BUM BATTERY TO BLAME FOR WILLIAMS
Numbers Don't Tell The Whole Story at Iowa

Newton, IA (September 22, 2007) - After last minute adjustments gave Savannah, Georgia's Dusty Williams one of his best handling cars of the season Saturday night at Iowa Speedway, a battery issue forced him to pit road. Making a battery change placed Williams' number 40 Dixie Excavating/Dustcom Limited Ford Fusion 5 laps down to the leaders and meant that he would have to endure another sub-par (28th place) finish in the USAR Pro Cup Championship Series race number two. After this second round of the 5-race playoff, Williams is just 31st in Championship Series points.

The story seemed familiar for Williams at Iowa: another new racetrack, another steep learning curve, and another challenge that he and his Dixie Racing team were eager to take on. An open test session at the speedway on Friday gave the Mooresville, North Carolina-based team a chance to work out some bugs and try a few things to get the setup right on the black number 40. After getting a good bit of track time and trying a number of chassis adjustments, the best thing that could be said of the day was that the Pro Cup rookie Williams came away with a better feel for the gleaming, year-old speedway.

"Practice was a mixed bag today," Williams remarked after Friday's test. "We spent a bunch of time troubleshooting things, and when we were able to work on setup we were just too tight. But I love this track. They say it's 7/8-ths of a mile, but it feels even bigger. It's a great track."

When the day began on Saturday, Williams and crew chief Petey Hinson used their practice time wisely to attempt to balance the setup on their Fusion. Despite repeated changes and experiments, the car just seemed destined to be too tight for the free-wheeling Georgia driver. Williams, who spends much of his free time racing dirt late models around the southeast, couldn't seem to get the most of the car thanks to its nagging understeer.

This tight racecar plagued Williams on the speed chart throughout practice and left him in a less-than-stellar position in qualifying. When the 40 car wrapped up its two laps of time trials and the session ended, Williams and the Dixie Racing entry were left to scratch their heads from the 29th starting position out of 36 cars. A few timely adjustments were made prior to the start of the race. Hinson sprung his crew into action and did everything he could to loosen up their car before the start of the Soy Biodiesel 225.

When the green flag dropped around 7:00 on Saturday night, Williams, Hinson, and the entire Dixie entourage were eager to see what their black Ford Fusion would do. To their excitement, the changes were just what the driver ordered. With a car that was finally loosened up to his liking, Williams began a steady charge. After charging and pressing and setting himself up for a strong finish, and with a fast mount beneath him and more than 50 laps to go, Williams suddenly slowed to a crawl on the frontstretch on lap 163.

Once he finally made it to pit road, the Dixie crew went to work changing his dead battery while the field went back to green flag racing. After losing 5 laps in the pits, the 40 car finally emerged back onto the track. It was still just as fast as before, but the 5 lap deficit was way too much to try to overcome. At the end of the race's 229 laps, Williams and his Dustcom Limited Fusion were still turning laps as fast as anyone on the track. The official scorecard shows a 29th place start and a 28th place finish, but the numbers hardly tell the story of the Dixie Racing team's excursion into Iowa.

"It's another tough one for us. We had an engine give up on us at Mansfield but we weren't running very well by that point anyway. Here, we had an awesome car - a top-5 car, maybe even better than that - and the battery died. If I have to choose, I'd much rather have something go wrong on one of those nights when we're not doing so hot. Either way, this team worked hard and spent all weekend making the car fast. We'll just have to hang on to our notes for when we come back and see what we can do."

Williams will get his chance to avenge an old foe next weekend in South Carolina. Over the course of his career, he has seen more than his share of heartache at Myrtle Beach (SC) Speedway. The most recent pain came back in June when the USAR's Southern Division paid a visit to the historic haunt. Williams night ended after just 68 of a scheduled 200 laps due to an engine failure. He'll look to turn around his fortunes at the .538-mile, D-shaped oval when USAR's Championship Series swings into the beach on Saturday, October 6.

"After a couple of setbacks at Mansfield and Iowa, now we get to head to a track where I've had no luck whatsoever. Maybe since we're coming into Myrtle Beach after some bad finishes this time, she'll take it easy on us. Either way, I'm looking forward to it. If we keep running strong - like this weekend - a good finish is coming our way eventually."

For more information on the USAR Pro Cup Series, check out: www.usarprocup.com.
For more information on Dusty Williams and his team, Dixie Racing, check out: www.dixieracing.com & www.dustywilliams.com.

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NEW TRACK, SAME OLD TROUBLES FOR WILLIAMS
Pro Cup Rookie Optimistic as Championship Series Moves to Iowa

Mansfield, OH (September 1, 2007) - In this weekend's visit to Mansfield (OH) Motorsports Park, USAR Pro Cup rookie Dusty Williams experienced a couple of firsts - his first visit to the pristine half-mile facility and first race in the five-race Championship Series - but it was the all too familiar feeling of an early race exit that left a bad taste in the mouth of Williams and his Dixie Racing team. After struggling to get a handle on the central Ohio speedway, Williams' number 40 Dixie Excavating/Dustcom Limited Ford Fusion was fast enough to qualify for the 250-lap race, but an engine problem after 81 laps left the Georgia driver with just a 35th place finish. After race 1 of the USAR Pro Cup playoffs, Williams is listed in the 35th spot in the standings.

After two straight top-10's to close the Southern Division schedule, Williams finished 21st in points and garnered an invitation to the Championship Series -- 5 races where the best drivers from the Northern and Southern Divisions battle it out for the prestigious 2007 USAR Pro Cup Championship. It was that late season momentum that Williams, crew chief Petey Hinson, and the rest of the Dixie Racing team hoped to continue at Mansfield this weekend. Unfortunately after the trek northward, that was not the case when the rubber hit the track.

A test session at the track on Friday yielded a few fast lap times, but never resulted in a setup under the number 40 car that was ready for the lights of prime time. When practice began on Saturday morning Williams, Hinson, and crew set out to conquer Mansfield's tricky asphalt oval. They tried one change after another, chasing that elusive balanced setup diligently and efficiently, but nothing seemed to tame the testy black Fusion. Williams was just the 37th fastest of the 46 cars in attendance as the two-hour practice session came to a close. With only 32 starting positions to be earned during qualifying (plus four provisional spots) the Dixie team was left to scratch their heads and formulate some kind of a setup just to make the show.

"I had a feeling we'd all have our work cut out for us this weekend," commented crew chief Hinson. "This is a tough place to figure out as a rookie driver anyway, especially when we're having such a hard time getting a solid setup under him. We'll see what we can do."

Hinson and the crew changed just about everything but the paint job between practice and qualifying in the hopes that Williams would be able to put the Dixie Excavating-sponsored Ford in the race. All of the thrashing to make changes proved to be just enough, as Williams' qualifying time of 16.801 seconds (just .360 seconds off the pole) made him the 32nd and final car to make the field on time. With 250 laps to run and 31 cars lining up in front of them the Dixie team had their work cut out for them, but this wasn't the first time this season they had started that far back.

"We had to take a provisional at Hickory,” Williams recalled. "That meant we were starting 32nd there and it worked all right for us there. We started in the back, but ended up 8th at that one. We hoped that the numbers would play out the same or better in this one."

After a few minor adjustments, the green flag dropped and to everyone's surprise the 40 car decided to come to life. Williams, after struggling to find a suitable line around the testy half-mile, found that his Ford was able to hug the apron on the inside of the track and slide under many of the competitors. The fastest way around the track all weekend had been about a car width off the bottom, but with the rest of the field fighting for the same real estate Williams stuck his mount down low and began progressing forward. After 20 laps the 28 year old hotshoe had moved up 10 spots, and shortly thereafter he moved into the top 20.

Trying to prepare for the long haul, Williams pitted for fuel when the caution flag waved on lap 42 and headed back out onto the track. It was just after that stop that trouble found the Dixie team once again. Trying to make up some of the ground lost during his pit stop and battling a tight condition, Williams slapped the wall coming off of turn two. The contact was barely noticeable amidst all of the on-track action, but the handling on the Dustcom Limited-sponsored Fusion changing in an instant. No longer was the 40 car hugging the inside of the track and sneaking under the competition. Instead, it was all Williams could do to get through each corner. A pit stop for tires and slight chassis adjustments on lap 62 did little to change the car's poor handling.

Just as the crew was brainstorming the best way to address the situation and preserve some sort of decent finish, Williams once again radioed the crew with bad news. The engine's water temperature gauge was bouncing erratically and the driver headed down pit road for the final time after completing just 81 laps. After an examination in their pit stall and behind the wall the Dixie team diagnosed an internal cooling problem on the engine, the second time this season that the same problem has caused them a DNF. The early ending to the night left the team and its driver with a 35th place finish and a handful of questions.

"We have had a couple of motor problems this year,” explained Williams. "I think we're going to have to make some changes in that department for reliability's sake. I hate that . . . well, honestly, I don't hate that this happened. We weren't running too good after I smacked the wall and I guess I'd much rather have this happen on a night when we're not doing too hot than on a night when we're doing good."

The team has a few weeks until round two of the Championship Series takes place on the gleaming new Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa, on September 22. Once again, the best of the best in USAR Pro Cup competition will line up to compete in the Soy Biodiesel 225. Williams and his Mooresville, North Carolina - based team will make the trip to corn country on a mission to show what they can do.

"We had a tough one this weekend," said Williams. "Obviously, I hate that we had another motor mess up on us - that makes the weekend even tougher to swallow, but we finally did find a handle on the place early in the race. We're going to see what we can do out at Iowa to get a good finish and gain some ground in this Championship Series."

For more information on the USAR Pro Cup Series, check out: www.usarprocup.com.
For more information on Dusty Williams and his team, Dixie Racing, check out: www.dixieracing.com & www.dustywilliams.com.

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WILLIAMS EAGER TO CRANK UP CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES IN OHIO
Georgia Native Finishes Season with Second Straight Top Ten at Bristol

Bristol, TN (August 22, 2007) - Savannah, Georgia's Dusty Williams took advantage of a well balanced car and a smooth new surface to grab a tenth place finish Wednesday night at Bristol (TN) Motor Speedway. The finish marked the second straight top-10 for Williams and bumped him to a 21st place finish in the USAR Pro Cup Series, Southern Division standings. Perhaps most importantly, however, Williams and his #40s Dixie Excavating/Dustcom Limited race team head into Saturday's event at Mansfield (OH) Motorsports Speedway peaking at just the right time as the USAR Pro Cup's five race Championship Series is set to begin.

There are few racetracks in America that provoke the unbridled excitement and enthusiasm as Bristol Motor Speedway. The "world's fastest half-mile" - complete with a brand new, compound banked racing surface - lived up to the hype Wednesday night as 47 teams showed up to fill the 36 available starting spots. Practice went well for Williams and the Dixie Racing team. Again, they settled on a setup that left the 28 year old driver comfortable and confident for time trials. The setup proved beneficial, as Williams took the track and stopped the clock at 16.065 seconds, good enough for the 10th spot on the starting grid.

The night's 150-lap race began smoothly as Williams and crew chief Petey Hinson had an idea as to how best to use pit strategy to their advantage during the event. Unfortunately, when the race's first caution flag flew on lap 5, all that planning went out the window. The Dixie Racing had planned to pit early and try to get out before most of the other leaders, but when Joey Coulter spun off of turn 2, all the afore-mentioned leaders headed to pit road except Williams and two others. The good news was that Williams was sitting solidly in the 3rd position with a good handling race car only 5 laps into the race. The bad news was that the vast majority of the 33 cars behind him had newer tires and he had yet to pit at some point.

Williams was able to stay in the top-5 for most of the race's first half, but eventually the 5 lap newer tires came through and shuffled Williams' number 40 back to the 8th position. In a race that saw 11 cautions for more than 50 laps, the young Georgia hotshoe was able to stay out of trouble and run consistently strong all night. The new, variable banking at Bristol gave Williams the opportunity to explore various lines around the track during the race's early stages in preparation for a late race run.

Hinson made the call for a pit stop when the caution flag waved at lap 86 and the Dixie Racing crew sprung into action. With four new BF Goodrich radials and a couple of slight adjustments, Williams slid back onto the track on a mission and with just over 60 laps remaining. The green flag saw Williams moving with ease through the tough field. The fresh tires and timely changes made the 40 car even better than it had been to start the race. All the exploring of the early stages came in handy as Williams passed cars on the inside and outside lines of the smooth new surface.

"Petey nailed it," Williams said of his crew chief's adjustments. "We had a really good car to start the race, but during the stop he somehow tightened us up in and off the corner and freed us up in the middle. I've been here a couple of times, but never had a car like this. It was definitely a great race for us."

The only hiccup of the race for the 40 team occurred on lap 111, when another driver turned down across the nose of the Dixie Racing Ford Fusion and spun. The incident forced Williams to move to the end of the longest line of cars for the restart. With less than 40 laps remaining and Williams sitting in a fast hot rod, the last run of the race was a chance for the South Division rookie to showcase his skills. Moving in and out of traffic skillfully as the laps wound down, the number 40 Fusion had moved back into the 10 position by the time the checkered flag waved after 151 laps. The strong finish marked Williams' second straight top-10 finish and left him feeling good as the USAR Pro Cup moves to its Championship Series this Saturday at Mansfield (OH) Motorsports Speedway.

"I couldn't be prouder of this team," Williams remarked. "After the ups and downs we went through early this season, I'm pumped to finish with two strong runs at Hickory and Bristol. I think we're peaking at just the right time to go into the Championship Series. We're looking to make a strong showing at Mansfield and then move on from there. I feel good about this weekend. I feel like Petey and I are working together better now than we have all season. The car feels good and the team morale is way up there. I can't wait to get to the racetrack."

The USAR Pro Cup Championship Series invites the top 30 in points from both the Northern and Southern Divisions to participate in a 5 race series to determine the overall series national champion. The first stop is the .5-mile speedplant in central Ohio, where the series will host the Charlie Campbell Memorial Sears Auto Center 250. Williams and 58 of his closest friends will roll into the facility Saturday morning to compete for 36 starting spots and a win in the prestigious playoff opener.

For more information on the USAR Pro Cup Series, check out: www.usarprocup.com.
For more information on Dusty Williams and his team, Dixie Racing, check out: www.dixieracing.com & www.dustywilliams.com.

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WILLIAMS GOES FROM BACK TO FRONT AT HICKORY
Rookie Nets First Pro Cup Top Ten

Hickory, NC (August 4, 2007) - Saturday night's race at Hickory (NC) Motor Speedway served as a perfect illustration for Dusty Williams' roller coaster of a rookie season on the USAR Pro Cup Series, Southern Division. After being forced to take a provisional starting spot to even make the race, Williams and his #40 Dixie Excavating/Dustcom Limited Ford Fusion team used timely adjustments and pit strategy to propel the Savannah, Georgia native to a career best 8th place finish.

As Williams and 40 other competitors rolled onto the historic, .363-mile asphalt oval for practice early Saturday, they were greeted by temperatures in the mid to upper 90's. In the heat Williams, crew chief Petey Hinson, and the rest of the Dixie crew worked hard to get a good setup under the #40 car. By the end of the session, Williams' was listed as 18th fastest on the practice timesheet.

"We felt like practice went pretty good," Williams recalled. "We've spent a lot of time in the last few race weekends making sure that I'm comfortable in the car. The times haven't always looked as good during practice as we would like, but I felt like we had a good car when practice ended on Saturday."

Qualifying was sure to be a nail biter because of the high car count for the 250 lap event at Hickory. There were 41 cars in attendance vying for just 32 starting spots for the night's main event. Unfortunately, Williams discovered quickly during his qualifying run that the comfort he felt during practice was but a fleeting memory. Williams' black number 40 Ford Fusion rebelled throughout the run, sliding loosely through every turn and tripping the stopwatch more than .25 seconds slower than the leaders. The time was 29th best of the cars and left Williams barely hanging on, being forced to take his first provisional starting spot of the season and the final one available for the night's race.

"I wasn't sure what was happening during qualifying. We went from having at least a decent car during practice to missing the race on time in qualifying. I was not thrilled with starting in 32nd place on a short track like Hickory, but I'm definitely glad we had a provisional to use."

Thankfully the temperatures had dropped a bit by race time, but when the green flag dropped Williams kept the inside of his Dixie Racing Ford warm sawing on the wheel. The race started the same way that qualifying had ended for the 40 car: loose. With their car behaving badly and lots of laps in front of them, Williams and Hinson decided to pit as soon as they could make it to the end of the race and make wholesale changes. The time came when the yellow flag waved at lap 72. Williams brought his mount to the attention of Hinson and crew, where they put on a new set of tires, topped off the fuel cell, and made a number of suspension adjustments. The Dixie Racing team sent their 28 year old racer back on track with the tires he had asked for but 178 laps remaining before the checkered flag was to wave.

It didn't take much time for Williams to prove himself and his crew chief right after the race went back green. With fresh tires Williams began picking his way back up through the field. The tight quarters at Hickory doesn't make passing convenient but the driver was steady and patient, wheeling his ride under one car after another. On top of that, the Dixie team's early desperation pit stop looked like a genius maneuver when the rest of the field had to pit late in the race.

Williams moved into the top-10 around lap 170, a claim he wouldn't relinquish the rest of the night. Continuing to run strong and take advantage of others' pit stops, the Georgia native wheeled his 40 car as high as 4th during the race's second half. He remained in the top-5 for more than 60 laps in spite of a worn out set of tires late in the race.

"The last 50-60 laps were a handful. The car was still good, but the tires had just given all the grip they were going to give for the night. I can honestly say that I wasn't able to give the car full throttle for at least the last 50 laps of the race."

With less than 20 laps to go it was those same worn out tires that finally allowed a few of his fellow racers to slide by. Almost 180 laps after bolting on that set of tires, Williams had almost no traction whatsoever coming off the corners. When the checkered flag waved at the end of lap 250, Dusty Williams and the #40 Dixie Excavating/Dustcom Limited Ford Fusion had held on for an 8th place finish and his first top-10 of the season.

"We've been on the wrong side of timing a few times this year, but tonight was a prime example of good pit strategy. Our main purpose for the early stop was that our car was junk on that first set of tires, but it served us well in terms of track position a little later on. I was able to finally relax a little bit in the seat tonight and enjoy myself. After a couple of tough finishes at Myrtle Beach and Southern National, it feels good to run so strong."

The strong run couldn't come at a better point in the season, with the ever-intimidating Bristol (TN) Motor Speedway up next on the schedule. The USAR Pro Cup Series, Southern Division visits the high-banked half mile on Wednesday, August 22. Look for a confident, expectant Williams to show up for that event.

"This serves as a perfect race for us to lead into Bristol. It really gets our confidence up - mine, Petey's, and the whole team. Battling from the back to a top-10 finish really lifted this team's morale. Heading into Bristol we're focused and ready, expecting to have a great run."

For more information on the USAR Pro Cup Series, check out: www.usarprocup.com.
For more information on Dusty Williams and his team, Dixie Racing, check out: www.dixieracing.com & www.dustywilliams.com.

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STEADY STRUGGLES FOR WILLIAMS AT SOUTHERN NATIONAL
Another Rough Outing for Georgia Native in North Carolina

Kenly, NC (July 21, 2007) - Despite having a car that handled well, Dusty Williams suffered through two flat tires and a run-in with the wall on Saturday night to bring home just a 20th place finish at Southern National Raceway Park. To say that, six races into his rookie campaign in the USAR Pro Cup Series, Southern Division, the Savannah, Georgia native has been bitten by just about every bug imaginable might be an understatement. With the finish, Williams and his #40 Dixie Excavating/Dustcom Limited-sponsored team sits in just 27th position in the points.

Williams was no stranger to Southern National's .4-mile shape and configuration, having raced there in different divisions in the past. However, like the rest of his competitors, the racing surface itself was a new experience this time as the track was recently repaved. And with 40 cars vying for just 33 starting positions there was not a lot of time for anyone to get acquainted with the speedway, located in eastern North Carolina.

When the herd of 3,300 pound race cars did hit the track for practice early on Saturday, everything went relatively well for Williams and the Dixie Racing team. The times were competitive, but most importantly they were able to get the 28-year old driver comfortable with his #40 Ford Fusion. With the exception of a slight brake issue that came up late in the session, practice left the team with a positive outlook on the day's activities.

Qualifying was a different animal entirely. With fresh asphalt to grab onto, the five year old track qualifying record at SNRP was obliterated by well over a second. Having to start from scratch as far as setups go, even a number of the veterans struggled to make the race. Williams was no different. Driving in deep and exiting the corners sideways, he stopped the clock in just enough time to make the race, qualifying 27th of 28 cars that made the race on time.

"I overdrove the thing in qualifying," explained Williams. "We had adjusted the brakes a lot during practice before finding out what was going on there, so the car was a little tight, but I just drove it harder than it needed at the time. A lot of guys went home and I was glad we weren't one of them at that point."

As the green flag dropped on the 250 lap event, Williams found his car more to his liking and began to work his way forward. The new surface made for some tight racing, but the #40 Fusion progressed nicely in the early going, passing a number of cars and moving up to 12th when many of the leaders pitted around lap 40. Williams followed suit about 20 laps later, receiving four fresh BFGoodrich radials from the Dixie crew. Unfortunately, he returned to the track with just one lap to go and no time to warm up those new tires.

As the green flag flew, Williams' mount slipped and slid on those cold tires for the first 5-6 laps, struggling to find traction and losing a great deal of ground to the leaders. Even after the tires had time to reach their peak pressures, the #40 car continued to lose positions. As the green flag laps clicked away, Williams' ride was drastically worse than it was with the first set of tires and he continued to battle the car and the track knowing that something wasn't right on the right rear. After 80 laps of fighting his ill-handling Ford, Williams shot down pit road where his crew swapped tires, returning to the set he had started the night on and discovering a washer embedded in one of the discards. When removed, the right rear tire held less than 10 pounds of air pressure.

When the race went back green Williams was fast again, but two laps down to the leaders. He continued to press forward, even moving into the top-15 at one point in the late stages of the race. As the 250 lap event wound down and it looked like Williams might be able to salvage a decent finish, he was bitten again. With 15 to go, the right front tire blew without warning, sending Williams and his #40 up the track and into the wall. Thankfully the damage to the car was minimal and its driver was unharmed, but the Dixie Racing team would have to settle for a 20th place finish after fighting their way through another trying weekend.

"It's tough, you know, when the car is decent and I'm driving it well and things just keep going wrong beyond our control," Williams commented. "I don't know how much I believe in luck, but if there is such thing as bad luck I've had plenty of it this season. I thought we had turned a corner a couple of races ago, but the gremlins caught up to us again. We're going to keep on plugging and one of these races it's going to come together for us."

Dusty Williams and the Dixie Racing team is hoping that it will "come together" for them at Hickory (NC) Motor Speedway on Saturday, August 4, the USAR Pro Cup Series, Southern Division's next race.

"I like Hickory. I love the history, knowing how many of the great ones of racing have turned laps there. And it's always a good show when a full field of these 3,300 pound beasts hit the track at Hickory."

For more information on the USAR Pro Cup Series, check out: www.usarprocup.com.
For more information on Dusty Williams and his team, Dixie Racing, check out: www.dixieracing.com & www.dustywilliams.com.

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MORE OF THE SAME AT MYRTLE BEACH FOR WILLIAMS
Another Short Night at the D-Shaped Monster

Myrtle Beach, SC (June 23, 2007) - Coming off a career-best performance in his home state, Savannah, Georgia's Dusty Williams was met with another disappointing weekend at Myrtle Beach Speedway for the Greased Lightning 200. Having had a history of poor performances, fluke failures, and overall wacky experiences at the half-mile beauty by the beach, he was less than surprised when the mechanical demons bit him once again after just 68 of the scheduled 200 laps on Saturday night.

Williams and his team chased the setup throughout the day's practice sessions at MBS. The combination of a hot midday sun and the grip-less d-shaped asphalt that makes races there so interesting left the Dixie team scratching their heads as practice time drew to a close. Memories of a track record-breaking qualifying effort at Peachstate Speedway were just a few weeks old when Williams qualified his #40 Dixie Excavating/Dustcom Limited/Owens Steel & Machine Ford Fusion in the 27th spot and the night didn't improve for the team until they packed up and headed for home.

"They had us on the (practice speed) board with the 4th fastest lap in practice," Williams laughed. "But I can almost assure you that it was a computer glitch. We just had a miserable time trying to find any grip all day long. It was about all I could do to keep the car facing forward during qualifying it was so loose."

Despite his poor qualifying effort, Williams started the race cleanly and moved into the top-20 early in the race. After a number of the leaders pitted on lap 44, he even moved his #40 Ford Fusion into the top-15, leaving open the hope that he could keep the car in one piece, stay out of trouble, and salvage a decent finish in spite of his car's less than stellar handling. This was but a fleeting thought, as soon thereafter the water temperature gauge started fluctuating strangely. Within a handful of laps, the 40 car was smoking and spewing steam, evidence of a blown head gasket and a severe overheating issue. After completing just 68 laps, Williams parked his mount for the night and opined about the much-loved speedway near Myrtle Beach's famed Grand Strand.

"I've been coming here in all sorts of cars & trucks to race for years now and I just don't like this place. It doesn't like me, so I don't like it. We've had some wierd stuff happen here time and time again. Every time, I come hoping we can turn it around and break the hex, but this place is a mystery to me. This is just about the only racetrack in America that I think would make a great location for an outlet mall."

The early exit left Williams with a 36th place finish out of only 37 cars, placing him 26th in the Southern Division point standings five races into the 2007 season. Although the weekend's event didn't go according to Williams' plan, the 28 year old is still looking toward better outcomes in the remaining races on the schedule. Williams and his Southern Division competitors will return to action at Southern National Raceway Park in Kenly, North Carolina, on Saturday, July 21.

"It's a shame that we had to come here (Myrtle Beach) after such a good run at Peachstate. With our track record here, it always seems to break any good momentum we've got going. But we've still got a good team and I'm ready to get back on track -- we're going to move forward and see what we can do next time out in Kenly."

For more information on the USAR Pro Cup Series, check out: www.usarprocup.com.
For more information on Dusty Williams and his team, Dixie Racing, check out: www.dixieracing.com & www.dustywilliams.com.

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WILLIAMS TURNS CORNER AT PEACH STATE
Rookie Grabs Pole, Top-15 Finish

Jefferson, GA (June 3, 2007) - After smashing the track record in qualifying and being forced to wait an extra day because of rain, Georgia native Dusty Williams ran strong and consistent to a 13th place finish in Sunday's Aaron's 199 at Peach State (GA) Speedway. The top-15 run marked Williams' best finish thus far this season in his #40 Dixie Excavating/Dustcom Limited Ford Fusion and left the rookie contender feeling confident as the USAR Pro Cup Series, Southern Division heads to Myrtle Beach (SC) Speedway on June 23.

"I was hoping for a turning point weekend here at Peach State," shared Williams. "And that's just what we got."

Williams was eager to return to Peach State, nicknamed "Georgia's Fastest Half-Mile Asphalt Oval", a familiar track where he has experienced a good bit of success in different series over the last few years. In fact, he predicted early last week that the Dixie Racing team would show up with a strong car for the weekend's event. His prediction proved to be prophetic, as the Savannah-area native was among the fastest competitors on the track when practice began on Saturday morning. Competition was fierce, but Williams finished the 2-hour practice session with the 8th fastest time of the 49 drivers present.

Thanks in large part to a growing relationship between Williams and crew chief Petey Hinson, the team was able to tune the #40 car throughout the practice session and make a couple of final tweaks prior to qualifying on Saturday afternoon. Sure enough, their efforts were handsomely rewarded as Williams blistered the north Georgia oval in 18.356 seconds, nearly two-tenths faster than the previous track record held by Chad Chaffin. The time was fast enough to edge out fellow Georgia native Mike Garvey by just 34-thousandths of a second and earn Williams his first BFGoodrich Pole Award.

Just prior to the scheduled start of the race on Saturday night the rain began to fall, remnants of tropical storm Barry. Despite the hopes and efforts of USAR and speedway officials, the water kept falling and warranted a postponement until Sunday afternoon. The change of schedule did nothing to dampen the spirits of Williams and his Dixie Racing team.

"Having to wait until Sunday wasn't so bad for us," explained Williams. "In fact, I kind of enjoyed getting to be the fastest guy on the block for a few extra hours. We were able to bask in that qualifying effort a little longer than usual while we got ready for the race."

When the green flag finally dropped on the 199-lap event around 1 PM on Sunday, Williams was at the point with 31 other cars gunning for his spot. Shortly after the race started he allowed a couple of cars to get past him. In fact, Williams' black #40 seemed to be heading in the wrong direction until the young driver adjusted his driving line. Unhappy with the handling of his mount down low, Williams explored some different lines around the track and was able to find some much-needed grip and momentum up in the high line. By lap 50, Williams was running strong in the fourth spot and when the race's third caution flew on the 58th lap and a number of the leaders hit pit lane, he moved into the second position, just behind perennial USAR front runner Bobby Gill.

The two would set sail for a number of laps, running nose to tail and leaving the rest of the field in their wake. Despite being able to reel in the cagey veteran, Williams was never able to get past him. On lap 109, Gill tangled with a lapped car and made hard contact with the wall, bringing out the race's 4th caution and giving Williams an opportunity to come down pit road to the attention of his crew. The Dixie Racing over the wall crew serviced his Ford Fusion and sent him back onto the track in the 14th spot.

"We had a great car - especially in the early stages of the race. It stayed pretty good until the end. I don't think we hit the pit strategy quite where we would have hoped, though. That's something we need to improve on, but it was nice to be able to run up front for a while and show what we've got."

After the race returned to green, Williams found himself in a long line of lead lap cars all trying to run the same high line around the half-mile speedplant. The going was tough, but the rookie contender was focused on coming home with his car in one piece and a solid finish to boot. On top of poor track position, as the race wore on Williams' ride developed trouble with his right front tire. The good handling car of the first half of the race was hampered by a tire that made for some tense moments as the race wound down.

"I knew something was going on up there and giving me a pretty intense vibration. When all that started I had to shift focus from 'how do I get that next position' to just doing everything I could to finish well. My hope was that we could hold on and be able to finish the race in a decent spot."

In spite of his late race struggles, Williams was able to grab one more spot before time ran out. When the checkered flag waved at the completion of 199 laps, he was in 13th place and still on the lead lap. Clay Rogers took the win, but Williams was able to leave his name in the record book at Peach State and move one step further along in his and his team's development this season.

"The crew did an awesome job today," Williams celebrated. "And I'm really happy with how things are going with Petey. We're really in a good place, communication-wise, and we've had a fast car just about everywhere so far. I think this was a big step for us - first pole, best finish so far, overall just a positive weekend that we can really build on."

Williams will look to do just that at the next race for the Southern Division at Myrtle Beach (SC) Speedway on Saturday, June 23.

For more information on the USAR Pro Cup Series, check out: www.usarprocup.com.
For more information on Dusty Williams and his team, Dixie Racing, check out: www.dixieracing.com & www.dustywilliams.com.

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PROBLEMS PLAGUE POTENTIAL BREAKTHROUGH FOR WILLIAMS
Georgia Boy Looks to Return to Home State

Concord, NC (April 28, 2007) - After an early ignition problem sent Dusty Williams to the pits for repairs, he was left to pilot a fast race car to a 31st place finish at Concord (NC) Motorsports Park on Saturday, April 28. Despite qualifying 14th and moving into the top-12 early on, he came away with another less than stellar finish in his third race of the USAR Pro Cup Series, Southern Division season. And with the night behind him, Williams rookie season is not where he had hoped it would be at this point, currently sitting 30th in the series point standings.

A 14th place run in qualifying and a good handling Ford Fusion had Williams and the Dixie crew hopeful as they headed into the 250-lap event at Concord's unique, triangle-shaped 1/2-mile. When the green flag dropped, those hopes were seemingly still intact as Williams was able to hold his own and even move the Dixie Excavating/Dustcom Limited #40 forward a couple of spots as the early laps rolled on. However, about 15 or 20 laps into the race, Williams was forced to pit with ignition problems. Upon further review, a part of the distributor had vibrated loose and caused some serious problems.

The crew - chiefed by Petey Hinson - jumped on the task and was able to replace the problematic parts as quickly as possible, but by this point Williams had gone over 80 laps down to the leaders. With a fully-functional race car and a desire to earn as many points as he could, Williams wheeled his mount back onto the racing surface and began clicking off the laps again. To his encouragement, he found the #40's handling to be just as sharp as it had been earlier. The car remained fast throughout the course of the night, in spite of running a significant number of laps down to the front runners.

"As disappointed as I was at Concord, there was a light at the end of the tunnel," Williams commented on the race. "The car stayed under me for the whole night. With being so far back I didn't want to push the issue (by trying to pass a lot of cars) and make anymore work for the guys at the shop, but the car was good. I am bummed because I think we could have had a really good finish there, but I'm really proud of my team and how they had the car handling, consistently, from the start to the finish. We can build on that."

After putting the disappointment of Concord behind him, Williams is excited for many reasons to get back to Peach State Speedway on Saturday, June 2 for the Aaron's 199. The 1/2-mile semi-banked oval in North Georgia is familiar stomping ground for Williams, a native of Rincon, Georgia.

"After the progressive banking at South Georgia and the triangle at Concord, I'm ready to get back to a 'normal' half mile at Peach State. More than that, its a track that I've got a lot of laps on and feel pretty comfortable with. Things are working out really well with (crew chief) Petey and now he's got Randy helping in the shop, so I know I'll have a good piece when we roll off the trailer."

Williams has high hopes for this return to Peach State on Saturday.

"I really see this as a turning point race for us, this season. We've stumbled out of the gates here, but I think a good run at Peach State can get us back on track. Like anywhere, I'd love to win, but my goal for this race is to finish in the top-10. And I don't see any reason why we can't do it."

The Southern Division will be at Peach State Speedway in Jefferson, Georgia this Saturday, June 2.

For more information on Dusty Williams and his team, Dixie Racing, check out: www.dixieracing.com & www.dustywilliams.com.

For more information on the USAR Pro Cup Series, check out: www.usarprocup.com.

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MIXED FEELINGS FOR WILLIAMS AT SOUTH GEORGIA
Top Twenty Finish in Second Race of 2007

Cecil, GA (March 31, 2007) - Race number two of the 2007 USAR Pro Cup season ended considerably better for Dusty Williams than the first. Williams - driver of the #40 Dixie Excavating/Dustcom Limited Ford Fusion - overcame handling problems and worked with his crew throughout the race to finish 18th at South Georgia Motorsports Park on Saturday night. The finish comes after the Rincon, Georgia native spent a night in the hospital and destroyed his primary car three weeks earlier in the season opener.

Williams and the Dixie Racing crew tested at the gleaming 1/2-mile facility earlier in the week and realized that they were entirely too loose to race that way. After a day of thrashing to adjust the setup on the #40 Ford at Dixie Racing South in Savannah, Georgia, the team returned to SGMP for Saturday's race day with high hopes.

All high hopes for a good handling car were effectively dashed soon after practice began. Despite their best efforts, crew chief Petey Hinson and the gang were unable to get a handle on the Dixie Excavating machine, which was now too tight. The final practice sheet showed Williams and the 40 car just 37th fastest of all the cars taking a time.

Between practice and qualifying, Williams and Hinson put their heads together and came up with a list of changes to be made prior to time trials. Again, the Dixie team got to work and implemented the plan devised by their driver and crew chief. The adjustments they made were right on time, as Williams was able to wheel the Dustcom Limited-sponsored Ford around the track in the 11th fastest time.

"What a relief to have a decent qualifying run after such a rough time in practice and in our test here," explained Williams. "All those big changes after practice paid off. I think it was a good example of this team coming together just a little more."

The 250-lap race began without incident for Williams. In fact, he was in pretty good shape when he came down pit road around lap 50 to top off his fuel cell, setting the Dixie pit strategy into action for the night. When the opportunity arose again near lap 75, Williams made the left turn to the pits, this time for four fresh tires.

Upon returning to the track, something had obviously gone awry with the Dixie Racing ride. The car tightened up in a vicious way, due to a bad tire in the new set. In what would become the evening's longest green flag run, Williams wrestled with his mount and tried to stay out of trouble as much as possible. When the caution flag finally flew, Williams had lost three laps to the rest of the field.

"I've gotten hold of a lot of bad tires in my life, but this might have been the worst," Williams expounded. "With that set on the car, it didn't just handle badly, it was so bad that I could tell it was messed up on the straightaway. It was all I could do to try and stay out of the way and hope for a caution."

When the opportunity arose, Williams pitted again and the team put on two of the tires from his original set. After this move, Williams was able to get back up to a comparative speed despite being laps down to the leaders. In fact, it was this rediscovered speed that caused the final bump in the road for the Dixie team on the night. Running amongst the leaders, Williams got into the back of Mark McFarland's #81 Chevrolet, turning him around and garnering Williams a black flag for rough driving.

For the rest of the night, Williams stayed to the back of the pack and made multiple pit stops. Each stop made the car a little better and by the end of the night the 40 car was handling well. In spite of having two tires with over 200 laps on them, Williams finished the race in the 18th position running strong.

"I really hated that I got into McFarland and messed his night up. That's not my style and I certainly don't want that kind of reputation," Williams commented. "After the incident we just moved to the back of the pack and worked on making our car the best it could be.

"I'm so glad that we finished this race, and finished running well. After starting the season with disaster and bringing a different car out this weekend, I didn't know what to expect. It was not easy, but Petey and the guys finally got things dialed in. With everything we had to deal with this weekend, I'm very pleased with the progress of the team."

After the 18th place finish at South Georgia, Williams is 27th in the current USAR Pro Cup Southern Division drivers point standings. The Southern Division has nearly a month off before their next race, Saturday, April 28 at Concord Motorsports Park in Concord, North Carolina.

For more information on Dusty Williams and his team, Dixie Racing, check out: www.dixieracing.com & www.dustywilliams.com.

For more information on the USAR Pro Cup Series, check out: www.usarprocup.com.

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WILLIAMS' SEASON STARTS OFF WITH A BANG AT LAKELAND
Night Ends Early After Accident For ROTY Candidate

Lakeland, FL (March 10, 2007) - Dusty Williams' goal to launch his rookie campaign with a strong finish took quite a blow Saturday night at USA International Speedway. The blow was felt both literally and figuratively. In the literal sense, Williams spun after contact on lap 115, careening into the turn one wall with the driver's side of his #40 Ford Fusion. Figuratively, he leaves the state of Florida 31st in the USAR Southern Division standings, with a lot of ground to make up as the season progresses.

The impact left Williams unconscious in the car for a few moments and resulted in a trip to the hospital for further observation. After being released a few hours later, Williams was a bit banged up but in decent shape considering the severity of the collision.

"That was one tough shot," commented Williams. "I'm more sore than I think I've ever been after a crash. The car is pretty messed up, but I'm glad that I didn't get hurt any worse than I did."

After clicking off some fast times in the practice sessions on Friday and early Saturday, Williams was a bit disappointed with his 19th best qualifying effort at the fast 3/4-mile facility. Even with his mid-pack lap times, Williams was still able to hustle the Dixie Excavating/Dustcom Limited Fusion around the track faster than the previous track record. This was due, in large part, to the new USAR Pro Cup composite bodies.

"I don't think we realized how vital these new bodies would be this season," Williams said. "Our car wasn't handling 100% and we need to keep working on that, but I think we also have to spend some time looking at how to make the most of the composite body."

After starting 19th, Williams struggled to move forward in the race's early laps. When the caution waved around lap 40 the black Dixie Racing entry shot down pit road for a tire change to address a worsening vibration. As the race wore on, Williams was able to hang on, but he knew it wasn't going to be the night he had hoped for. Before too long, as cars cycled through their own pit stops, the leaders had fresh tires and the #40 car's good track position quickly became a liability rather than an asset.

With two-hands full of a less than stellar handling race car, Williams continued clicking off laps with an eye towards finishing the race. Unfortunately, shortly after passing the start/finish line to complete the 114th lap of the scheduled 200, the #40 car was tagged from behind at the end of the front straightaway. After contact, Williams' car spun and shot up the surface, slamming driver side first into the concrete retaining wall. The incident immediately ended the night for the Dixie Racing team and led to some anxious moments for Williams, his crew and the fans on hand at USA International Speedway.

"Man, it was a really bad way to end the night, but for me it's even more disappointing that we weren't running any better when it happened," reflected a hopeful Williams. "That being said, our new crew chief (Petey Hinson), myself, and the rest of the crew are still in the early stages of coming together as a team. It may take a couple of races for us to get there, but I still have very high hopes for this season. No one gets through an entire racing season completely unscathed... hopefully we just got our 'scathing' out of the way early."

As with most forms of racing, the disappointment of Saturday's 31st place finish is fleeting. It has already begun to give way to the anticipation of the next race, Saturday, March 31 at South Georgia Motorsports Park near Valdosta, Georgia.

For more information on Dusty Williams and his team, Dixie Racing, check out: www.dixieracing.com & www.dustywilliams.com.

For more information on the USAR Pro Cup Series, check out: www.usarprocup.com.

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WILLIAMS FAST IN FIRST PRO CUP PRACTICE AT USA INTERNATIONAL

Lakeland, FL (March 10, 2007) - At the conclusion of Friday's practice at USA International Speedway, Dusty Williams and the #40s Ford Fusion were listed as 8th fastest of the 45 cars in attendance. Williams, driving the Dixie Excavating/Dustcom Limited-sponsored machine, will look to get out of the gate strong in Saturday's season opener for the USAR Pro Cup Series - the Sears Auto Center 200 presented by Handy Neighborhood Stores.

This weekend's race marks the beginning of Williams' season-long run for the USAR top rookie title. Qualifying on Saturday begins at 4:30 PM and the race starts at 7:30 PM. Check back early next week for the lowdown on the weekend's activities at www.dixieracing.com and www.dustywilliams.com

For the latest USAR Pro Cup news, check out: www.usarprocup.com.

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WILLIAMS LOOKS TO DUST COMPETITION FOR PRO CUP ROOKIE TITLE

Mooresville, NC (February 17, 2007) - Venerable stock car pilot Dusty Williams announced plans this week to run the entire USAR Pro Cup Southern Division and Championship series schedule in 2007. After a handful of changes in the off-season and with a renewed passion, Williams is excited to be competing for the Pro Cup series' prestigious Rookie of the Year Award in the #40 Dixie Excavating/Dustcom Limited Ford Fusion.

Williams - a native of Savannah, Georgia - will be campaigning for the family-owned Dixie Racing team (headquartered in Mooresville, NC). While the team is the same as in recent years, loyal fans will see some marked differences when the green flag drops at USA International Speedway on Saturday, March 10.

Perhaps the most notable of the changes this off-season comes in the form of a new crew chief, Franklin "Petey" Hinson. Hinson spent last season as the car chief on the Baird Trucking/Johnny's Suzuki race team that won the 2006 Pro Cup championship with driver Clay Rogers.

"I think Petey's going to be a great addition to the team this year," Williams said about Hinson. "He really knows these cars and knows what it takes to run up front in this series - I can't wait to get started."

Hinson's right-hand man will be long-time team member Will Mallard. Mallard will serve as Car Chief on the #40 car. The two have already been hard at work preparing the team's equipment and practicing with the pit crew for the new season.

The 2007 USAR Pro Cup season marks the next step forward in Dusty Williams' promising racing career. Since his first laps behind the wheel of a mini stock at his local dirt track in 1996, Dusty's path has taken him to tracks all over the United States.

Williams - the 2000 PARTS Pro Truck Series Champion - has found success in mini stocks, spec-series trucks, dirt and asphalt late models, Goody's Dash cars, and most recently the NASCAR Elite Division, Southeast Series. After a five-year stint where he became a perennial front-runner on the Southeast Series and a handful of solid Pro Cup runs last season, Dusty is poised to once again demonstrate his ability to step up, adapt, and find success on a new circuit.

You can be sure that when the smell of hot rubber and burning racing fuel fill the air in Lakeland, Florida, next month Dusty Williams will be one to watch in the black #40 Dixie Excavating/Dustcom Limited Ford Fusion.

For more information on Dusty Williams and his team, Dixie Racing, check out: www.dixieracing.com & www.dustywilliams.com.

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