Day Motor Sports Driver Profile: Colby Williams running strong in Limited Modifieds
SIBLEY, Louisiana — There’s a trend developing within the highly-competitive Louisiana short track scene. If you take a closer look at who’s hot and who’s not this year, you’ll notice a pair of brothers who have their ducks in a row when it comes to Limited Modifieds.
For 28-year-old Colby Williams, brother of Conner whom we spoke with earlier this year, the 2023 season has been rewarding. Colby has a pair of wins, eight top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 20 starts thus far, and shows no signs of slowing down. He’s found the speed and consistency it takes to succeed.
“Down here where we’re from, they started letting us run the USRA B Mods with the Limiteds this year,” Williams said. “So we kind of went that route to start the year. We were hoping it would be better than the Limited, but those cars are still running pretty strong.
“We’ve had good success in ours; my IRP car is going good. The car has been handling like we want it to everywhere we’ve been. We made a few minor adjustments from the start of the year, and it’s been getting faster every time out. So it’s been a good season for us.”
Now in his 10th season of short track action, Williams has paid his dues in open-wheel racing.
“I started out in the Modifieds, and ran them for four or five years,” he explained. “They kind of out-priced us, so we stepped back to the Limiteds. We were decent there starting out, but were never very successful in them up until about three years ago.
“Once I bought this chassis and got some help getting it going, we turned the corner and started heading in the right direction. With a little bit of help, we were able to get ourselves in the hunt.”
In the beautiful Bayou State of Louisiana, competition in Limited Mods is as tough as it gets.
“Man, I feel like every time you unload, you have to be good,” Williams said. “I feel like the Limiteds are one of the most competitive classes in the entire south. There’s 15 cars that can unload and win on any given night, no matter what track we run. You have to stay on top of it.
“I don’t think I’ve been to a weekly show this year that didn’t have 25-plus cars. A bad night will put you in a B Main, and you’ll be starting the feature out back. You have to be good early on in the night, and be able to capitalize at the end. Bring a good piece, and get up on that wheel.”
When Williams puts on his safety suit and gets ready to compete, he climbs into one fine machine.
“I drive a 2018 IRP chassis that’s had all the updates,” he explained. “It’s a nicely-built car that handles great when we hit the setup. It’s turned my program around, for sure. We have a strong motor from Myers Automotive, it pulls like crazy and has all the power I need. The car is more than competitive.”
Along with his decade of experience and top-notch race car, Williams has good people in his corner.
“I need to thank those who make this possible, including Williams Flooring & Construction; Payzone Energy Service, Blacks Metal of Eldorado; Southern Sass Hair Salon, Myers Automotive, J&J Motorsports; IRP Racecars, and MoBags Suspension and Technology. I sure appreciate their support.”
With summer flashing by all too quickly (as it does every year), Williams knows what he wants to achieve before all is said and done on the 2023 season.
“We’ve been trying to do a little points chasing, but it’s been a challenge,” he concluded. “I have new baby, so it’s been a little difficult. I try to race when I can, but I have other responsibilities now. It hasn’t been that bad; but I think chasing a points title now is a little out of the question.
“I’ll try to go to some of the big shows at the end of the year, for sure. We’ll see if we can’t get us one of those wins. Either way, we’ve had a good season to this point and made some great gains with the car. If we keep running strong like this when we do go, I’ll be more than satisfied with our season.”
RaceON.com Staff Writer
Photo by Scott Burson
