BROOKLYN, Michigan – The rise to the top has never been more obtainable for Josh Williams and his family-owned Josh Williams Motorsports (JWM) team.
And despite a limited sponsorship budget from his family and other single-race partnerships, Williams in his No. 6 Southwest Florida Cable Construction Chevrolet still have been able to overcome the odds.
With the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards championship points lead within grasp heading into Friday afternoon’s Corrigan Oil 200, Williams hopes some luck in the Irish Hills will keep not only a solid streak alive, but a dream too.
“A never give up attitude has put us where we at,” said Williams. “We’ve fought through adversity and despite some bumps in the road, we’re heading to Michigan as strong as ever. I wouldn’t be where I’m at today without every soul on this JWM team.”
On the heels of a seventh-place finish last Saturday at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, Williams was content with his sixth top-10 finish of the season. After qualifying 12th in the No. 6 Musselman’s BIG CUP Chevrolet, Williams was able to cleverly muscle his way through the field to post his third consecutive top-10 in a row.
Despite the solid finish in the Pocono ARCA 200, the team still faced adversity.
The JWM team debuted last weekend with the ARCA Ilmor 396 engine, the spec motor that most ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards teams are utilizing this season. And while the team couldn’t secure the right balance with their car, Williams realizes what they learned at the 2.5-mile triangle should play dividends in Friday’s 100-lap shootout at the track nestled just outside Detroit.
“It was important for us to obtain the ARCA Ilmor 396, but we still have some work to do to make sure we can get our car dialed in with its specs,” Williams added. “From Pocono last weekend we know what to work on and I think it will help us full circle for this Friday’s race.”
The 21-year old will make his fourth start at the 2.0-mile oval and look to capitalize on a 10th place showing last June.
“Michigan is a very wide track with a lot of room to pass, so it should make for an entertaining race,” he said. “I think much like we’ve seen at Michigan in the past pit strategy will be crucial. We’ll do everything in our power to stay ahead of the game. We let Grant (Enfinger, points leader) extend his lead a little bit last weekend, so we need to do everything in our power to recover some of the loss.”
Entering the ninth race of the season, Williams sits a career-high second in the championship standings, just a mere 60 points from first. Realistically, Williams knows he could leave the track this weekend with the points lead.
But, the Port Charlotte, Florida native also realizes that it could go the other direction just as fast.
“When you have some of these races on bigger tracks, it attracts a bigger field, which means if you have bad luck, you could lose a lot of points and vice-versa,” Williams added. “We didn’t have the fastest No. 6 Chevrolet last year, but we still came away with a top-10.
“This weekend, a top-10 won’t do it. We need to put our No. 6 Southwest Florida Cable Construction Chevrolet inside the top-five and keep the points lead on the radar heading to Chicagoland Speedway, one of my favorites next Saturday.”
Continuing this weekend at Michigan is the Team Anya Cale (#BeatLeukemia) campaign. Williams and JWM hosted 5-year old Anya Cale Harvey in the season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. Last November, she was diagnosed with Leukemia and has undergone treatment since. Their friendship has quickly blossomed with Williams determined to bring awareness to her story and other children battling Leukemia.
In Thursday’s lone practice session, Williams clocked the eighth quickest lap overall, circling the track in 39.347 seconds at 182.987 miles per hour.
Follow Josh Williams on Twitter @Josh6Williams or “like” his Facebook page at Facebook.com/JWMotorsports.
Visit Josh Williams online at JoshWMotorsports.com.
The Corrigan Oil 200 (100 Laps / 200 Miles) is the ninth of 20 races on the 2015 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. Menards pole group qualifying presented by Ansell is set for race day, Friday, June 12 at 10:00 a.m. The event will take the green flag just after 5:30 p.m. The event will be televised on FOX Sports 2 with additional coverage, including live timing and scoring at ARCARacing.com. All times are local (Eastern).
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.
