BY KELLY WADE | PHOTOGRAPHS BY BOB JOHNSON

HELBY WILLIAMS watched her father , Steve Williams , put together a successful career in NHRA ’ s Super classes , and in recent years , she ’ s found her own way in the drag racing world , first in Stock Eliminator , and recently , in Super Stock . A Stock victory at the 2021 Sonoma Nationals bolstered confidence in her own driving and shown that she was paying attention as her father won national events and a world championship .

“ My dad has been racing since he was a teenager , so I ’ ve been around it ever since I was a baby ,” she says . “ Drag racing has just always been part of my life . I didn ’ t really know what I wanted , but my dad wanted me to start in a door car . As soon as I did my first big wheelie , I was hooked .”

Although her dad ’ s travel and racing schedule prevented much development as a Jr . drag racer , Williams knew she was destined for a door car , and at the age of 16 , she got her shot in the silver 1968 Chevrolet Nova Stocker owned by fellow division 7 racer Ryan Mangus .

“ I learned to drag race in that car ,” says Williams , who , a year later , stepped into the 1970 Chevy Camaro that Mangus had been driving and that the Williams family purchased from Justin Lamb . The Camaro had been a good-luckcharm for a variety of drivers , including five-time world champion Lamb , who claimed his first national event win in the car .

Williams also claimed her first national event win driving the Camaro , and she did so at the age of 18 in only the second national she had ever entered . Her final-round opponent was Lamb , and the rookie was better at both ends of the track to properly earn the honor . Williams clocked a clean . 014-second reaction time to the champ ’ s . 036 and went on to run dead-on her 10.58 dial to defeat his 9.827 on a 9.81 target .

“ Winning really early into my Stock career has given me the addiction ; I need another one ,” says Williams . “ I got really close in Pomona at the end of last year , and I got down to three cars

and had Ryan [ Mangus ], of all people , in the semifinals . I turned it red by three-thou ,’ and he went on to win the race . It was his first win – and he deserves it , 100 percent – but it was so heartbreaking .”

Williams and her dad race together – he competes in Super Comp and Super Gas and maintains the fleet , referring to himself as “ Shelby ’ s Personal Mechanic .” To Williams , he ’ s much more than that .

“ He ’ s always been really understanding and encouraging ,” she says . “ Like everybody else , I ’ ve had awful moments in drag racing . It ’ s nice to have a dad that understands it because he ’ s been there and made some of those same stupid mistakes .”

Williams is most known as a door-car racer at this point , but she isn ’ t against branching out .

“ I think my dad has Super Comp covered ,” she says . “ But it would be cool to race something like Top Dragster . It ’ s so different from what I do , but it would be fun to try . Honestly , I ’ m just really comfortable where I am . I just started in Super Stock , and I ’ m having fun learning it .

“ I ’ m taking things really seriously this year . I haven ’ t won a divisional yet , so it would be amazing if I could make that happen . I feel like I ’ ve gained confidence in my driving , and I think I ’ m a way better driver now than when I got my first win . I ’ d like to get an opportunity to really show that .” DI

102 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 181