Dublin Native Caleb Williams Reflects on Racing Journey Ahead of LIUNA 150

LIME ROCK PARK, Connecticut- (41NBC/WMGT) – As the engines rev for the inaugural LiUNA 500, Dublin native Caleb Williams prepares for another intense NASCAR weekend, but his path to this moment has been anything but conventional.

Williams, a 2020 Georgia Southern graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering, grew up immersed in the world of racing. Dirt tracks around his hometown and weekends spent with racing buddies sparked an early love for the sport.

“Growing up in Dublin, I’ve kind of been interested in racing… I was always a fan,” Williams said. “We had dirt tracks around our area… and that’s where I first started getting my feet wet. Probably not going to make it happen for me as a race car driver, so I was like, well, maybe this is my opportunity to still get my hands on the cars, have an impact on a team.”

After graduating from West Laurens High School, Williams found direction through Georgia Southern’s Formula SAE program, a national engineering competition that gave students the chance to design, build, and race their own cars.

“We get sponsorships, proposals, get more funding for your program, spend that budget and come up with the best design,” he said. “At the end of the year, we always got to go compete and put the car on track.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Williams said he struggled to maintain motivation after graduation, until he landed an interview with Niece Motorsports, who hired him on the spot. He immediately dropped out of graduate school and moved to North Carolina to pursue his dream.

“These drivers that I’m working with now, definitely a step up from anything I’ve ever experienced,” he said. “They are the best at what they do in the country. It really just pushes us more to always be on our game.”

Williams now plays a crucial role as an engineer with Front Row Motorsports, where he’s helping lead efforts for Chandler Smith’s No. 38 truck in the Craftsman Truck Series. The switch to Smith’s crew was a personal and professional decision.

“I’ve been at Front Row… this was my third year there, and I had the opportunity to be with Todd Gilliland in the 38 Cup Series,” Williams said. “Over the winter, they decided to add another Craftsman truck… and they told us about Chandler Smith, he’s from Georgia as well. I just wanted to switch it up this year, get some more wins under my belt and get a championship.”

With the LiUNA 500 set to go green Saturday at 1 p.m., Williams broke down what race weekends typically look like from the engineering side.

“We’ll have a practice session… I’ll usually recommend [setup] changes to my crew chief, and any changes the driver gives me on feedback, we will all recommend,” he explained. “Friday night, the guys will get the truck cleaned up, put back together for technical inspection. Then Saturday morning, we’ll go in and qualify, and we’ll race Saturday and fly back shortly after that.”

Now operating at the highest level of American motorsports, Williams hasn’t forgotten his roots in Middle Georgia.

“I’m sure a lot of kids can relate with me where I was at that time. I could never have seen it working out the way it has,” he said. “But just stay the course and work hard, you can get very far. Even from Dublin, there’s no telling where you may end up.”

Fans can watch Williams and Front Row Motorsports in action as Chandler Smith drives the No. 38 truck at Lime Rock Park for the LiUNA 500 on Saturday at 1 p.m.