By Ben Deatherage
CALERA, Okla. (Oct. 20, 2026) — Thirteen years after winning his first Karl Kustoms IMCA Modified national championship, William Gould returned to the top of the standings in 2026, capturing his second career national crown by 14 points following a season that produced 18 feature victories.
The Calera, Okla., veteran became one of just eight drivers to win multiple Modified national championships since 1982 and remains the only Oklahoma driver to accomplish the feat. His latest championship also came with his ninth GRT Race Cars South Central Region title, tying David Murray Jr. for the most regional championships in IMCA history while breaking a tie with Henry Witt Jr. for the most in the South Central Region.
Gould also secured his sixth consecutive and eighth career Texas State championship, giving him 10 combined state titles between Texas and Oklahoma, the most in the division’s history. He added track championships at Grayson County Speedway and Heart O’ Texas Speedway, earning his fifth career Grayson County crown and second straight, along with his first championship at Heart O’ Texas.
Heart O’ Texas Speedway’s addition of Friday night sanctioned Modified racing gave Gould the opportunity to pursue another national championship after finishing among the top five nationally in 2025.
“Like every year, we just want to win races,” Gould said. “Last year we ended up in the top five in the nation just racing one night a week and got close without really trying. When we found out that they were going to be sanctioning races in Waco this year on Friday nights, our goal was to win the national championship.”
“We went to Waco all year, and I normally don’t go well there, so our goal was to just finish the best we could and not take any chances and try to run in the top four every time possible,” Gould explained. “Whereas Grayson County has been really good to us. It’s one of my favorite tracks in the country. We decided if we could win all of our races there, we had a good shot.”
The weekly trips to Waco also presented challenges away from the racetrack.
“The only way to get to Waco from here is to go through the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and getting through there at 5 o’clock is pretty brutal,” Gould said. “It can be three or three and a half hours one way going down, but take two and a half hours coming back.”
“It’s pretty tough to win a national title, especially where we live, where to get a track championship it’s 20-plus nights, and you can’t go chase specials because you’ve got to be there for points,” Gould said. “This year was the first year in a couple of years we had a Friday night track. We had very little go wrong and pretty much everything go right.”
Driving the Kerry Fryer Motorsports No. 60, Gould recorded 18 feature victories, 38 podium finishes, 45 top fives, and 51 top-10 finishes in 54 feature starts across 55 events attended.
Grayson County Speedway accounted for 12 of his victories, while he won four times at Heart O’ Texas Speedway and once each at Abilene Speedway and Kennedale Speedway Park. His success at Grayson County included seven consecutive feature victories from May 16 through July 25.
Gould also assembled a 22-race top-five streak from April 11 through July 18, winning 10 times during that stretch. His consistency continued through the remainder of the season, including 47 consecutive top-10 finishes after Feb. 28.
The championship also carried significance for Gould as a chassis builder and longtime Modified competitor. He began racing Modifieds in 1995 after building his first chassis with help from his father, David. Gould continued building his own cars and eventually constructed cars for his father and uncle, Ronny.
His relationship with car owner Kerry Fryer began four years ago when Fryer commissioned Gould to build a race car and subsequently hired him to drive. Two years ago, Fryer gave Gould the car that would eventually carry him to his second national championship.
“I have to thank Kerry Fryer because four years ago he had me build him a race car, and he hired me to drive for him,” Gould said. “He gave me this race car two years ago.”
Fryer had previously enjoyed national championship success as a car owner when David Phillips captured the 2023 Smiley’s Racing Products IMCA Southern SportMod title.
Gould also credited Kustom Machine for building his engines and Neal Kemp of Club 20 Shocks for developing a suspension package that helped him remain competitive throughout the season.
Gould and his wife, Dana, shouldered much of the financial responsibility for the championship effort.
“This year we really didn’t have any sponsors and financial backing,” Gould said. “Aside from the occasional help from Cullen Hill and the surprise help at the end of the season from Matt Mueller and Kyle Wisdom of Abilene Race Rads, my and I funded everything. She took care of the household bills while I took care of the race car expenses with money earned in the shop and money won at the track.”
Gould reserved special appreciation for his wife, Dana.
“I would like to thank my wife Dana,” Gould said. “Not only is she a full-time nurse, but she’s also my wife, baby momma, crew chief, sometimes truck driver, and biggest sponsor. She only gets upset about racing if she can’t go too,” he added with a laugh. “Just a really amazing and supportive lady.”
Feature Wins: 18
Total Top Fives: 45
Total Starts: 55
His Pit Crew: Wife Dana Gould
His Sponsors: Gould Race Cars, Innovative Traction Solutions, FastShafts, Goode Towing, D&R Construction, Guillaume Motorsports, Hanjak Farms, Bobby Ott Sand & Gravel, Bob Harris Enterprises, Kerry Fryar Motorsports, Kustom Machine Shop, BSB Manufacturing, BET All Racing, Cullin Hill Racing, Smiley’s Racing Products, Dave Leech Construction, Russ Fletcher Race Engines, Texoma Auto Care, Adams Automotive, Wehr’s Machine and Racing Products, Nikoles Country Store, Winner’s Circle Design, PEM Racing Gears & Drivetrain, Rosco Racing Carburetors, Velocita by Melissa Markewitz, Cams Auto Repair, Hideaway Poker Club.