BRSCC CROWNS 2023 CHAMPIONS & SPECIAL ACCOLADE WINNERS AT ANNUAL AWARDS
The British Racing & Sports Car Club officially drew the line under its 2023 as it turned out in celebration of its champions at the annual BRSCC Awards this past weekend, as well as naming the winner of its special accolades for the year too.
Taking place for the very first time at the East Midlands Conference Centre located within the campus of the University of Nottingham, some 350 guests containing the great and the good of the BRSCC paddocks turned out for another evening of celebration and fanfare as its champions for the 2023 season were officially crowned.
BRSCC chairman Peter Daly made has annual chairman’s address at the Awards, praising the efforts of all of this season’s champions as well as thanking all of the BRSCC’s partners, sponsors, members, marshals, officials, drivers and colleagues, plus looking ahead of 2024 which will include a new partnership with Ginetta Cars, an enhancement of the TCR UK support package, the new Fiesta Junior Scholarship and the continuation of existing partnerships with runyourfleet, The Motorsports School, Driven Minds, Silverlake and SIM Motorsport.
As well as the champions of the season receiving their silverware, there were also four special awards presented on the night to four very deserving recipients:
BRSCC CHAIRMAN’S TROPHY – PAUL LEVITT
The BRSCC was proud to introduce a new trophy at this year’s annual awards – the inaugural BRSCC Chairman’s Trophy. An accolade, like those awarded in previous years, will be presented annually to the club member that has done the most to promote the name and interests of the Club.
2023 saw Paul Levitt named as the new trophy’s first ever recipient. Having begun volunteering in motorsport since 2011, Paul was awarded with a selection of Marshal of the Year and Newcomer of the Year awards, and in recent years was recognised by Motorsport UK as one of the top volunteers in UK motorsport. More recently, it’s his efforts as a clerk of the course for the BRSCC that have stood out for the Club, working tirelessly with three of its most competitive championships to improve driving standards across the board and ensure they stayed consistent.
Paul also worked hard to provide an exceptional level of service to manufacture owned championships this season. It is felt that the contribution and involvement of this year’s winner, and that of all the others who played their parts too, was one of the key factors that eventually led to the BRSCC securing an agreement with Ginetta as the manufacturer’s organising club from 2024 onwards.
To quote directly from those who nominated him for the award this evening, this person is quite simply “BRSCC through and through.” His passion for supporting the club is unmeasurable, and the time he gives up freely away from his personal life and his own business often goes without credit. It is truly clear that tonight’s winner is not involved with the club for what they can get out of it, but rather he takes enjoyment from seeing the BRSCC succeeding as we continue to move forward.
BRSCC TROPHY – STEPHANE RATEL & SRO MOTORSPORT GROUP
For 2023, the Club awarded the BRSCC Trophy, previously known to some as the John Nicol Trophy, to Stephane Ratel and the SRO Motorsports Group. The trophy is the most prestigious award that the Club presents every year, to the individual or organisation the Club feels has made the greatest contribution towards the furtherance of motorsport during the 2023 season and/or throughout a significant period prior to that.
Stephane and SRO’s motorsport journey began back in 1992 when Stephane organised his first race, the Gentlemen Drivers Trophy in association with French manufacturer Venturi, before eventually forming the BPR GT series in 1994 alongside Jurgen Barth and Philip Peter with great success. This eventually turned into the FIA GT Championship from 1997 and continued to lead the way in global GT racing, becoming the series we now know as the Fanatac GT World Challenge.
With support over the years from some of the world’s finest manufacturers including Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, McLaren, Aston Martin and more, SRO created the GT3 category in 2005 and almost 20 years later it has become instantly recognisable to any knowledgeable motorsport fan. Alongside their efforts in Europe, America, Asia and Australia, SRO has also overseen the organisation of the Intelligent Money British GT Championship since 2004 and this year it celebrated 20 years of successful stewardship under Stephane and the organisation’s banner.
Stephane and SRO were selected for sitting atop of the GT racing world for nearly thirty years and changing its landscape forever, for twenty years of guidance, support and prosperous growth for British GT, for their sheer influence and ingenuity time and time again, and for forging an incredible legacy which will last within the motorsport world for many years to come.
Not able to be present on the night, Stephane recorded a special thank you message on location at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia during the opening weekend of the new Asian Le Mans Series, with British GT championship manager Lauren Granville accepting the award on his and SRO’s behalf.
SPECIAL LONG SERVICE AWARD – PETER RODWELL
A special award saw the Club recognise a long standing member of the BRSCC board of directors and someone who has given a lot of their time, effort and commitment to both the Club and one of its regional centres – the East Anglian Centre’s Peter Rodwell.
In total, Peter has been involved with the BRSCC for more than fifty years, beginning as many within the sport have and do, as a marshal. Beginning right at the turn of the 1970s at Snetterton, in an era of marshaling that included grappling hooks, asbestos gloves and breeze block structures for flag posts, he joined at around the same time as fellow long-standing East Anglian Centre members Noel Taylor and Linda Stearn, and it wasn’t long before he began escalating up the ranks.
He progressed upwards to take on the Observer role before succeeding Tony Weatherley as Chief Observer; and eventually became Chief Marshal for the East Anglian Centre in the late 1980s. Someone who has proven himself to be comfortable holding multiple centre roles at once, he continues to do them justice and perform them with professionalism, dedication and commitment to this day, whilst also catering to and guiding both the current and next generation of marshals that perform their duties at Snetterton at BRSCC events.
Peter also joined the East Anglian Centre Committee during his time and has been present on it for almost his entire association with the centre. It is his presence on the Committee that eventually led to him succeeding the late Tim Stock as the Centre’s representative on the board when Tim became Chief Executive in the late 1980s, before being named as an independent director of the BRSCC when Noel Taylor took over the role as Centre rep.
BRSCC MIDLANDS CENTRE MARSHAL OF THE YEAR – TOM BANNISTER
The BRSCC Midlands Centre over a season is supported by some 500 marshals ranging from 180 to cover the Silverstone GP circuit for a British GT event to 80 for shorter circuits. All are trained volunteers freely giving their time to support a well-run race meeting which the BRSCC greatly appreciates and values, and as a club we thank you for all your efforts in 2023.
In appreciation each year, the Midland Centre recognises a BRSCC Marshal for their contribution to the club. At last nights BRSCC Awards evening, Midland Centre Chief Marshal, Nina Fountain presented Tom Bannister with the Marshal of the Year trophy for his efforts throughout 2023.
Regularly assisting the BRSCC as well as other clubs in lead roles, Tom is always willing to assist wherever he can at the drop of a hat. He has superb adaptability and is able to do what is necessary to support both fellow marshals and the BRSCC, always with a friendly smile each time.
Tom is also seen as an excellent “on the job” trainer, as he’s passed on his wisdom and expertise to the next generations of marshals that are always being cultivated, and it’s no surprise that those who have benefitted from this person’s training have all gone on to achieve their own great successes as marshals in their own right.
For many of his fellow marshals, including the centre’s chief marshal Nina Fountain, Tom is seen to make everyone’s role so much easier and straightforward to perform, thanks to his helpfulness, friendliness, knowledge and extremely high capabilities. It is this, plus all of the reasons stated, that made him a perfect nomination for the Marshal of the Year award.
