Three motorsport representatives have been named as finalists for the 2023 VicSports Victorian Sport Awards (VSA).
The awards ceremony is held annually and will recognise the sporting achievements of Victoria’s home-grown heroes at both grassroots and high-performance levels.
This year's ceremony will be presented by the State Government of Victoria and VicSport and will be held at Marvel Stadium in June.
Victorian State Council Chair, Petrina Astbury and 2022 Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series winner Tony D’Alberto have been named as finalists, while the Girls on the Grid Podcast hosted by Priya Richards and Tenayah McLeod have also been recognised for their contributions.
Over 215 nominations were received across the 19 categories – further highlighting the efforts of the motorsport representatives named as finalists.
D’Alberto has been nominated for the Frank Wilkes Male Athlete of the Year award after claiming his first TCR title last year. During the season, D’Alberto claimed two race wins at Queensland Raceway and had a run of consistent results, which saw him finish nine-points clear 2019 champion, Will Brown.
The series win was his first since 2007, where he won the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series ahead of current TCR rival Michael Caruso and has since spent three years in the series while featuring in the Repco Supercars Championship as a co-driver.
D’Alberto is in good company for the award with Snowboarder Scotty James, Artistic Gymnast Tyson Bull and Live Saver Jesse Coulson all in the running.
Astbury has been recognised for her commitment and contribution to the sporting industry by being named a finalist for Administrator of the Year.
After becoming the Victorian State Council chair back in 2021, Astbury has excelled in her passion for motorsport – in particular at a grassroots level, where she aims to help build a relevant future in the sport after spending more than 20 years competing, officiating and organising grassroots club events.
Astbury has been nominated with the likes of Tennis Victoria’s Danielle Lowerson, Golf Australia’s Megan Car and Calisthenics Victoria’s Stephanie Miller.
The Girls on the Grid Podcast has been recognised for its outstanding media coverage of sport in 2022 – with Richards and McLeod using their platform to talk to influential women in the industry and promote the involvement of young females considering a career path in the world of motorsport.
Hosted by Richards and McLeod, the podcast has a special guest on most occasions and provides valuable insight into different experiences females endure in the industry.
The pair share the honours of being named a finalist with the 2022 Golf Australian open, Chris Tetaz and the Victorian Institute of Sport, as well as the National Premier League coverage on Radio 3ZZZ.
VicSport Chair Ritchie Hilton looks forward to honouring the deserving recipients.
“Vicsport is delighted to recognise and celebrate the wonderful achievements of the sport and recreation community in Victoria during 2022,” Hilton said.
“We received a record number of nominations this year and that, combined with the calibre of nominations, is a fantastic showcase of the successes throughout our industry.”
“My thanks to the esteemed panel of judges who have the challenging but rewarding task of deciding finalists and winners and I look forward to honouring those recipients at the 2022 Victorian Sport Awards in June.”
Minister of Community Sport Ros Spence added to Hilton’s comments by congratulating all finalists.
“It’s fantastic to see this latest group of outstanding Victorians nominated by their communities for going above and beyond at all levels of sport. Congratulations to all the finalists.”
The 2023 VicSports Victorian Sports Awards will be held at Marvel Stadium on 7 June.