DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 31, 2025) — Veteran motorsports reporter Deb Williams was named recipient of the 2026 Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence becoming the 14th winner of the prestigious award.
Williams began her journalism career in the late 1970s at United Press International, becoming one of the first women to regularly cover NASCAR. She spent 18 years with NASCAR Winston Cup Scene, serving as editor for 10 of those years, and contributed to The Gaston Gazette, USA Today, Racing Today, espnW.com and UPI. She is currently a motorsports correspondent for AutoWeek.
“Deb Williams has been a trusted, respected and pioneering media voice in NASCAR for decades,” said Jim France, NASCAR chairman and CEO. “As one of the first women to cover our sport on a regular basis, she broke barriers while earning the respect of competitors, industry leaders and fellow journalists.
“Her storytelling has given fans a deeper understanding of the people and passion inside the garage, and her integrity and dedication has made her a role model for many who follow in her path. Deb’s grace and professionalism embody the best of motorsports journalism.”
Williams is the 1990 recipient of the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence (formerly called the Henry T. McLemore Award), becoming the first woman to earn the honor. She is also a two-time honoree of the National Motorsports Press Association’s Writer of the Year award and received the Russ Catlin Award for Motorsports Journalism in 2009. In addition, she has earned multiple honors from the Eastern Motorsport Press Association.
The Squier-Hall Award is voted upon by a panel of NASCAR and NASCAR Hall of Fame executives, active and retired media members, and former NASCAR competitors and industry leaders. Williams will be honored during NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony festivities on January 23, 2026, and featured in an exhibit in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Tickets to the Induction Weekend events are available at NASCARHall.com.
The Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence was named after legendary NASCAR media figures Ken Squier and Barney Hall, the first two recipients of the award.
The other seven nominees for the award were:
Russ Catlin, one of the best-known early racing writers and historians; editor of Speed Age Magazine
George Cunningham, long-time beat writer for The Charlotte Observer, Atlanta Constitution and NASCAR Scene; is the namesake for the annual NMPA award for Excellence in Writing
Jim Foster, helped create the Motor Racing Network (MRN) after 15 years covering NASCAR as a newspaper reporter
Bob Montgomery, co-founder and announcer for the Universal Racing Network
Bob Moore, spent more than 20 years as a NASCAR beat writer including stints with the Daytona Beach News-Journal and The Charlotte Observer
Al Pearce, covered NASCAR for more than 50 years including 56 consecutive Daytona 500s, with a long tenure at AutoWeek
Hank Schoolfield, a jack of all trades bringing NASCAR racing to rans across the Southeast through newspapers, magazines and radio