Lew Williams to the Hall of Fame

It has finally been officially announced-- Lew Williams will be inducted into Harness Racing's Hall of Fame in Goshen next July 5. It's about stinkin' time. He is the first African American inducted into the Hall. His daughter LaVonda and others have worked tirelessly to get him recognized and there is no doubt ot anyone who saw him drive that he deserves it. Here is a segment of the press release, with a bio:


Goshen, NY – On Sunday, July 5, 2009, “Hall of Fame Day,” the 2008 Immortal Honorees will be inducted into the Hall during ceremonies held under the tent on the museum lawn. This great distinction is given both to people and horses, no longer living, who have made significant contributions to the sport of harness racing.

The new inductees, who are nominated annually by the museum’s members and elected by its Board of Trustees, are: Scott Leighton, George Francis Schreiber, Edward Troye, Col. Richard West, Lewis Williams and Gen. William Temple Withers. Also elected are Standardbred horses Big Towner and Nan’s Catch.


LEWIS WILLIAMS, a native of Cadiz, OH born in 1947, won his first harness race at sixteen. He soon became the most successful African-American in the primarily Caucasian world of harness racing.

Williams was one of the most popular trainer-drivers in the sport. He dominated the racing circuit at Northfield Park, OH during the early to mid-seventies, winning seventeen Northfield driving titles. In 1972 he won a career-best 265 races, to rank fourth among all North American drivers. Often driving six and seven horses on an evening’s card, he went on to break records at tracks nationwide, including The Meadowlands, NJ; Maywood Park, IL; Pompano Park, FL; Yonkers Raceway, NY; Hollywood Park, CA and even Windsor Raceway in Ontario, Canada, where Lew became one of the youngest drivers to record his 1,000th career victory. In 1985 he surpassed the 2,000 win plateau.

Innovative and creative, Lew modernized the sport of harness racing by introducing a new way to race. The traditional strategy was to make a mad dash for the lead before continuing in single file formation until the last quarter, when a final brush of speed propelled the drivers to the finish line. Lew’s strategy focused on making moves early, forcing other drivers in the field to make poor decisions. Now most, if not all, drivers plan their races in this fashion.

Lew had his angels, but he also had his demons. For many years Lew fought bravely against his substance dependency. On several occasions his driving credentials were suspended and he voluntarily entered rehabilitation facilities. Lew was finally on the rebound and was awaiting reinstatement of his harness driver’s license when he died in 1989 from injuries sustained in a tractor accident. At the time of his death, at age forty-two, Lew had recorded 2,023 winning drives, 337 two-minute miles, amassed over $8.834 million in winning purses and maintained an average UDR of .303. He was inducted into Northfield Park’s Wall of Fame in 1990. He is the first African-American to be inducted into the sport of harness racing’s Hall of Fame.

Congratualtions to Lavonda, Chuckie, Chris, the cousins in Cadiz and the entire family.