Roanoke, VA native Jason 'Scotty' Williamson traded in 15 years of wrenching on late model stock cars to go back to school. The move paid off with a job in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with HT Motorsports. (HT Motorsports Photo)

For nearly 15 years, late model stock cars prepared by Jason 'Scotty' Williamson pounded the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States winning at places like Martinsville, South Boston and New River Valley. That success, and the drive to achieve even more in racing, took him in an unusual direction that eventually earned him a position with the HT Motorsports No. 59 Toyota Tundra driven by Terry Cook in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

"I started thinking about moving on," said Williamson, now the brake and suspension specialist with HT Motorsports. "I wanted to do more than late model race. I wanted to be a part of the big three - NASCAR Nextel Cup, Busch, or the Craftsman Truck Series. I decided to look into the Patrick Henry Community College Motorsports Program. With all the experience I had, a lot of people wondered why I would go back to school, but I knew the instructor and it was a chance to see how someone else did things. More importantly, I wanted an education, a piece of paper. You can win a thousand short track races, but that doesn't always get you in the door anymore."

Williamson slipped his foot into what would eventually become a career in NASCAR back in 1984 when he attended a race at Franklin County Speedway. The Roanoke, VA native and his dad, an auto body technician by trade, went to the event to support friends who were hobby stock racers. The following week, Williamson and his dad were part of the team.

"That was just the coolest thing in the world," said Williamson. "We started helping them and went full-time with them the next season. I was 11 at the time. My dad did the bodywork and I did anything they would let me do - wipe the car off, clean parts - you name it. We had a great year winning 14 races and the track championship at Franklin."

By the time Williamson was 15, he was working on race cars full-time. Eventually, Williamson grew into a veteran late model mechanic and was maintaining a two-car late model team while holding down a full-time job - something he did for eight years.

That's when he decided to go back to school and chase a new career direction in racing.

Scotty Williamson gives this rear end assembly a little extra attention as he prepares it for installation on driver Terry Cook's No. 59 HT Motorsports Craftsman Truck Series entry. Williamson oversees the suspension and brakes on the team's fleet of Toyota Tundra racers. (HT Motorsports Photo)

"I really enjoyed school, learned a lot, and I got a big break when HT Motorsports decided to move in right next door to the school," said Williamson. "I got a call saying they were going to be here to do interviews. I knew it was the opportunity I had been looking for. It's funny how things work out. I got the job back when they opened up more than three years ago and now I've been here longer than anybody else on the team."

Williamson chuckles when he mentions the demands of his job at HT Motorsports. With general shop mechanic duties added into his brake and suspension responsibilities, there's never a time where he doesn't have something to do.

"The hours can be pretty hard at times, but after keeping up two late model cars while working full-time for as long as I did, the hours aren't that big of a shocker," said Williamson. "It's been harder to get used to seeing people come and go. We've had a couple different crew chiefs and drivers come through here. That's much more common at this level of racing. It's not like late model where you had the same guys year in and year out.

"Overall, I'm very happy how things turned out," Williamson concluded. "I wanted to work in one of the 'Big Three' and I feel like it's a big accomplishment being here. It's what I expected. It's hard, but it's pretty rewarding."