Williams also explained that if it wasn’t for the advances in safety that the sport has made, plus his own safety equipment in use that night, he might not have been as lucky to walk away from the crash.
“In all honesty, if my safety equipment (had) failed, I probably wouldn’t be here today. My Bell Helmet withstood a strike to the helmet from a concrete barrier. My HANS (Head and Neck Support) Device protected my neck … my seat didn’t come out; everything seemed to work right.”
“It was just a freak accident, how I landed on that barrier like I did. Maybe if there had been a fence there, or a little closer, I might have rolled off of it … but there’s only so much anyone can do. I’m grateful for the fact I did walk away.”
Williams, who began racing at the age of 10 and asked his father about running a sprint car before he had ever entered the grassroots levels of the sport, is now turning his full focus towards the remainder of his recovery and getting back in a race car.
Doctors from a local Tulsa, Okla. hospital recommended that Williams wait “three to four months” before getting back behind the wheel, but the full-time sprint car racer says he’s “hoping to be back in the saddle by early April.”
“For right now, though, we’re taking a break from racing … and I’m okay with that. We’re taking our time preparing the sprint car, and I obviously don’t want to create any problems that don’t need to be created. I’ll just rest up, get healthy and get back to racing as soon as I can.”
When Williams does return later in the season, he plans to take a step up from 305ci sprint car racing, looking to make several starts with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour as he expands his horizons.
“We have a 360 Chevy engine ready to go in the car at any point,” he said. “I’ve been watching those 360 guys my whole life. Wayne Johnson, Jason Johnson, Aaron Reutzel … I would love to be able to say I passed them for a win one of these days. I just have to be patient, and we’ll see what happens.
Williams’ team is supported by City Vending, Pro Shocks, Outlaw Wings, E.J.’s Towing, Melray Oil & Gas, Paul Cook Racing, Keiser Wheels and Rod End Supply.
For more information on Payton Williams, follow his official Facebook page.
About the Writer
Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network.
Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.
The 22-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.
Email Jacob at: editor@racechaseronline.com
Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77
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Iv known the boy since he was about 10 years old, he is a pretty good egg in my opinion he might be a little cracked but all in all he is a good young man i myself have a son that races sprint cars also and to all of our racing familys out there he is just as much as one of our kids as our on kids are i am very thankful that the god lord kept his hand on him threw this time and matter, he will probably be back thats cause he and his dad love racing just like the rest of us do, Ray Williams, Paytons dad is a good person he does alot for the dallas ft worth racing community and you never see him ever ask for any thing back, but the main thing is that Payton came home and that is what we all are blessed about, see ya on the race track Payton, you cracked egg