Josh revving up for superbike challenge

Having raced at the highest level on a mountain bike, the club racer has his eyes on the British Superbike (BSB) prize.

The Oswestry racer has returned to motorsport following a self-imposed five-year hiatus, but hopes his early success in the Tonfanau and Wirral 100 championships will be the stepping stone he needs eventually to race at the top level.

Williams, 27, currently sits second in the Tonfanau series and sixth in the Wirral 100, which are both raced just over the Shropshire border in Wales.

He also enters the occasional N G Road Racing championship round, when time and funds allow, which takes him up and down the country and gives him the experience of racing on the same UK tracks used in the BSB.

Williams, who also works full time as a builder, said: “I started racing pushbikes when I was about 11 and I just progressed from them all the way to superbikes.

“I was about 17 when I first rode a motorbike and 20 when I started racing them. I first raced between 2000 and 2001 but stopped before restarting over the last few years.

“When racing pushbikes, I competed in national championships, between the ages of 11 to 17.

“I stopped around 18 because I’d developed other interests, like most teenagers that age.

"I wish hadn’t really but then I just jumped on a motorbike and it all went from there.

“My older brother, Marcus, was also a really good cyclist and he went on to represent Great Britain in the downhill class at the World Cup.”

Williams eventually bought himself a 400cc and was ready to follow in the footsteps of his father, Philip, and uncle Michael, who had also raced at club meetings.

“My uncle still does now, but he’s riding classic bikes,” said Williams.

“Personally, I didn’t do any track days before I went into club racing. I did one training day to get my licence and then just went for it.”

Williams’ first club race was at Tonfanau, on a Honda 400cc, but he stopped after his debut, mainly because of the expense.

But the pull of racing meant he could not stay away for too long.

“I started missing it again more anything else – it’s fair to say the bug had bitten me again,” he said.

“When I returned, I entered the Wirral 100 series, which is raced at Anglesey in Wales and Oulton Park in Cheshire, in the Formula 600 class.

"I ended up winning the Anglesey Grand title, which is the showpiece finale for the whole campaign, raced during the final round.

“I’m currently sitting sixth and seventh in two championships at the moment, and I’m also back racing at Tonfanau in the 450-1100 class. I’m second in that championship.

“The year has been okay and my best results have been a couple of second-placed finishes.

“I’m also really enjoying racing in the N G Road Racing championship, also in the Formula 600 class, which takes me all over the country.

“I don’t enter every round in the series but I just go riding whenever I came. I usually finish in the top 10 though.”

Williams admits he hopes all his hard work so far is a stepping stone towards racing in the British Superbike championship.

“That’s the aim,” he said. “I need to keep the momentum going to be achieve that and I’ve got a good group of sponsors behind me – but more support is always gratefully received.

“A big thanks goes to Phil Morris Racing, Cobra Motorsport , WOC Hire, Paramount Construction, Chips Away and of course my mum, Lesley, and dad for all their support at every round.”

Anyone would like to sponsor Williams is asked to contact him via Facebook or call 07850 762010.