KANSAS CITY, Kansas (October 15, 2015) – ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards veteran driver Josh Williams remembers last year’s race at Kansas Speedway like it was yesterday.
In the hunt for his first career ARCA victory, Williams came up one position short of capturing the checkered flag, but he’s also circled Friday night’s Full Throttle S’loonshine 98.9 season-finale race as the perfect opportunity for a rematch.
Fast forward 12 months later, the time has come for the rematch to ignite, but the personable ARCA driver is a man of many missions under the Kansas Speedway lights Friday night.
Still hunting for his first career ARCA victory and protecting his second-place position in the championship standings may seem like a tall task for the Josh Williams Motorsports team.
But, if there’s anything that the team hasn’t proven this year, challenges are their specialty.
And, this weekend as the cars and stars prepare for one more assault, one more journey that puts a period on a 20-race schedule, Williams wants to end his season with an exclamation point!
“I think we’re ready,” said Williams. “We had a mechanical failure that took us out at Kentucky Speedway a few weeks ago. We were strong and man, I thought we had a car that could contend, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”
Still, with William’s finish outside the top-10, for just the fourth time this year, the family-owned team with the mentality of the #LitteTeamThatCould still holds a respectable second in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards championship standings, a spot that the Port Charlotte, Florida native is destined to keep.
“When we started the year, we weren’t supposed to run the full season,” Williams explained. “We planned to start off with a hand full of races and then just pick and choose. But then we got on a roll and the finishes started to build and we couldn’t just quit.
“It was touch-and-go for a little bit of the summer stretch, but we took pennies and made it to the track. It wasn’t without a lot of help from my family and family members that allowed us to pull through.”
The ability to mainstay a course on the track in times of trials and tribulations attracted interest from Musselman’s Applesauce who jumped aboard for a variety of races, including the final two.
“It has been a real honor to represent Musselman’s Applesauce and their BIG CUP brand,” added Williams. “Without their support, I’m not sure we’d be heading to Kansas Speedway to race Friday night, so we want to go out there and do what we’ve done all season and see if we can’t finally get that first win!”
“Everyone at Knouse Foods is excited to watch the final race of the year and wishing Josh a safe and solid run,” offered Kevin Blacker of Knouse Foods. “Musselman’s BIG CUP is proud to be the presenting sponsor for the handprint car and having it go pink as well for breast cancer awareness is just great. We have had a great Partnership with Josh Williams and his family owned team and we are looking forward to a great race on Friday night and working together in the future.”
In-between working on his Kansas Speedway car, the 22-year-old driver took a short trip to Pennsylvania State University last weekend with members of his Josh Williams Motorsports (JWM) team, where he participated in the university’s homecoming parade as a special guest.
The Floridian’s first appearance in the largest collegiate parade in the nation was a thank you from the school for Williams and his team’s recent work at Hershey Children’s Hospital in August after the Pocono (Pa.) Raceway event.
“Man, I had a blast,” he said. “I can’t even begin to describe how much fun I had. I truly can’t thank Deanna Javage and the Pennsylvania State University for the invitation, it was an experience you don’t forget. I felt honored to be a part of their homecoming festivities and hope to maybe have the opportunity to do it again someday.”
To cap off a remarkable season in ARCA competition, JWM is one of several teams that will honor National Breast Cancer Awareness month in their own way with their traditional No 6 emblem showcased in pink. Additionally, William’s No. 6 Chevrolet will have pink handprints from their year-around children’s hospital tour.
Changes will be noticeable inside the cockpit too. Williams will look to steer towards his first career ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards victory with a custom made Driven steering wheel, embedded in pink to show further attentiveness to Breast Cancer Awareness month.
Follow Josh Williams on Twitter @Josh6Williams or “like” his Facebook page at Facebook.com/JWMotorsports.
Visit Josh Williams online at JoshWMotorsports.com.
The Full Throttle S’loonshine 98.9 (99 Laps / 149 Miles) is the 20th of 20 races on the 2015 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. Practice begins for the one-day show on Friday, October 16 from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day at 2:30 p.m. The event will take the green flag later that night around 7:30 p.m. The season finale will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 with including live timing and scoring available online at ARCARacing.com. 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.
