Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 26th consecutive year of showcasing an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 11 AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
The Daytona 200 (11 times);
WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships;
ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;
AMA Road Racing Grand Championships and Horizon Awards;
USGPRU National Championships;
Many regional and local titles.
The competition has continually become more intense as more – and younger—racers with higher levels of accomplishment are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.
We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2022 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
Owen Williams
Age: 14.
Current home: Lake Forest, California.
Current height/weight: 5’1”/115 pounds.
Current school grade level: 9th grade.
Began riding at age: 7 years.
First road race: 2014, Rosamond, California, M1GP, 50cc class, last place.
Current racebike: Kawasaki Ninja 400.
Current tuner/mechanic: Chad Williams (father).
Primary race series: MotoAmerica Junior Cup, CVMA.
Top sponsors: Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Spears Enterprises, Boyko Racing, HJC, JP43 Training, Bickle Racing, Jack C, SoCal Track Days, NGK Spark Plugs, 64 Degrees Racing, Raven Fabrication, RK Chain, Woodcraft, Vortex, Ogio, Apex Assassins, PCP Motorsports.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2021 season, finished 14th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (3 top-10 finishes, best race finish was 8th), leading CVMA Winter Series 500 Supersport, Formula Lightweight, and Ultra-Lightweight Shootout Championships; 2020 season, won CVMA 2020-2021 Winter Series 500 Supersport and Ultra-Lightweight Shootout Expert Championships, won WERA West D Superbike Expert Championship, finished 2nd in WERA West Clubman Expert Championship (won 8 WERA races), won CVMA 2019-2020 Winter Series 500 SS Amateur Championship; 2019 season, won 3 WERA West Novice-class Championships (Clubman, D Superbike, Mini 50), won 20 WERA races.
2022 racing goals: Fight for the MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship, win CVMA Championships.
Racing career goal: Compete as a Pro in MotoAmerica or National-level Speedway racing.
Racing hero: Valentino Rossi.
Favorite tracks: Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Road America.
Favorite hobby: Working out.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Playing video games or talking with friend.
