Ian Mayberry has become the latest Motorsport Australia official to be recognised with a general state award.
 
An official for more than 50 years, Mayberry was named as the recipient of the 2021 Queensland Service to Sport Award, which he will receive during the Queensland Sport Awards later this month.
 
Mayberry will be one of 12 winners to be celebrated during the gala dinner, which recognises the outstanding achievements of Queenslanders each year in sport within the state and around the country.
 
The Victorian born official first joined the sport in 1969 in his home state and was hooked thereafter – going to as many events in order to satisfy his passion for motorsport.
 
In 1991, he moved to the sunshine state where he continued to improve and grow his reputation as a highly respected official, for which he has continued until the current day.
 
Throughout the past 30 years, Mayberry has enjoyed quite an impressive career in the sport and has had many highlights.
 
Outside of being the Clerk of Course for the Queensland Raceway’s first ever race meeting, he also held the role for many years at multiple Repco Supercars Championship Queensland rounds, as well as Queensland and New South Wales historic race meetings.
 
The Queensland Service to Sport Award isn’t the first time Mayberry has been recognised for his efforts this year after he received a 2020 Motorsport Australia Service Star for Queensland in February.
 
Following his second award in one year, Mayberry was humbled to win the award.
 
“It is a nice feeling to have just been nominated, let alone to win. It came as a complete surprise as I didn’t even know that I was nominated,” Mayberry said.
 
“I think an award outside of the motorsport circuit is a great achievement. Of course, there are so many people who are just as deserving of this award, but I’ll take it.
 
“What makes this award even more special is that I believe that I am one of the only individuals from motorsport to win this Service Award, which is great for growing the sport.
 
“When I first went to that Sandown meeting back in 1969, I never would have expected to still be involved half a century later and certainly not winning a trophy like this – I don’t do it for the rewards, I do it for the love of the sport.
 
“There have been lots of positives and negatives along the way and I have met many good people and honestly, it’s quite nice that my efforts don’t go unnoticed. I do live by the philosophy that our competitors are customers and we want to help them enjoy what they are doing.”
 
Mayberry will be picking up his award during the Queensland Government sponsored Queensland Sport Awards program in the Plaza Ballroom at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on 25 November.