CITATIONS FOR HONOURS AWARDS

CITATIONS FOR HONOURS AWARDS

CITATIONS FOR HONOURS AWARDS

At the recent Annual General meeting of the Western Province Motor Club, two groups of people were honoured whose contribution to racing at Killarney cannot be overstated. However, since the AGM was held in a purely digital format, the Honours Awards were presented during the lunch break at Round 5 of the Power Series on Saturday 10 July.

Quite simply, the dedication and commitment of the people whose names we honour here, assists in making it possible for racing to happen at Killarney.

These stalwarts have served the Western Province Motor Club as volunteers for many years; no matter what the weather, they are always at their posts, making racing safer for the competitors, helping to make race days run more smoothly and serving as role models for their younger colleagues – not because it’s their job, but for the good of the sport.

The first group is a section that no competitor enjoys visiting but their job, and how well they do it, is vital to safer racing for all of us. They put up with a lot of negativity from competitors who see them as spoilsports, because they are dedicated to ensuring that the cars and motorcycles that go out on the circuit are as safe mechanically as they can be.

The Western Province Motor Club is pleased to present an Honours Award to the following scrutineers, each of whom has given more than 20 years of service to Killarney, and who continue to serve the Club:

– Jan du Plessis

– Jurgen Finnern

– Leon Cahill

– Patrick Newman

The Club thanks you for your ongoing contribution to safety in motorsport, your patience and your wise advice to competitors – even though they don’t always listen!

The following group is more visible to the competitors and spectators (when they are permitted) and also play a huge role in safety.

The marshals are on duty around the track in all seasons and in all kinds of weather. Their network of flags, communicating track conditions and hazards to the competitors, and their immediate assistance when things do go wrong on circuit, are key to making motorsport as safe as it can be.

These five marshals have served the WPMC for 30 years or more and are still serving the club. Their dedication and professionalism are a sterling example to the younger marshals and the members in general.

The WPMC is pleased to present an Honours Award to:

– Paul Lehmann

– Alison white

– Craig Lovett

– Arie Stylen

– Tom Arnot

The Club thanks you for your ongoing contribution to safety in motorsport, and to the family of marshals.

However, it is not only the marshals and the scrutineers who deserve recognition for decades of behind-the-scenes effort and the WPMC is also pleased to present an Honours Award to Richard Quixley.

Richard was involved in the Ford Fairmont GT Club where a dare to start racing was accepted. His Shell garage in Ottery was the place where he built a racing car, an Escort 1300 Mk1, which he raced in Clubmans. This car was later sponsored by Tonnessens.

Moving on to more competitive machinery, his first race in the Golden Grove Datsun 160Z Coupe was in the Nashua Mini Grand Prix, held in the streets of Green Point. With backing from William Carter, he won the modified saloon car championship in 1985 and was presented with Western Province Colours. He went on to win the modified saloon championship for 5 consecutive years.

The original Datsun 160Z was sold in and replaced with another Datsun 160Z Coupe known as “Chicken Plucker Too”. A career highlight was driving this car to victory in a three-hour endurance race in the early nineties.

When the V8 Masters Association was formed in mid-2010, he was employed to run the race engineering side of the series and to complete the building of some 15 incomplete cars. Instrumental in ensuring the continued success of the series on the race engineering side, he also found time to race a V8 and other cars.

With a belief that every tool has its place, his workshops are always a pleasure to behold. He also has a passion for sharing his amassed extensive knowledge and many a young lad has been mentored under his stewardship.

Further contributions to the Western Province Motor Club include being the V8 Masters representative on the Sporting Committee for some years and also becoming a registered scrutineer some nine years ago. He continues to be part of the scrutineering team and assisting with scrutineering at events.

Affectionately known as “Speedy” to his staff, the Club is pleased to present an Honours Award to Richard Quixley.

Finally, newly-elected Club Chairman Tim Reddell presented an Honours Award to his predecessor, Gavin Cerff, in recognition of his nine-year stewardship of the Western Province Motor Club, through good times and bad.

Under his leadership the categories have grown and racing at the Killarney has gone from strength to strength. The Club thanks you for your dedicated service.