GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Finally. Garet Williamson is a World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series winner.
The 26-year-old has endured heartbreak after heartbreak this year. A crash after leading much of June’s race at Angell Park. Losing the top spot coming to the white flag at Wilmot. Having a potential Kings Royal crown slip from his grasp in the closing laps at Eldora. Leading early just last week at Ogilvie before falling to third.
Through it all, Williamson kept his head high. He knew his time would come.
On Friday at River Cities Speedway, the time came.
Williamson lined up on the outside of the front row for the 40-lap feature, and he absolutely had to earn his first one. Next to him on the pole was two-time and defending Series champion David Gravel.
When the green flag waved, Gravel surged ahead and starting a game of cat and mouse around the juiced up quarter mile after Mother Nature applied a little extra moisture in the evening.
The Fischer Motorsports No. 23 stalked the Big Game Motorsports No. 2 as they both struggled to navigate traffic. The door opened on Lap 26 as Williamson muscled under Gravel in Turns 3 and 4 to snatch the lead. The Columbia, Mo., native then stayed composed over the closing circuits on his way to an emotional trip to victory lane. No more close calls. No more heartbreak. Garet Williamson is forever a World of Outlaws winner.
“I don’t even know what to say,” Williamson said. “I sat there before the race started and had a feeling, man. We’ve been so close. I’m sick of hearing it. I know the boys are. I just wanted to get it done, whatever it took there. I was frustrated. We kept getting to traffic felt like we kept having yellow after yellow.
“I felt really good. I felt like we were getting ready to pass David after that first yellow. We got close. I just knew we were really good in traffic. My car owners told me last week, ‘We don’t care if you write one off in traffic again. Just don’t do what you did last week.’ Man, I was going to hammer that thing. We were either winning or destroying this thing.”
Williamson becomes the 159th different driver to win a World of Outlaws race as he got the job done in his 163rd career feature start.
The list of winners this season grows to 20 with Williamson adding his name, marking the 10th time the tour has reached at least 20 in one year. The record is 25 in 2004.
Gravel settled for the runner-up spot after leading the opening 25 laps.
Michael “Buddy” Kofoid came home third in the Roth Motorsports No. 83, the pairing’s 23rd top three of the season.
Spencer Bayston and Logan Schuchart completed the top five.
The finish:
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 23-Garet Williamson[2]; 2. 2-David Gravel[1]; 3. 83-Michael Kofoid[4]; 4. 17-Spencer Bayston[3]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart[13]; 6. 27-Emerson Axsom[6]; 7. 7S-Chris Windom[5]; 8. 2C-Cole Macedo[8]; 9. 13-Mark Dobmeier[17]; 10. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[16]; 11. 51-Steven Snyder Jr[15]; 12. 24T-Christopher Thram[19]; 13. 15-Donny Schatz[11]; 14. 16C-Skylar Gee[20]; 15. 3-Kelby Watt[14]; 16. 64-Andy Pake[10]; 17. 17K-Zach Omdahl[24]; 18. 28M-Conner Morrell[23]; 19. (DNF) 14T-Tim Estenson[18]; 20. (DNF) 83JR-Sam Henderson[21]; 21. (DNF) 11M-Brendan Mullen[22]; 22. (DNF) 41-Carson Macedo[9]; 23. (DNF) 17B-Bill Balog[12]; 24. (DNF) 6-Bryce Lucius[7]
