NOTICE OF DEATH - TED WILLIAMS (1938 - 2022)
We regret to have to inform Members that Ted Williams died last Sunday, 28 August. He had been suffering from ill health for some time. Ted, who was an active and successful competitor in both circuit racing and hillclimbing, was elected to Full Membership in 1992.
After leaving school, Ted became involved in the motor and property businesses and soon began racing a variety of machinery including hydroplanes, motor cycles and karts. In 1962 he began competing in sprints, hillclimbs, autocross and on the circuits, particularly in the West Country, with an early Elva 100 Formula Junior, a Mini-Cooper and a Ford Anglia. In 1964 he temporarily retired after a big accident at Castle Combe in a Lotus Cortina which, together with business pressures, kept him away from the circuits although his appetite for competition had led to him dabbling in inshore and offshore powerboats in the meantime.
In 1976 Ted returned to hillclimbing with an ex-Roy Baker March 75B which was succeeded by a March 772/752 and in 1979 Ted won the newly instigated RAC Award of Merit as best-placed competitor in the RAC Hillclimb Championship who had not previously finished in the top 10. In addition to the Marches, Ted also hillclimbed a Pilbeam MP4 with success.
On the basis that, if you can hurtle up very narrow hills successfully in cars with contemporary Formula 1-type performance, tackling rather more spacious British and European race tracks in a vast CanAm car should be fun, Ted returned to circuit racing in 1982 with the widest CanAm/Interserie car of them all, the March 707. No sooner was he back on track than Ted was locked in some magnificent, never-to-be-forgotten battles with Mike Wheatley’s BRM P154. In the colourful 707 with its bright red and yellow Redland Motor House livery Ted won at Montlhery, Donington Park and the ‘new’ Nurburgring in the Super Sports Steigenberger Series. In 1985 alone he won at Brands Hatch, Snetterton twice, Silverstone and Oulton Park. With the McLaren which replaced the March Ted won at the Nurburgring and Zandvoort.
After his CanAm period, Ted moved into Historic Formula 1 with a Ligier JS21 and an Arrows A4 before acquiring a Chevron B26 and, in 2002, a Cooper Monaco T49 which he raced in Macau’s 50th Anniversary event the following year. Over the next few years, in particular with the Cooper Monaco, Ted was a prolific competitor in historic sports car racing. Before he retired from racing some five years ago Ted shared an Austin Healey 3000 in historic GT events with Chris Clarkson.
A proud BRDC Member, Ted was invariably a cheery presence whether in the Clubhouse, the Paddock or the Campsite and will be much missed. To his wife Tecla, son Mark and daughters Rita and Julie the BRDC offers its most sincere condolences. A funeral service will take place at 12pm on Wednesday 28 September at St Bridget's Church, Chelvey Road Chelvey, Nr Bristol BS48 3JJ. BRDC Members are welcome.
