Josh Williams celebrates after scoring his second ARCA Racing Series victory of the season Sunday afternoon at Madison International Speedway. Photo: ARCA Media
Josh Williams said after his career-first victory at Nashville back in April that he was going to win more races.
He was right.
Williams, in the family owned racecar, held off a hard-charging Kyle Weatherman to win the Montgomery Ward Father’s Day 200 Sunday afternoon at Madison International Speedway in Madison, Wisconsin.
After eight different winners in as many races, Williams, in his own No. 6 Southwest Florida Cable Construction Chevrolet, became the first repeat winner of the 2016 ARCA Racing Series season.
“This was a complete group effort today,” Williams said. “We weren’t even supposed to be here. We’re down on funds, and we came off the chassis dyno 45 horsepower down…not sure why. Other than that, the car was really on it today. It was so hot that being down on horsepower probably didn’t hurt as much. I just want to wish my father a happy Father’s Day watching back home in Florida.”
On advice Williams remembered from his dad, Kevin Williams, he out-dueled Weatherman on a restart just past the halfway point and continually fought the field off from there.
“I swear I could hear my dad in my headset…he always preached to me the way to win races was to get ’em on a restart. He preached that to me from day one…that’s exactly what we did.”
Weatherman was catching the eventual winner in the end but fell short by three car lengths at the checkered flag, finishing second.
“It took two or three laps to get the right temperatures in our tires, but after that, the car really came to us,” Weatherman said.
Weatherman got to Williams’ rear bumper inside of 30 laps to go, but got tangled up with a lapped car in turn four on lap 179.
“Lapped cars killed us today, but that’s the way it goes…it was a really fun race,” Weatherman continued. “I can’t thank Mason Mitchell Motorsports enough…hopefully, we can take it to Winchester.”
Weatherman’s spin brought the final caution out, sending all the lead lap machines to pit road for right-side tires only, all hoping to get the jump off pit road.
Local Wisconsin favorite Ty Majeski, who had been running second during the back half of the race right on Williams’ rear bumper, gambled on a pit road strategy that all but eliminated his chance to win.
“We were trying to free the car up on that last stop,” Majeski said. “We chose to give up two spots to take a big swing at the car. We ended up over-adjusting on the car. In hindsight, we wouldn’t have done that, but that’s okay…I learned a lot today. I think we had the fastest car. The Roulo Brothers gave me a great car. I really appreciate the opportunity…hope I get another one.”
Majeski crossed the finish line in fourth.
Nicole Behar turned herself into another crowd favorite, and for good reason. The Spokane, Washington driver, in her career-first ARCA start, got ruffled up early but battled back to finish third.
“I can’t thank Venturini Motorsports and Toyota enough for this opportunity,” Behar said. “My first time in an ARCA car…I really enjoyed it. I need a little more discipline but that will come with being in an ARCA car more. Don’t drive it in so hard…they were on me every single lap, in my ear as a constant reminder. This was awesome. ARCA is the next big step for me…learning how to race on these radial tires.”
Tom Hessert got two free passes, which enabled him to finish fifth on the lead lap.
“We were really good early on in the run, but track conditions changed and we got so tight,” Hessert said. “Could never get it back. A top-five…all good. On to Winchester.”
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ARCA point leader and pole winner Chase Briscoe led the first four laps before the first caution flag waved for Ed Pompa’s car, which stopped on the track. Weatherman then out-maneuvered Briscoe on the restart to take on the lead, and stretched his lead to a half-straightaway before he and all the leaders came down pit road for four-tire stops on lap 108. Weatherman also won the race off pit road for the restart.
However, Williams, with his dad’s chorus echoing in his head, raced his way around Weatherman on the restart to take over the lead on the 114th lap. From there, Williams fought off both Weatherman and Majeski to earn his second career ARCA victory.
Briscoe, Matt Kurzejewski, A.J. Fike, Thomas Praytor and Will Kimmel rounded out the top ten.
Indiana’s Winchester Speedway hosts the next ARCA Racing Series event with the Herr’s Potato Chips 200 coming Sunday, June 26.
ARCA Racing Series
Madison International Speedway – Madison, WI
Montgomery Ward Father’s Day 200 – July 19, 2016
FIN NO DRIVER/HOMETOWN LAPS STATUS
1. 6 Josh Williams/Port Charlotte FL 200 Running
2. 98 Kyle Weatherman/Wentzville MO 200 Running
3. 55 Nicole Behar/Mooresville NC 200 Running
4. 17 Ty Majeski/Seymour WI 200 Running
5. 25 Tom Hessert/Cherry Hill NJ 200 Running
6. 77 Chase Briscoe/Mitchell IN 200 Running
7. 52 Matt Kurzejewski/Mansfield PA 199 Running
8. 27 A.J. Fike/Galesburg IL 197 Running
9. 9 Thomas Praytor/Mobile AL 191 Running
10. 22 Will Kimmel/Sellersburg IN 190 Running
11. 10 Ed Pompa/Ballston Spa NY 178 Running
12. 2 Rick Tackman/Waukesha WI 175 Running
13. 14 Dustin Knowles/Moody AL 136 Running
14. 15 Christian Eckes/Middletown NY 118 Out
15. 48 Brad Smith/Shelby Township MI 73 Out
16. 34 Mike Basham/Henryville IN 69 Out
17. 42 Josh Reeves/Bassett VA 62 Out
18. 0 Richard Hauck/Howell MI 43 Out
19. 64 Mike Senica/Doylestown PA 36 Out
20. 06 Con Nicolopoulos/Columbus MI 35 Out
21. 69 Nick Higdon/Big Clifty KY 9 Out
22. 23 Chase Storch/Riverview FL 6 Out
23. 00 Wayne Peterson/Pulaski TN 4 Out
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