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.
Award Winners
Service Awards
Shane Davidson
Vicki Rice
Adriaan Gerritson
MSNT Volunteer Awards
Acacia Hills Motocross Association – Natasha Langkowski
Arunga Park Speedway Association – Darren Greening
Alice Springs Karting Club – Kevin Rawlins
Alice Springs Off Road Race Club – Nina Kells
Central Australian Drag Racing Association – Stephen Greenfield
Central Australian Rally Sports Club – Ben Kittle
Darwin Karting Association – Tracey Driscoll
Darwin Motor Cycle Club – Jeff Klein
Darwin Speedway Riders & Drivers Association – Hannah Bristow
Hidden Valley Drag Racing Association – John Brown
Katherine Motor Sports Club – Kade ‘Bluey’ Robertson
North Australian Motor Sports Club – Ross Salmon
Nhulunbuy Speedway – Harry Walker
Top End Drift Association – Scott Grosskopf
Top End Dirt Karts – Steve Driver
Top End Motocross Club – Kylie Verity
Top End Mud Racing Association – Alex ‘Bambi’ Ormsby
Top End Road Racing Association – Alan Tilbrook
Territory Quad Association – Darren Lavercombe
Alice Springs Motor Cycle Club – Kerry Armstead
NT Junior Official of the Year
Jorja Thompson
NT Official of the Year
Gavin Thompson
Club Administrator Awards
North Australian Motor Sports Club – David Ling
Top End Drift Association – Chloe Baehnisch
Improved Production Racing – Jake Burgess
Top End Motocross Club – Tania Rice
Darwin Motorcycle Club – Jeff Klein
Territory Quad Association – Angie Lavercombe
Arunga Park Speedway Association – Nicky Jettner
Darwin Speedway Riders & Drivers Association – Jacalin Ekins
Burnout Association of Darwin – Rebecca Harris
NT Club Administrator of the Year
Jacalin Ekins
NT Rider/Driver of the Year
Speedway Driver of the Year – Scott Leonhardt
Rally Driver of the Year – Jamie Lawson
Road Bike Rider of the Year – Peter Troon
Motorkhana/Khanacross Driver of the Year – Jamie Smith
Karter of the Year – Steve Howell
Quad Rider of the Year – Deegan Sherwood
Motocross Rider of the Year – Jayden O’Connor
Off Road Driver of the Year – Alex Heinzel
Mud Racing Driver of the Year – Ted Roderick
Drag Racer of the Year – Steven Ariston
Circuit Driver of the Year – David Ling
Drifter of the Year – Mitchell Doyle
Enduro Rider of the Year – Shane Saunders
Burnout Driver of the Year – Chaise Bouchere
Burson Future Star Award
Bryce Fullwood
NT Motorsport Event of the Year
Chariots of Thunder
NT Motorsport Person of the Year
Jacalin Ekins