Stafford Motor Speedway Firefighter Jack Williams Closing Out 50th Season At The Track

Jack Williams in turn one at Stafford Motor Speedway Saturday afternoon

STAFFORD – As smoke poured off tires being dragged around Stafford Motor Speedway Saturday afternoon in an attempt to dry the track after morning rain, Jack Williams joked about the old days overseeing the track.

“Back when I started here they had all wooden grandstands,” the Stafford Speedway firefighter said. “We had to have one guy in the stands with an Indian tank [old style pump fire extinguisher] in case the stands caught on fire. That was the old days here.”

With NAPA Fall Final Weekend upon the track, William, a longtime Stafford resident, celebrates closing out his 50th season working as a firefighter on the track crew.

The 72-year old Williams started at the track in 1965.

“I’ve seen a lot here,” All the accidents. We’ve been lucky here, we’ve only had two [fatalities] the whole time I’ve been here. We’ve been very lucky.”

Williams grew up in Pennsylvania and moved to Stafford in 1962. He became a member of the now disbanded Stafford Springs Volunteer Fire Department and the department was brought in by the track oversee events.

Williams was the Deputy Chief of the Stafford Spring department when it was disbanded in the late 1990’s. He’s currently a senior member of the West Stafford Volunteer Fire Department.

Williams, a fixture for many years at the half-mile oval’s turn one gates, is usually one of the first on the scene during accidents at the track in the turn one area. He doesn’t expect that to change anytime soon.

“I don’t think about leaving here ever,” Williams said. “I love doing this. I get withdrawals when the season is over.”