STUDENT MOTORSPORT AWARDED BRSCC JOHN NICOL TROPHY FOR 2022

As announced at the recent 2022 BRSCC Awards, the Club was delighted to award the BRSCC John Nicol Trophy for the year to John Paul Latham and Student Motorsport.

The BRSCC John Nicol Trophy is a special award presented to a person or organisation as chosen by the club, that made the greatest contribution towards the furtherance of motorsport in 2022. With a majority verdict, John Paul and Student Motorsport were chosen to receive the award for this season.

Student Motorsport began when its founder John Paul graduated from university, and after his own experience of writing many speculative letters to race teams to find his first job in the industry, the idea came to him in the early to mid-2000s of a dedicated network for students and university and college graduates to find and secure connections, placements and jobs within motorsport.

He went on to teach students in motorsport himself for ten years and through all of this experience gained, he formed the organisation he currently oversees today and that we recognise this season.

With its purpose to bring students, graduates, educational institutions and professionals together to discuss motorsport careers, their association with the BRSCC began during the 2021 season, when the approach was made with an idea of creating an initiative to allow colleges and universities to form race teams and compete amongst each other within a dedicated racing contest, something that had never been done prior to its conception. The perfect platform came in the form of the BRSCC’s new Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship, and thus the Student Motorsport Challenge was incorporated within the regulations for 2022.

Throughout this season, no less than seven teams competed the length and breadth of the country against other established teams and drivers, made up not just of pupils part of motorsport and engineering courses, but also other key departments that are vital for a race team to fully function such as marketing, finances and design. By the end of the season, the leading teams were competing towards the front of the field, with one even securing an overall race win to affirm just how far the initiative and those competing within the Challenge have come since they began.

Speaking of his delight and honour in receiving the award, John Paul said: “A huge amount of time, effort, sacrifice and investment has been invested in Student Motorsport over many years, not just by myself but by the whole team, and to see that effort recognised and applauded by the BRSCC was unbelievably gratifying. It was an incredible moment. When I heard my name and Student Motorsport announced, I barely knew what to do with myself!

I must pay tribute to the many people who have supported the Student Motorsport adventure since its inception over six years ago. To be awarded the BRSCC John Nicol Memorial Trophy has been the biggest highlight of my career to date and I am struggling to find the words to explain how much this means to me and to the Student Motorsport organisation. From the bottom of my heart, thank you Mrs Nicol, the BRSCC and to everyone who was so generous with their praise and support on the evening.”