The 2019 Motorsport Australia awards season has officially come to a close with the National Awards Gala Dinner, presented by Burson Auto Parts at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

 

Hosted by Greg Rust, the special evening honoured both the champions behind the wheel and individuals that are part of the passionate and dedicated 10,000 Motorsport Australia officials family.

 

While champion winners from circuit, tarmac and gravel rallying, off road and karting all got their time in the spotlight to receive their silverware and thank those close to them, there were many other individuals honours revealed for the first time.

Motorsport Australia President Andrew Papadopoulos congratulated those winners and thanked those present for their attendance at the gala dinner, with a particular focus on the work of Motorsport Australia officials.

"There is no doubt about the motorsport community’s passion and loyalty – and the sport is certainly full of people who give up so much of their time to allow everyone to go racing safely and fairly," Papadopoulos said.

"Your efforts and successes are richly deserved, and we couldn’t be prouder to be sharing the night with you."

Taking out the prestigious Official of the Year award was former Queensland State Council Chairman Paul Overell. The decorated motor race official has contributed a lot to Australian motorsport in Queensland, working hard at race meetings or as an active member on multiple council and training teams.

As Overell was celebrated for his service after more than 40 years, teenager Edan Thornburrow was named as the Young Driver of the Year after having a big season in the NSW Production Touring Car Series where he enjoyed seven class victories. He also became the youngest ever driver to win a class in the state’s Porsche Club super sprint championship.

 

It was a busy event for another young driver as Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia’s Harry Bates found himself on stage three times throughout the night. The 23-year-old received the Possum Bourne trophy for winning the Motorsport Australia Rally Championship title, as well as being named as the prestigious Peter Brock Medal recipient, awarded to the sport's rising stars.

 

It was a deserving accolade for Bates, who had a brilliant year behind the wheel of the Neal Bates Motorsport prepared Toyota Yaris AP4, where he claimed a clean sweep of victories throughout the ARC season.

 The ARC champion also featured as part of a star-studded panel to discuss the 2019 season, which included Supercars Champion Scott McLaughlin, carsales TCR Australia Series winner Will Brown, FIA Motorsport Games medalist Brenton Grove and Australian Women in Motorsport Commission Chair Jessica Dane from Triple Eight Racing.

Grove wasn’t the only individual to be celebrated for his efforts outside the country, with his fellow FIA Motorsport Games teammates Stephen Grove, Luis Leeds and Cody Nikola Latkovski, FIA Asia Pacific Rally Champion co-driver John McCarthy and FIA Best Track or Road Marshal of the Season recipient Rob Thiry all being celebrated for their efforts.

The remaining individual honours to be awarded during the gala dinner were the Media Service awards and four life memberships, which were presented to Bill Bennett, Neil Crompton, John Harnden AM and Andrew Fraser. 

Phil Irving Award recipient, the late Peter Molloy, was also acknowledged during the evening after receiving his award last July in a private ceremony.

 

A deserving winner of the award, Molloy spent 50 years in motorsport engineering and mentoring drivers for some of those most successful teams, drivers, and riders in Australian motorsport history.

 

Life Membership - Bill Bennett

Life Membership - Neil Crompton

Life Membership - John Harnden AM

Life Membership - Andrew Fraser

Service Award (Media) - Leigh Diffey

Service Award (Media) - Colin Young

Service Award (Media) - Scott Young

Service Award (Media) - Bruce Williams

Service Award (Media) - Jeff Whitten

Service Award (Media) - Peter Whitten

Service Award (Media) - Geoffrey Harris

Service Award (Media) - Bruce Newton

Motorsport Journalist of the Year - Andrew van Leeuwen 

Motorsport Story of the Year (Print/Online) - John Morris

Motorsport Story of the Year (Radio/Television) - Vanessa Milton 

Motorsport Photograph of the Year - Darin Mandy

Motorsport Photographer of the Year - Dirk Klynsmith

Phil Irving Award - Peter Molloy

Peter Brock Medal - Harry Bates

Australian Motorsport Official of the Year - Paul Overell

Young Driver of the Year - Edan Thornburrow

 

Dirk Werner

Dennis Olsen

Matt Campbell

 

KA2 Winner - Luke Pink 

KZ2 Winner - Troy Loeskow 

Ladies Championship Trophy - Beck Connell 

 

CAMS Australian Side by Side Champion - Jackson Evans

CAMS Australian GT Champion - Geoff Emery

CAMS Australian GT Endurance Championship - Geoff Emery and Garth Tander

CAMS Australian Formula 4 Champion - Luis Leeds

CAMS Australian Targa Champion Modern Driver - Paul Stokell

CAMS Australian Targa Champion Modern Co-Driver - Kate Catford

CAMS Australian Targa Champion Classic Driver - Mick Downey

CAMS Australian Targa Champion Classic Co-Driver - Jarrod van den Akker

CAMS Australian Touring Car / Virgin Australia Supercars Champion - Scott McLaughlin 

Dunlop Super2 Series Winner - Bryce Fullwood

TCR Australia Series Winner - Will Brown

CAMS Australian Motorkhana Champion - Aaron Wuillemin

CAMS Australian Khanacross Champion - Christopher Hranger

CAMS Australian Supersprint Champion - Douglas Barry

CAMS Australian Hill Climb Champion - Malcolm Oastler
Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Series Winner - Jordan Love

 

CAMS BFGoodrich Australian Off-Road Championship
Mark Burrows (Driver)
Matthew Burrows (Co-Driver)

Mark Burrows (Driver)

Matthew Burrows (Co-Driver)

 

Craig Pankhurst (Driver)

Penny Pankhurst (Co-Driver)

 

Steven Graham (Driver)

Daryl Graham (Co-Driver)

 

Geoff Pickering (Driver)

Dylan Watson (Co-Driver) 

 

Roydn Bailey (Driver)

Luke Shadbolt (Co-Driver)

 

Jamie Knight (Driver)

Symon Knight (Co-Driver)

 

John Wisse (Driver)

Adrian Weeding (Co-Driver)

 

Joshua Nurrish (Driver)

Luke Kenyon (Co-Driver)

 

Declan Cummins (Driver)

Karin Ann Barker (Co-Driver)

Liam Peters

 

Outright Winners

Harry Bates (Driver)

John McCarthy

 

2WD Rally Winners 

Ethan Pickstock (Driver)

Lisi Phillips (Co-Driver)

 

Toyota