williams is still keeping the bigger picture in mind, despite carrying the mentality of win – win – win.
“We weren’t planning on running for the ARCA championship this year, but we had such a strong start to the season that we’ve just decided to keep going and count our blessings,” Williams explained. “We’ve had some sponsorship some interest and while we’re hopeful for what’s ahead, we know a win in Friday’s race carries some clout and hopefully pushes those talks further.
”We need the sponsorship in order to keep our train going.”
With a disappointing 19th place finish last Sunday afternoon at Salem, Williams slipped to third in the championship standings. The good news? JWM doesn’t believe in the phrase give up.
“Salem would have been an opportunity to make up some ground, but it didn’t work out,” Williams added. “We have to let things unfold at Talladega and just hope when the checkered flag falls, we’ve gained some points back and keep our little team that could still mixed in the championship battle.”
The 21-year old Williams will make his fourth ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards start at the 2.66-mile superspeedway, and while a best effort of sixth in 2013 was a positive notion for a team on a shoestring budget, the Floridian hopes to prove (once again) that David can beat Goliath.
Follow Josh Williams on Twitter @Josh6Williams or on his Facebook page at Facebook.com/JWMotorsports.
The International Motorsports Hall of Fame 200 (76 Laps / 202 Miles) is the fifth of 20 races on the 2015 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. Practice begins for the one-day show on Friday, May 1 from 8:00 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. Later, Menards pole group qualifying presented by Ansell takes place later in the day at 2:30 p.m. Shortly thereafter, the event will take the green flag just after 5:00 p.m. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1. ARCARacing.com will stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (Central).
About Josh Williams Motorsports (JWM):
Josh Williams Motorsports (JWM) is a Concord, North Carolina based ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards team. With a family tradition of racing and mentoring programs JWM excels in driver development programs and brand marketing.
