There’s a well-respected group of drivers that have been put into the “doing more with less” category in NASCAR. Undoubtedly, Josh Williams is one of them.
Over the last six seasons, the 28-year-old has 127 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts to his credit, with his latest being Saturday’s Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300 at Daytona International Speedway.
Williams’ No. 78 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet was caught up in a late-race crash, which resulted in a 31st-place finish, yet, there was still something special about this particular start.
This start in particular, marked a new chapter in Williams’ racing career, joining BJ McLeod Motorsports for a full season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
It wasn’t a simple move by any means, as Williams has spent the last handful of years driving for Mario Gosselin’s DGM Racing, but a move that will hopefully propel the NASCAR Xfinity Series veteran to bigger things.
Better finishes? More resources? A clearer path to a shot in the NASCAR Cup Series? It all seems to be on the table.
However, let’s not ignore the path it took for Williams to get to this point. He’s not only a competitor behind the wheel but a hard worker off the track and in the garage.
While progressing his driving career, Josh Williams Motorsports (JWM) has continued to make waves in the ARCA Menards Series garage, which most notable has seen a continuing relationship with Lira Motorsports. The organization competed in the season-opening Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona, picking up a 21st-place finish with Michael Lira.
For Williams, legend car racing and Bandolero racing have also been a big part of a sustainable career for the owner-driver, getting seat time and also working in the shop on a daily basis. So, how does he balance it all?
“An off-day is just another day to work,” Williams told the ‘The Drivers Meeting’ podcast last year. “I don’t consider those off days.”
The work that Williams has continued to put in over the off-season is only going to help his new organization, BJ McLeod Motorsports, get to the place they want to be in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
“We got a lot of new stuff,” Williams told TobyChristie.com at New Smyrna Speedway. “We’ve all worked hard to get the program even stronger this year and I’m excited for it.”
Beef is on @Josh6williams radar for tomorrow’s @NASCAR_Xfinity season opener at @DAYTONA.
Was great to get to catch up with Josh at New Smyrna as he prepares for a new chapter of his career with @TeamBJMcLeod.#NASCAR pic.twitter.com/hqTtP8Bon6
— RJ Starcevic (@RJStarcevic) February 18, 2022
Over the course of the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, the organization scored five top-10 results, with the majority of those coming from cars aligned with Stewart-Haas Racing.
At this point, it’s unknown if any other significant alliances or drivers will be integrated into the team’s program in 2022, however, we do know that Matt Mills, Stefan Parsons, and ARCA Menards Series prospect, will join Williams at BJ McLeod Motorsports in 2022.
Heading into the season, the NASCAR Xfinity Series is looking to be more competitive than ever before. With the addition of Josh Williams, could the BJ McLeod-owned team be a new force to be reckoned with throughout the season?
Williams will be in action again on Saturday, February 26th, 2022, at Auto Club Speedway. Coverage for the Production Alliance Group 300 will begin at 5:00 pm ET on FOX Sports 1.
