A film that documents the Williams family and how these champion hillclimbers changed the face of this most brutal sport.

Never would I think that a simple YouTube video would grow into an entirely new chapter for a once-retired race team. Here, director and producer Peter Goertz describes the making of the film Nitro – The Williams Dynasty.

As an amateur filmmaker behind the YouTube channel Pete’s Classic Cycle, I found myself looking for my next story. A friend, Jim Breslin, suggested I talked to John Williams, the world-famous hillclimber. Being unfamiliar with both John and the sport of hillclimbing, I was reluctant, but Jim persisted and made arrangements for an introduction. After an hour-long phone call, I knew there was something there. Not only is the story incredible but John himself is a true showman — a winning combination. It was also during this call that John mentioned, “You can’t talk to me without also talking to my two boys, Wade and Greg, along with mechanic Nick Kemp”, and with that very sentence my fate was sealed.

A STORIED RACE TEAM

For those of you unaware — like I was — John and the STP Williams Team are the most successful team in all Canadian motorsport history. With a combined total of nine world championships, 17 National Championships and 40 State Championships, the STP Williams Team were a force that, for more than 30 years, dominated the brutal sport of professional nitro hillclimbing. 

Did I also forget to mention that all four members have been individually inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame — another first. This doesn’t include John’s other induction into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame either. The Williams Team not only conquered every summit but revolutionized the sport with their innovations in technology, safety, and professionalism ushering hillclimbing into the modern era.

The plan of attack was to split the filming into two days. Day 1 would be at the Williams family home and Day 2 would be at Nick Kemp’s shop where we would also attempt to start one of the team’s world-famous 300 horsepower Nitro Hondas.

MEETING THE TEAM

Arriving at John’s house was very surreal. Nestled in the middle of a provincial park, his original country farm has been preserved in time from the expanding suburbs of Markham, Ont. His home is an homage to his decades-long career as a professional hillclimber. Each room is filled with photos and memorabilia showcasing his family’s many successes, not to mention the endless number of trophies. 

Soon after my arrival, John’s two sons, Wade and Greg, along with team mechanic Nick Kemp arrived, each of them in their original Team STP Williams shirts. To say I was intimidated would be an understatement. Here is a world-champion team, trusting someone they have never met to tell their story — talk about a heavy sense of responsibility. I mustered up any remaining courage and got to work.

Once the camera started rolling, the stories that came from John and the team were fascinating. One after another, each better than the next. Seeing them start to relive these experiences through the stories was truly amazing, and only second to what happened next at Nick’s garage. 

300 HORSEPOWER
THUNDERS TO LIFE

Hearing the stories was one thing, but watching them unfold before my eyes was another. This happened while they worked together to start Wade’s 800 cc Nitro Honda. Like a well-
rehearsed dance, each member fell back into their role with the dangerous start-up procedure. Suddenly, I was witnessing living history. 

We may have been in Nick’s garage, but it might as well have been a world-championship race. I knew I was witnessing something that hasn’t been seen since the team retired some 30-plus years ago. This was a privilege I did not take lightly. After a few ignition timing adjustments, the 300 hp machine quite literally roared to life. The sound was so loud and intense I felt it with every fibre in my body. After a few hair-raising moments, the ignition was cut, followed by an emotional release of energy from everyone in the room with hugs, cheers and tears. We all knew how special this moment was.

FADING AWAY WASN’T AN OPTION

After all the filming was finished, the more I researched the team, the more I saw how much larger this story really was. Not only did they revolutionize hillclimbing but, as mentioned earlier, they are also the most successful team in all of Canadian motorsport history. Yet most people have never heard of them. 

As a Canadian, I was very proud to learn about this, but it also saddened me at the same time. With their race careers predating the internet, this history was quickly fading away with time. I knew I had to do my very best to represent the team by giving them a platform to tell their story and secure their legacy through this film.

The process of putting the film together was quite tedious. The first order of business was to organize the 3.5 hours of interviews into one cohesive story. From there was the hardest part: deciding what clips to cut. For that, it really came down to only keeping the stories that had significance to either the genesis of their career, impact on the sport, or a specific challenge that was overcome.

Last and not least was sorting through hours of archived race footage and organizing every clip according to year, race and team member. I then tied it all together with a couple hundred hours of editing and, voila, Nitro – The Williams Dynasty was born. Little did I know that this was only the beginning.

ROCK STARS OF THE HILLCLIMB CROWD

Later that year, the U.S. Hillclimb Championships at the famed “Devil’s Staircase” in Oregonia, OH, took place. Brandon Kreeger from The Nitro and Mud Hillclimb Podcast pulled some strings and convinced the promoter to feature the film during the event. There was no better venue or audience to debut the film to than the entire hillclimb community at the biggest race of the year.

Walking into the historic race grounds with the Williams Team can only be compared to arriving at a concert with your favourite rock band. Right away, they were swarmed by old friends and race fans. Like my time in Nick’s garage, stepping back and watching the team in their natural habitat was amazing. The film was now coming to life before my eyes. John was on his A-game, sharing stories and laughter the entire day, and walking through the pits making sure to meet every single rider.

IT’S SHOW TIME

As the sun fell behind the Ohio hills, it was the moment that two years and countless hours of work all came down to. It was all I could do to hold my composure as I stood at the back of the crowd in suspense. This was the very first time that any of the team had seen the film, their story trusted to a stranger to be told on the big screen. 

Those 90 minutes seemed like an eternity, listening for various cues from the audience to see if they were engaged. Would they laugh at John’s joke or gasp at Greg’s big crash? At last, the credits rolled, accompanied by a loud applause. I could finally breathe again, knowing that not only was the film well-received from the hillclimb community, but more importantly, I now had the stamp of approval and blessing from the Williams Team. 

Returning to Canada, we had three initial premieres planned in Keswick, Stratford and Port Colborne, Ont. As word spread, three shows quickly turned into four which quickly turned into seven individual screenings over a period of five months. Each time, the entire Williams Team came out to support in full STP gear, taking the time to meet and talk to all of their fans. 

As I heard stories from the audience at the various premieres, it really put into perspective how impactful the Williams Team was. Not only for the sport of hillclimbing but also as great ambassadors for Canada. A quote I heard more than once was “You knew that when the Canadians arrived, it was going to be a race.” This was something that the entire team recognized, and they did their very best to represent the values that we Canadians hold dearly on the world stage.

Another phrase that kept coming up was “reliving the past.” For me, that’s a saying that indicates you are finished, stuck in a mental purgatory trying to hang onto a distant memory. Although the Williams Team may not have summited a hill for three decades, this was not a way for them to relive the past. I believe it is the start of a new chapter, ushering in the next generation of fans.

I would like to thank The Williams Team for welcoming me into their homes and allowing me to be a small part in their continued story.

If you too would like to become a part of this story and help preserve this amazing Canadian history, Nitro – The Williams Dynasty is now available for free on YouTube for the world to see.