The final Motorsport Australia State Awards night, presented by Burson Auto Parts, has taken place as the Northern Territory celebrated 2019 at the Mindil Beach Casino Resort in Darwin.

 

Together with Motorsport NT, Motorsport Australia acknowledged various drivers from each discipline, as well as volunteers and officials.

 

Starting off the evening was the acknowledgment of three Motorsport Australia Service Award winners in Shane Davidson, Vicki Rice and Adriaan Gerritson – all of whom had  successfully contributed to the sport.

 

The three service award winners were followed by awards for 20 clubs recognising specific individuals who had gone above and beyond at their events during 2019 and previous years before.

 

From the Top End Drift Association’s Scott Grosskopf to the Alice Springs Off Road Race Club’s Nina Kells, outstanding individuals from each of the NT based clubs were celebrated for their work in contributing to their discipline.

 

A further nine people were also awarded with Club Administrator Awards, thanks to their diligence and organisational skills in facilitating clubs events throughout the year, with Jacalin Ekins from the Darwin Speedway Riders & Drivers Association headlining these individual award winners as the outright NT Club Administrator of the Year.

On top of Elkins’ involvement with her club as a passionate official and administrator, she also played a key part in running the highly successful 2019 NT State Event of the Year – the Chariots of Thunder.

One of the biggest Sprintcar events in Australia, the four-day event saw a 70 per cent increase in participation during 2019 and an impressive 11,000 spectators, while fans could also watch the event via a free broadcast.

 

Ekins found herself on stage a third time following her triumph as an official and event organiser, as she was also named as the NT Motorsport Person of the Year.

 

Taking centre stage alongside Ekins as a highly praised official was 2019 Official of the Year, Gavin Thompson.

 

From being a veteran Clerk of Course at many race meetings, developing and increasing his club’s membership numbers and the training of new officials, Thompson was a deserving recipient of the award.

 

While Thompson was praised for his many years of service, on the opposite end of the scale was 13-year-old Jorja Thompson who took out the Junior Official of the Year title for her role in assisting with the running of each of the North Australian Motor Sports Club’s race meetings throughout the year.

Outside of all the volunteers getting time in the spotlight, 15 drivers across all disciplines were also rewarded for their stellar 2019 seasons with Circuit Driver of the Year winner David Ling and Off Road Driver of the Year recipient Alex Heinzel amongst the winners highlighted during the evening. 

Less than a week out from his Virgin Australia Supercars Championship debut as a full-time driver, Bryce Fullwood was named as the 2019 Burson Future Star Award winner for his incredible season in the Dunlop Super2 Series, which saw the 21-year-old dominate the talented field of drivers.

With all the Motorsport Australia State Awards now completed, all attention turns to the Motorsport Australia National Awards Gala Dinner presented by Burson Auto Parts in Victoria on 29 February.

 

Click here for more information on the national awards.