Josh Williams Motorsports Relying On Bertha For Big Results At Iowa

Josh Williams Motorsports Relying On Bertha For Big Results At Iowa

Topics: Josh Williams, Prairie Meadows 200

Josh Williams Motorsports Relying On Bertha For Big Results At Iowa

Chris Knight
Knight Motorsports Management
Josh Williams Motorsports
July 11, 2012

NEWTON, Iowa (July 11, 2012) - - After a likely top-10 finish was derailed in the most recent ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards race at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) a few weeks ago, Josh Williams (@Josh02Williams) and his Josh Williams Motorsports (JWM) return to the circuit refreshed and energized for Friday night’s Prairie Meadows 200 at Iowa Speedway.

The family-owned team is relying on a Ford Fusion that the team has nicknamed “Bertha” for their fourth top-10 finish of the season. The unique name for this race car doesn’t come without a story. At the tender age of 16, Williams began working on this automobile with then JWM crew chief Barry Owen and the duo built this machine from the ground up.

Williams, driver of the No. 02 Southwest Florida Cable Construction Ford Fusion utilized the machine last year at the .875-mile paved short track. After strong practice results lifted the spirit of the Port Charlotte, Florida native, he battled a loose racecar in qualifying which dropped the teenager in an unwanted position for the start of the race. Once the green flag dropped though, the No. 02 was on a mission. Like a jet with its afterburners at maximum power, the team quickly reached the top-10 only to be sidelined due to brake issues relegating them to a less than enthusiastic finish.

Still, dubbed as one of the best Ford Fusions in their fleet of nine cars, Williams will bring “Bertha” back to life for the first time in 2012 and hope for an eye-catching performance under the Friday night lights.

“Obviously, this is a special race car to me,” said Williams. “Barry (Owen) taught me a lot about the fundamentals of building a car, so if everyone thinks I’m a little overbearing to this car I feel like I have good reason to be,” he laughed. “In all honesty, it’s a strong car and we intentionally let it sit for this particular race. I feel that we had one of the strongest cars in the field last year, but circumstances beyond our control stopped us from showing that. From then, we’ve gone over Bertha with a fine tooth comb making sure she’s armed and ready for battle on Friday night.”

The Floridian added, “I like Iowa. Always have. It’s a short track that allows space to race but still put on a good show between the other drivers for the fans. Last year, it was incredibly, unbearably hot – but we raced during the day. This year, it’s a night race, so that’s a little bit of a soothing feeling but we also know that will affect the way we work on the race car throughout the day. We’ll practice and qualify during the day but I expect the track to change as night falls – so we just have to stay ahead of the game for that. Looking at the bigger picture, we’re just hoping for a nice rebound from New Jersey and put Bertha in the hunt.”

Not only will Williams unveil one of his favorite rides for the first official night race of the 2012 season, but the 18-year old will also sport a new helmet signifying his involvement with RAD (Racing Against Drugs). A slick Simpson helmet decked out in a stimulating and gasping design by Mooresville, North Carolina-based Shell Shock, Williams will wear the piece through the month of July before auctioning it off at the beginning of August with the proceeds being directly donated to the RAD program.

“This is something we’ve been putting together for a month or so,” Williams explained. “RAD is such a great program and their techniques really do help make you think before choosing a path you may not want to follow. I enjoy my affiliation with them and we hope to gain them some additional attention with our month long tribute.”

The Prairie Meadows 200 (200 laps / 175 miles) is the 11th of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The seventh ARCA race at the Rusty Wallace-designed racetrack is a one day show. Practice begins Friday, July 13 with an hour and a half session planned from 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. A final practice is scheduled from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. The event will take the green flag under the lights shortly after 8:00 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional coverage including timing and scoring will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local (Central).

For more information on Josh Williams, his Josh Williams Motorsports team and sponsorship opportunities for the 2012 and 2013 seasons please connect to the team’s official website at Joshwracing.com.

Williams has joined the Twitter crave. Follow and connect with him @Josh02Williams.

PHOTO CAPTION: Josh Williams, driver of the No. 02 Southwest Florida Cable Construction Ford Fusion in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards for Josh Williams Motorsports (JWM).

TEAM COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT:

NAME: Chris Knight, Knight Motorsports Management
PHONE: 239.834.9797
EMAIL: chris@chrisknightpr.com