When Jordan Michels unveiled his new race car, a Honda Fk7 TCR car, to his closest supporters at Teretonga Park recently he also announced that the car had been purchased for him by Peter Williams of Riverton to run under the Team Williams Racing (TWR) banner, a gesture that has given Michels a wonderful opportunity to advance his career.
So who is Peter Williams and what has motivated him to become a race team owner? Williams is a retired farmer whose wife Glenys sadly passed away two years ago and with his son not keen to take on the family farm he sold it and moved to a beachfront property in Riverton.
Williams loves motor racing and last season good friend Barry Keen, the Patron of the Southland Sports Car Club, introduced him to Jordan Michels. A short time later another friend, Neville Hamilton, took Williams into the Evolution Motorsport tent at Teretonga Park and he caught up with Jordan again. “From then on I started following Jordan and that was the start of the journey. I said to Neville I have spent eighteen months doing nothing and I need a challenge. Then I asked him what does it take to run a race team?”
“Neville, who is part of Jordan’s management team, said he could help and that led to Neville, Jordan and Jordan’s dad, Rick, coming out to Riverton.” “I asked Jordan what he would like to do next season and he was keen on TCR. Then I asked them if they had heard of TWR – Team Williams Racing. We talked and I said, I’m buying you a car. Jordan went away and did some research and found one in Edinburgh. It ticked all the boxes and I rang Neville and said let’s go get it.”
The car has arrived nice and early and Jordan debuted the car in the 1 Hour race of the Carter’s Tyre Service South Island Endurance Series at Teretonga Park last weekend.
It is a big commitment and many will ask the question why back a young man he has not known very long?
“He is an exceptional young man. He can relate to young and old alike. He is an allrounder and a very talented driver. It will give me a real thrill to support a young talent and help to open doors for him and allow him to progress up the ranks,” says Peter. “My son came up with the Team Williams Racing name. It is partly in memory of the kids Mum, Glenys.”
Glenys and Peter had four children – Adelle, Kayleen, Bayden and Olivia. There are also thirteen grandchildren plus two more on the way. “The kids are 100% behind this,” and so too is Peter’s new partner, Janene McIntyre.
Family is important to Peter and that is another reason he is supporting Jordan. ”I have got to know the Michels family quite well and they are a lovely family. Motorsport is their life but they would have had to sell some special race cars to fund this so I am thrilled to be able to help. I haven’t been this excited in years!”
Jordan says he has known about the opportunity Peter Williams is providing him with for a few months now but still cannot put it into words how much it means. “My family has tipped in a fair bit to get it to this point but for someone like Peter to want to be involved is surreal. It is like a dream come true and a massive boost for my career.”
The car will be run by Evolution Motorsport, a company owned by Jordan’s parents – Rick and Fiona, while his championship winning engineer from his NZ Formula 1600 Championship Jason Leifting will engineer the car.
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