THOMASVILLE — Junior Drag Racing is in the blood of the Williams family.

So is victory lane.

Three years after his brother Neil won a division championship, A.J. Williams captured the Jr. Drag Racing Eastern Conference Finals championship for his age group.

“To see my younguns come up and get Wallys, it’s awesome,” father Ray Williams said, referring to the trophy given in honor of Wally Parks, founder of the National Hot Rod Association.

“It’s one of the most prestigious trophies in drag racing.

“I’ve been racing 24 years myself and I’ve yet to have a Wally.”

A.J. Williams, 11, won the title in Bristol, Tenn., the weekend of July 10-12, competing in a field of 69 racers.

“It’s fun,” A.J. said. “It was hard, so many people.”

Racing is nothing new for the Williams brothers. Their father said both have been seated in a Junior Dragster since they were seven and competitively racing since age eight. It just took a little extra time for A.J. to figure out this was what he wanted to do.

“My youngest one that just won, he actually wanted to motocross,” Williams admitted. “I told him it’s your decision to make. But whatever you decide to do that’s what we’re going to do. We’re not going to jump back and forth.

“We were at the Grits Blitz, which is a big race they have in Albany every year. On the way home, my oldest son, Neil, was racing. A.J. was still seven-years- old. At age seven he decided, instead of doing motocross, he decided he wanted to junior drag race like his big brother, because dirt bikes are too dangerous.”

Along with knowing his sons are following in his footsteps, Ray also demands winning in the classroom as well.

“They have to maintain a ‘B’ average in school in order to race,” Ray said. “If they drop below a ‘B’ average they lose their race card. They both, this past year, finished A-B Honor Roll. I’m tickled to death.”

AJ.’s proud father will also be ecstatic if his son can continue his winning ways

“He’s pretty much got the 10-12-year-old championship won at our local race track in Albany,” Williams said. “From there he’ll get to run at the Race of Champions at our Division Finals. He’s got a chance to become our Division champion, as well as the Race of Champions champion.”