The Shannons Club was saddened to hear of the recent passing of 1970s Toyota Celica touring car star and Racecam pioneer Peter Williamson at his home in Taree, NSW. He was 78.
In a stellar racing career which spanned the 1960s to the 1980s, ‘Willo’ as he was affectionately known drove a variety of sedans and open wheelers. He also had 12 Bathurst starts which included a memorable pair of 2.0 litre class wins in 1979 and 1981. Although he briefly dabbled in BMWs, his touring car appearances were mostly in Toyotas as he ran a large western Sydney dealership which benefitted from his highly publicised racing activities.
Although he campaigned Coronas and Supras on the Mountain, there’s no doubt Williamson’s most famous and successful association with the Japanese marque was when he raced 2.0 litre Celica GTs from 1977 to 1981. It was in these high-revving cars, particularly at Bathurst, that his efforts have been immortalised through TV coverage of ‘The Great Race’ by the Seven Network.
In 1979 Williamson made broadcasting history by carrying the world’s first in-car TV camera to beam live images and driver commentary to a spellbound international TV audience. Seven’s innovative ‘Racecam’ technology, which used a microwave link to transmit in-car vision, sound and driver chat via a chopper hovering high above the circuit, was an Australian invention that soon had TV broadcasters around the globe wanting a piece of the action.
Willo’s first Racecam unit in 1979 was huge by today’s standards, featuring a pan-and-tilt camera head that could be adjusted via remote control from the pits. Its extra bulk certainly didn’t seem to be too much of a burden in the race that year, with Williamson and co-driver Mike Quinn claiming their first victory in Class C. Not only that, they finished ninth outright and were the first non-V8 car to cross the line behind eight A9X Toranas.
It was an outstanding result for the Celica, eclipsed only by the history-making success of its Racecam unit which triggered a global revolution in TV coverage of motor sport. Williamson had provided not only stunning images and sounds but also some colourful commentary from the driver’s seat.
His in-car verbal skills became even more entertaining the following year, particularly when he came across a big Chevy Camaro that was holding him up severely through The Esses. “Move you big Yankee thing!” he yelled, much to the amusement of TV viewers enthralled by the spectacle of racing around Mount Panorama as though they were strapped into a front passenger seat.
There’s no doubt Peter Williamson was a talented race car driver who could extract some serious speed from small capacity touring cars. However, being the global pioneer of live in-car TV commentary will remain his greatest legacy and one all Australians can be immensely proud of.
To Peter’s family and friends, our sincere condolences. He will be missed, but never forgotten.
Read Mark Oastler's Racing Garage article featuring Peter Williamson the pioneer of racecam: Racing Legends: The Toyota Celica, Willo and Racecam
Watch the Shannons Legends of Motorsport Episode featuring Peter Williamson: Seven Motorsport - Episode 2 - Series 2 - Shannons Legends of Motorsport
