by: Jared Bolton
Tuesday, April 15, 2014 | 4:30 PM
Last week we caught up with Hunter Williams for Tuesday Toolbox. This week we talked to, well, Hunter Williams! However, this is the other Hunter Williams who contests the Super Mini 14-15 class in the youth ranks. We chatted about his 2014 season and more.
GNCCRacing.com: How's it going today?
Hunter Williams: its going well, cleaning up and getting ready for another race weekend!
How did you get started racing?
I played baseball for about 6 years and just got tired of it, just wanted something more challenging and fun. So I begged my parents and they ended up taking me and my beat up KX65 to a local track, Twin Oaks, and I raced my 1st race in 2009. After that race I was hooked and have been racing ever since! It’s been tough because I didn't come from a "racing family" but my parents have been supportive, have learned a lot and helped me a ton. I’ve been lucky enough to win two NCHSA championships and hope to clinch a GNCC championship!
That’s pretty funny because that same race at Twin Oaks was actually one of the first races I ever helped promote!
Yeah, Twin Oaks was an awesome race, and still a great place to go ride.
So what brought you to GNCC Racing from the local scene?
After racing the local series for a couple of years and meeting such awesome people, I wanted a bigger challenge, so I moved to the GNCC series with the hopes of one day becoming a pro and getting a championship in this competitive series racing with the best!
That’s the dream! Stepping back a little, tell us how your 2013 season went.
It was a pretty good season. I had some strong rides and ended up 6th in the Super Mini 12-13 class and earned 8th overall for the Youth championship.
How tough was the class last year?
Last year’s class was tough. Every race was a challenge for sure. It was my first full year running GNCC and I also ran the Mid-East series as well, so there wasn’t much of a break for me. I had to be race ready every single weekend.
So what about 2014? How's it been treating you?
So far this year has been no different, really. The competition in the Super Mini 14-15 class is stout! Each round the top five are basically the same, but there’s been a different winner each round, which makes the racing even wilder.
What’s it been like making the move to the front row?
Moving to the front row has been exciting and challenging. There’s a lot of great guys to battle with, but my goal hasn't been accomplished yet. I want to get that top overall spot!
You're actually in a 3 way tie in class points right now, what's it going to take to pull away from everyone?
Well, I plan to train harder and race better to help break away. Most of the guys I’m up against have been racing since they were on 50cc's. I’m a little behind them, but I think I've learned a lot since 2009 when I began in mid-season on a beat up back yard bike with mail box numbers as graphics (laughs). I've got to settle down, actually listen to my parents and have a little confidence and I think I can pull it together. A bike problem at Steele Creek left me pushing my bike out and was a big setback in the points, but I’m determined to fight back!
Think you can make it happen?
I'm sure going to try my best to make it happen! Believing is the 1st step to making it happen. All I can do is follow my mom’s advice and "Ride smart, ride hard, and ride with your heart!"
What do you hope to accomplish the rest of the season?
I hope to prove to those who doubt me, that they’re wrong. I’m a racer and I can do this. Maybe I haven't done it my whole life, but yet it IS my life!
What about beyond 2014? What do you want to accomplish in the future?
I truly want to be one of those pros that line up on that front row in the afternoon race. I want a career in racing… A successful one!
You've been improving more and more every year, what do you think has been the biggest help for you?
I feel I've improved because of hard work. I've learned that to be the best, you have to put your all into it. You have to work out and train throughout the week, not be a couch potato. I've also had supportive parents, family and friends that have paid for awesome riding schools through Raines Racing and DirtWise and I’ve learned from awesome people there. A broken femur in 2011 could’ve been a major setback but instead I trained harder and worked with therapists and was determined not to let it stop me. I was told I'd be out for 4 to 6 months but I pushed forward, worked hard and was back at it in 8 weeks and finished 2nd that year. That’s when I realized you have to work hard to achieve great things and that's what I’m trying to do!
Well said! Alright, before we wrap this up, who do you want to thank?
I’d like to think my parents who sacrifice everything to help me make my dreams come true. Also the rest of my family and local friends and my mechanic Josh Loflin. Also, my sponsors Mad Man Cleaning Solutions, Stickman Graphics, Moose Racing, FTI Racing, Leatt, EKS Brand goggles, Pro Cycle of Asheboro, Loflin’s Paving, Ultra Coatings Inc, and all of the support from my race family.