Naturally, the drama started before the green flag waved when Sheppard drew the pole for the feature during the redraw. Williamson drew the outside pole, meaning the two men fighting for the championship would start side by side for the 40-lap race on the four-tenths-mile track.
“When I drew two, I was very happy. I got back on my four-wheeler and drove back to the second light pole and I waited,” Williamson said. “I knew it was three, seven and one left. Somebody drew seven and I knew Matt was last. Somebody drew three and obviously Matt got No. 1.
“It makes a cool show for the fans, but it sucked for me.”
When it was time for the feature Sheppard went to work, leading the early laps while Williamson and eventual race winner Billy Decker gave chase. After a back-and-forth battle between Sheppard and Decker, Sheppard’s car seemed to fade a bit.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had to be so calm in a race car as I did tonight,” Williamson said after the race. “With the way things went, Billy got by Matt and then Matt got by Billy and that was when you had to turn up the wick.”
Williamson’s car stayed strong, allowing the Canadian shoe to pass Sheppard on the 29th circuit while Decker raced off into the sunset.
“We knew Matt was slowing down a little bit,” Williamson said. “I got under his quarter panel and drove into one. We raced clean together and that was all I could ask.”
By 11 p.m. the checkered flag had waved, the photos were done and most of the fans had departed. Williamson now had time to think and reflect on the season he had and what he had accomplished.
He admitted he hadn’t quite wrapped his head around everything he’d done this year but said it wouldn’t have been possible without the team, friends and family that surrounded him when he walked on stage Saturday as the Super DIRTcar Series champion.
“I’ve been so blessed. The people I have behind me that put this deal together, with everything, with Orange County, with the Super DIRT Week win, now the Super DIRTcar Series championship, is incredible,” Williamson said. “I’m just the luckiest guy in that dirt modified pit area as far as it goes with car owners and crew. I wish I could name them all, but we would literally be here until the sun came up.”
Two victories worth $150,000 and a Super DIRTcar Series championship are more than most people accomplish in a lifetime of racing.
For Williamson, it’s only the beginning.
“Hopefully it’s just like winning a feature and the rest of them come easy,” Williamson said. “In saying that, obviously none of them come easy.”