Grant Williams

Grant Williams (born 1975) is a Welsh racing driver.

Personal life

Outside of his racing career, Williams owns a tyre and maintenance garage near his home in Risca, South Wales. Williams met his current wife (who is also from a motor racing background) at the 2017 Goodwood Revival, prosposing to her two years later at the same event. Williams has two children. In January 1962, Gordon Williams bought one of four experimental-prototype Jaguar Mk1 GTs directly from the Jaguar factory; the car had competed successfully in the 1959 British Saloon Car Championship when it was campaigned by Roy Salvadori for John Coombs under Coombs' famous registration 'BUY 1' (originally registered '287 JPK'). Having campaigned 'BUY 1' at a club-level for several years, ill-health forced Gordon Williams to retire from motor racing in 1972. Tony Williams did not use the car until he was persuaded to recommission it ready to compete at the first Goodwood Revival in 1998, when he finished fourth in the St. Mary's Trophy.

Early career Williams began his career driving a Jaguar Mk2 (registered '8488 NK' ) in the 1995 Jaguar XK Saloon Car Championship. That year, Williams won the championship, becoming the youngest driver to do so, and firmly establishing his reputation as a club-level driver. Williams' over-exuberance resulted in him spinning the car twice and finishing near the back of the grid. Commenting on the race in retrospect, Williams said "I learned from that. It was over-enthusiasm and I know now that I could have eased off a little and still have been pulling away".

Later career

From then on, Williams took over from his father, driving 'BUY 1' to third place in the St. Mary's Trophy at the following year's Goodwood Revival. In 2001, the St. Mary's Trophy changed from a one-driver race to a two-driver race; Williams was paired with Le Mans 24 hours winner, Derek Bell.

Later, the St. Mary's Trophy was split into two races with the final result decided on aggregate: part one for celebrity drivers and part two for the owners. During this iteration, Williams and Bell won the race on aggregate in 2006 and 2010, with Williams winning the second part of the race on two more occasions: namely at the 2012 and 2019 Goodwood Revivals. Williams has achieved over ten podium finishes at the Goodwood Revival driving 'BUY 1'. In 2018, Williams' exuberant driving style earned him a place in Autosport 's "Goodwood Revival's Greatest Hits". Williams on the hillclimb course, driving 'BUY 1' at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed. The same year, Williams made his Goodwood Festival of Speed debut, competing with 'BUY 1'. Williams gained press coverage for his frequent burnouts throughout the hill-climb course and unconventional driving-style given the age and value of the car. Williams exhibiting his side-ways driving style in his Jaguar Mk2 'JAG 400' at the Goodwood Motor Circuit, 2024. In 2020, Williams restored a Jaguar Mk2 with the intention of racing at the Goodwood Revival on a yearly basis. The car was originally campaigned in the British Saloon Car Championships of the early 1960s by the likes of Jack Sears, Mike Parkes, and Stirling Moss under Tommy Sopwith of Equipe Endeavour, sporting the registration plate 'JAG 400'. Williams’ family had taken ownership of the car in the 1970s when it required significant restoration work; the roof had collapsed after the car rolled during a race. Williams competed with 'JAG 400' in the St. Mary's Trophy at the 2020 Goodwood Speedweek and the 2022 Goodwood Revival, partnering with Le Mans 24 hours winner, David Brabham in the latter. In 2021, Williams drove 'JAG 400' at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Other endeavours The Praga R1T Williams shared with Alastair Boulton and Tim Gray, in this case, driven by the latter. In 2008, Williams competed in the Fast Forward Championship, driving a Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500. Despite starting every race in pole-position, consistent gearbox problems meant he finished no races in the championship.

In 2019, Williams competed in the Britcar Endurance Championship, driving a Praga R1T alongside Tim Gray and Alastair Boulton, winning their respective class in the championship.

In 2021, Williams competed in the seventh round of the Trophy Class in the Britcar Endurance Championship at Donington Park, co-driving a Renault Clio with Richard Colburn.

In January 2023, Scalextric began to offer a 1:32 scale model of Williams' Jaguar Mk1 'BUY 1'. In December of the same year, Hot Wheels began to offer a 1:62 scale model of the same car. In January 2024, Scalextric began to offer a 1:32 scale model of Williams' Jaguar Mk2 'JAG 400'.