Williams Scratches and Claws to Top-Five Finish in Music City
April 8th, 2017NASHVILLE, TN — The 100-lap season-opener for the Pro Late Models at the Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville was what many would consider to be a “character-building” day for Cole Williams and his No. 46 race team. Williams qualified 12th, but started way back in 24th. He eventually made his way all the way up to fourth at the finish.
“We made a big swing on adjustments Sunday morning before qualifying that ended up causing me to be way to free during our qualifying run,” Williams explained. “Because I wasn’t happy with how our car was handling, I decided to try and improve the car to increase our chances of winning than to run mediocre in mid pack, so we pulled out of our position after qualifying to make adjustments which is a penalty for impound races.”
As a result, Williams forfeited his 12th-place starting position and was sent to the rear of the field. However, with a methodical approach, Williams was able to work his way through the field and into the top five by the end of the race.
The Indiana native was one of the fastest cars on the race track in the closing laps and perhaps might have been a contender for the win if he had just a few more laps.
“We took our time through the field and tried to stay out of all the troubles that happened through the field which we were successful at doing Sunday. Honestly, I don’t think anyone had the car to beat Willie Allen, but if there was a late race restart I was confident enough in our car that we could have fought hard for second and third.”
Williams said that a run through the field like the one he had on Sunday is a big momentum builder, as was his sixth-place finish on Friday night at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. Now, he feels that he has momentum on his side when he makes his debut in a Super Late Model on April 28 at Five Flags.
“Having a solid run coming from 24th definitely shows we can manage well as a team from deep in the field. As a driver, it helped me boost my confidence by showing I was capable of moving forward to the front. We also have a ton of notes to go back to the shop with and improve for our next race, which is always good. I’m really looking forward to that race to get more seat time and hopefully we’ll have a solid outing.”
For more information on Cole Williams, please visit colewilliamsracing.com. Also be sure to follow Cole Williams on Twitter, @ColeWilliams46.