Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Odds On Racing's

Driver of the Month
for September 2008

Lew Williams

Lewis Williams, a native of Cadiz, Ohio, was born March 1, 1947, and won his first harness race at age 16. He soon became one of the most successful African-Americans in the world of harness racing, and was one of the most popular driver-trainers in the sport.

Lew Williams

Throughout the 1970s, Williams dominated the racing circuit in northern Ohio, capturing 17 titles alone at Northfield Park near Cleveland. In 1972 he won a career best 265 races, which ranked him fourth among all North American reinsmen. His driving talents soon put him in demand on a national level, and it wasn't long before he was piloting horses in his standout blue and gold colors at The Meadowlands, at Maywood Park, at Pompano Park, at Yonkers, Hollywood Park and at Windsor Raceway in Canada. It was there that he became one of the youngest drivers in history to record his 1,000 career victory. In 1985, he captured his 2,000 lifetime win.

                          Lew Williams pilots the pacer Whata Baron

Williams was considered to be a modernizer of the sport--and was one of a few that helped to instill a new type of driving strategy within harness racing. He was well known for making an early move to the front before the first quarter of a mile, instead of the traditional focus of racing single file until the final quarter and then sprinting home.

In 1989, tragedy struck, when Williams was involved in a tractor accident that ultimately cost him his life. At the time, he was 42 and recovering from substance abuse, and was awaiting the reinstatement of his racing license. Throughout his career he had recorded 337 two-minute miles, with over $8.834 million in purses while maintaining an average UDR of .303. In 1990, Northfield Park inducted him onto their Wall Of Fame, and later he became the first African-American inducted into the national Harness Racing Hall of Fame and Museum.

Lew Williams Career Driving Statistics
Year Starts/Wins/2nds/3rds Earnings   UDR
1989     1      0       0       0       $0               0.000
1988      30      1       6       5       $14,525        0.200
1987       9      0        1        1       $2,700          0.099
1986      97      12      10       9       $155,205      0.212
1985      114     7       9        7       $75,231        0.126
1984      325     27      21      31      $369,535      0.151
1983      584     57      56      59      $854,558      0.185
1982      495     60      45      55      $567,330      0.209
1981      304     38      30      29      $351,810      0.212
1980      267     43      30      34      $596,952      0.266
1979      541     82      66      65      $1,064,481 0.259
1978      556   108      80      64      $1,246,617   0.313
1977      433    88      48       48      $510,954      0.302
Total           2,023                      $8,833,903