Wil Herrington is a very quiet, unassuming type of personality when he's not in a race car, but when he climbs in it's a different story. He becomes a hard-nosed, put it to the front, no nonsense driver. Racing is all he's ever known. His dad started him out in the road warrior division at the young age of 12 at his home track of Cochran Motor Speedway. It's where he learned the ins and outs of racing and learned how to hone his skills and talent for the past 5 years. Talent is something he is not short of. After battling bad luck in previous seasons, it all came together for his 2013 season.
Running every weekly race at Cochran in his late model, he finished the top of the points at the end of the season making him points champion at the very young age of 17. Beating out someone like Cochran regular, Keith Edge, is something Wil calls one of his biggest accomplishments. Another of his highlights from 2013 was beating Jason Fitzgerald at Cochran. After looking up to Jason for so long, and following Jason's career, Wil knew he wanted to be like that one day and to beat someone you have looked up to for so long can mean the world to a young 17 year old. Wil ran more tracks than just Cochran last year. He ran races at Screven, Needmore, and both big races at East Alabama Motor Speedway.
This year looks to be a continuation of last year with traveling for races. Wil will try to run the full Nesmith Series schedule and has hopes to win another championship. The Nesmith Series runs at multiple tracks in the Southeast area. It's another step on the road he's traveling towards becoming a bigger name in racing. On this road to success, Wil is ever clear that he knows he couldn't do it alone. He thanks God most of all and his mom and dad follow right behind. After meeting both parents in Waycross a couple of weeks ago I can see where Wil gets his personable, respectful manner. His parents have raised him well. Wil also said he couldn't make it without his grandparents, Roger Laster, Tim & Blue, Keith Gurr and Dee Paschal.
That's a lot of people but that's what it takes to make it in racing. It takes a village. Wil has the support of family, friends, and fans for sure. It's what helps him keep going along with the need to race that keeps him motivated. He has the talent, drive and ambition to make a success of himself. Wil represents the Young Gun award well. It is a special award to him because he says Deep Dixie Racing is such a popular website with a big following, it means a lot to be voted by the voters as the winner. Winning is definitely a start in the right direction for the 2014 season. With Wil's talent and heart he's sure to make a big name for himself and it will put him straight to the top. Wil has hopes to make it nationally one day as many young drivers do, but with all that's going for him and what I've seen him do on the race track, he will most definitely make it as far as he wants to take it. If you get a chance, go watch him race somewhere and then one day you can say, "I got to watch a real talent when he was just starting out". Go talk to him at the track too. Beyond everything he does on the track, his personality and respectfulness will always be the legend he will carry with him and in today's times it's almost hard to find and to someone like me, it makes me a more hopeful person for the future.
