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British national icon 'Whizzo' Williams retires from racing at 79

Barrie 'Whizzo' Williams, one of Britain's most popular national and historic racing drivers, has announced his retirement after a career spanning 60 years

Williams, who will be 80 in November, will step down from racing but will remain involved in the sport through his roles with a number of clubs and organisations.

He has always been famed for his spectacular driving style and ability to race anything from a 1950s Indy Roadster to a Mini Cooper.

"I've had a bloody good time racing," he said. "It's all I've ever really done and I've got huge memories.

"But I've got to be sensible. I still want to put something back into the sport that has given me so much."

Williams's career started at Prescott hillclimb course in summer 1957, after he had raced karts for several years. His first race was at Rufforth on Easter Sunday 1960 in a Morris Minor.

He competed in races, rallies, sprints and hillclimbs and scored a major success when he won the 1964 Welsh Rally in his Mini Cooper on his first experience of forest rallying.

He raced saloons cars through the 1970s and won many fans with his extrovert style, in and out of the car, and sublime car control. He was a works driver for Colt in the British Touring Car Championship and won a series of one-make titles in the 1980s.

In 1986 Williams made his debut in historic racing, where he has competed and won extensively over the last 25 years.

He raced ERAs, Jaguar C-types, BRMs and much more and was a regular winnner at the Goodwood Revival.

Williams also serves as president of the British Motorsport Marshals Club and is always eager to support the marshalling teams.

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