“Disappointed about this”: NASCAR insider reacts to sudden shutdown of prominent news outlet that left award winning journalist jobless

Renowned NASCAR insider and journalist Matt Weaver shared his thoughts on Deb Williams' latest social media post. Weaver, from his official social media account, reacted to the sudden closure of Autoweek, which left Williams, an award-winning journalist, jobless.

Autoweek, a prominent motorcar-related magazine-turned-website, was reportedly shut down with immediate effect on Tuesday. As per reports, the 67-year-old website was closed by the parent company, Hearst Autos, a subsidiary of the Hearst Corporation media conglomerate.

The news of the closure did not come with prior notice from Autoweek or its parent company. As a result, multiple renowned journalists, including Deb Williams, were laid off. Breaking the news, the former took to X and shared an update:

"Just days before the #NASCAR Cup and Truck playoffs start, I receive word that Autoweek.com has shut down, effective immediately. It’s a stunning blow when the website/publication you’re writing for does that without any warning," Williams wrote.

Reacting to it, Weaver quote-tweeted the post and shared his thoughts. Here's what he wrote:

"I'm disappointed about this on several fronts. I hate this for Deb, who I consider a great inspiration, legend and friend but also for the industry. There are fewer and fewer independent outlets covering motorsports. These are important professional voices they have historically employed."

"I spent seven formative years at Autoweek. I leaned a lot, the things we should do and some things to never do again, and I always hoped I could finish my story there someday. Godspeed for now and hopefully not for long, Autoweek and Competition Press."

Besides Weaver, numerous renowned NASCAR journalists such as Jeff Gluck, Toby Christie, Taylor Kitchen, Chris Knight, John Newby, Joseph Srigley, Dustin Albino, among many others, shared their solace.

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NASCAR journalist Deb Williams shared latest update on Autoweek

Hours after the NASCAR world shared their solace to Deb Williams, the former shared a latest update on Autoweek's stance. Taking to her official X account, here's what she wrote:

"Good news! I have just been informed that Autoweek.com is being restructured— NOT shutting down. A huge thank you to everyone who reached out to me and has been working diligently to help me find work. Thank you! Thank you!!"

Deb Williams

@DebWilliams72

Good news! I have just been informed that http://Autoweek.com is being restructured— NOT shutting down. A huge thank you to everyone who reached out to me and has been working diligently to help me find work. Thank you! Thank you!!

Deb Williams' online statement surfaced after reports stated that Autoweek will join the Motor Trend family of brands and continue to operate as usual. It will remain operative alongside Hearst Autos' other portfolios, such as Car and Driver, and Road & Track.

Reports also say that Autoweek, the publication that has historically delivered news on car trends and car racing, including NASCAR, informed that out of six full-time employees, two will join Motor Trends, while another two employees will remain at Autoweek.