John Williams (racing driver)

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John Williams
Nation: United KingdomUnited Kingdom United Kingdom

John Williams (born May 27, 1946 , † August 12, 1978 in Northern Ireland ) was an English motorcycle racer .

Career

At the end of the 1960s, Williams began racing, initially in the smaller displacement classes on Ducati. Williams was soon seen as a great talent in road racing . In addition, he took part in competitions of the motorcycle world championship . How well he mastered his machine, he was able to show with a victory in 1976 at the Belgian Grand Prix over the mostly superior driving world champion Barry Sheene .

In the same year he set a new lap record of 181 km / h in the senior class of the TT . Williams was in the lead and would have won the race if he hadn't run out of fuel on the home straight. Without gas he pushed the motorcycle over the finish line and collapsed exhausted. This engagement brought him seventh place and a wide media coverage. In memory of this spectacle, the John Williams Prize for the fastest lap in the Superbike class is awarded annually in his honor .

Williams always remained a privateer in his racing career. That means he never competed in a brand team, but with the financial support of a sponsor. He had a serious accident during the Ulster Grand Prix in August 1978. He succumbed to his injuries in a hospital a few days later.

Victory statistics

year class machine run
1971 Production 500 Honda Isle of Man
1972 Production 250s Honda Isle of Man
1973 250s Yamaha Ulster GP
1973 350s Yamaha Ulster GP
1973 500s Yamaha Ulster GP
1974 350s Yamaha North west 200
1974 500s Yamaha North west 200
1974 750s Yamaha North west 200
1975 Classic Yamaha Isle of Man
1976 Classic Suzuki Isle of Man
1976 Motorcycle World Championship Suzuki Belgian GP
1977 500s Suzuki Ulster GP
1977 1000s Yamaha Ulster GP
1977 500s Suzuki North west 200
1977 Superbike Yamaha North west 200
1978 500s Suzuki Ulster GP

Web links and sources