2023 VORRA Presentation Night
Thank you to all the club members who supported the club in 2023 and attended the presentation night. Congratulations to all the winners.
|
Club Championship:
Drivers: 1st Mark Foster 169 points, 2nd Brant Knight 89 points and 3rd Lachlan McIntyre 82 points Navigators: 1st Glenn McIntyre 92 points, 2nd Neil Woolley 90 points and 3rd Alain Benoitin 82 points Full championship results Gerry & Ede Memorial Trophy: This trophy is in honour of VORRA members, Gerry Hoekstra and Ede Taric, who tragically died in racing accident on 4 September 2022. This is awarded to someone who has shown determination, over the racing season, hasn’t given up and kept trying all year. The winner of this award competed at several national events, including Finke and some club events. I would like to acknowledge in particular his Finke results. In his beam car, who took 6hrs, 40 mins to complete the event, when Brent Martin completed the whole event in 3hrs 32 mins. Congratulations Jason Gibbins. Rising Star Award: This award is to recognise an upcoming VORRA driver who is showing potential to be a competitive off road racer at both club and national level. Congratulations – Lachlan McIntyre. VORRA Double Award: This is for VORRA members, who have competed at the two VORRA events we hosted at Rainbow this year, ARB Big Desert 480 and the Rainbow Rises 240. This year, we had a few competitors, and we combined their outright results and placings against other VORRA members, to calculate a total score. Congratulations – Brock Pendlebury for the overall highest place by only one point. Highest Place VORRA Members at National Level This award goes to the VORRA members with the highest placing at a National Level, in either the ARB AORRC or MSA AORC championships. The contest over the year was fiercely fought out between VORRA members Brent Martin and Matt Burrows. Coming out on top, this year again proving they are the champions, by winning back-to-back ARB AORRC Championships. Congratulations – Brent Martin and Andre De Simone. Vintage Driver: The recipient of this award has been racing since the late 1990’s and raced this year but has since retired at the ripe old age of 78! He has raced his home-built buggy for many years and he is a competitor, volunteer, life member and, current committee member of VORRA, congratulations Lawrie Penpraze. Youngest Driver: This award is for the youngest VORRA driver in 2023, born on 20 October 2003 – he has just turned 20. This is his first year of driving, and in his dad’s car, he has been very competitive, and we look forward to watching him over the following years. Congratulations Lachlan McIntyre. |
|
Shortest Race at Rainbow:
This competitor went the shortest distance at a VORRA event in Rainbow, they got the car off the trailer, but didn’t even make it to prologue at our Rainbow Rises 240 event in March, congratulations Jeremy Holt.
Bright Spark Award:
This award is for a competitor whose memory failed them at our Rainbow Rises 240 event in August. Leaving their log book at home and having to drive several hours back to collect the book, to be able to race the event.
Congratulations Sean Ratcliffe.
Bench Racers Award:
This year’s award is chosen by the previous year’s winner, Leigh Wells.
Congratulations Daren Wells, who is the 'God Father' of bench racing and can captivate an audience and keep them engaged with his stories, whether they are long or told before.
Wells Commentary Award:
This award is selected by Daren Wells and the recipient is a pit crew member for the MBR - Mark Burrows Racing team for his continued and dedicated support and efforts at each event - ensuring both cars cross the finish line at the end. Congratulations Mick Shannon.
Nerves of Steel Navigator Award:
This award is for a navigator who has bravely been in the car with potentially questionable drivers (he he), the nominees were.
Congratulations to the navigator for Robert Gussenhoven, Wayne Donnelly.
Recognition of Service Awards
These awards are for a club member who volunteers in the lead up to, planning and during our events and joins our monthly club meetings. We thank them for their time and efforts in making our club and events the best they can be.
Morris Williams in recognition of your dedication to the club and to the committee for more than 30 years, holding the positions of Competition Secretary, President and Membership Secretary and Club Permit Scheme officer for over 10 years. This includes many years of volunteering and scrutineering at hundreds of events of all levels, all over Australia.
Gary Conrad in recognition of your volunteer contribution to recovery, timing, scrutineering and setup for our club events and club championship rounds throughout 2023.
Cass Ritchie in recognition of your volunteering and dedication to the committee and events over the past 16 years, the last six years as Treasurer, on the organising committee and as event secretary for our club, state, and national events at Rainbow each year.
Russell Eckermann in recognition of your volunteered hard work and many hours contributing to the development of the track and facilities for our events at Rainbow in 2023.
Travis Conrad in recognition of your contribution to the club and sport, you have been the Clerk of Course for the past 15 years and almost every event in Victoria this year!! Your professionalism, level headedness, fairness for competitors and compassion during difficult times, is valued and respected within our club and events. You are a pleasure to work with. We look forward to seeing you on the track racing your new car next year, with Alistair sitting beside you!
Thank you:
Thank you to Jess Ritchie for organising tonight’s event, the trophies and all the fine details to make this night a success. Also for her contribution to the VORRA committee over the past 3 years as Secretary, Media and Social Secretary. Additionally, to this, her efforts in the lead up to and during each of our events, hasn’t gone unnoticed, she has been a great help to both Travis as Clerk of Course and Cass as Event Secretary at these events. Along with putting together and posting all competitor entry profiles for every round of the ARB Championship over the last two years.
This competitor went the shortest distance at a VORRA event in Rainbow, they got the car off the trailer, but didn’t even make it to prologue at our Rainbow Rises 240 event in March, congratulations Jeremy Holt.
Bright Spark Award:
This award is for a competitor whose memory failed them at our Rainbow Rises 240 event in August. Leaving their log book at home and having to drive several hours back to collect the book, to be able to race the event.
Congratulations Sean Ratcliffe.
Bench Racers Award:
This year’s award is chosen by the previous year’s winner, Leigh Wells.
Congratulations Daren Wells, who is the 'God Father' of bench racing and can captivate an audience and keep them engaged with his stories, whether they are long or told before.
Wells Commentary Award:
This award is selected by Daren Wells and the recipient is a pit crew member for the MBR - Mark Burrows Racing team for his continued and dedicated support and efforts at each event - ensuring both cars cross the finish line at the end. Congratulations Mick Shannon.
Nerves of Steel Navigator Award:
This award is for a navigator who has bravely been in the car with potentially questionable drivers (he he), the nominees were.
Congratulations to the navigator for Robert Gussenhoven, Wayne Donnelly.
Recognition of Service Awards
These awards are for a club member who volunteers in the lead up to, planning and during our events and joins our monthly club meetings. We thank them for their time and efforts in making our club and events the best they can be.
Morris Williams in recognition of your dedication to the club and to the committee for more than 30 years, holding the positions of Competition Secretary, President and Membership Secretary and Club Permit Scheme officer for over 10 years. This includes many years of volunteering and scrutineering at hundreds of events of all levels, all over Australia.
Gary Conrad in recognition of your volunteer contribution to recovery, timing, scrutineering and setup for our club events and club championship rounds throughout 2023.
Cass Ritchie in recognition of your volunteering and dedication to the committee and events over the past 16 years, the last six years as Treasurer, on the organising committee and as event secretary for our club, state, and national events at Rainbow each year.
Russell Eckermann in recognition of your volunteered hard work and many hours contributing to the development of the track and facilities for our events at Rainbow in 2023.
Travis Conrad in recognition of your contribution to the club and sport, you have been the Clerk of Course for the past 15 years and almost every event in Victoria this year!! Your professionalism, level headedness, fairness for competitors and compassion during difficult times, is valued and respected within our club and events. You are a pleasure to work with. We look forward to seeing you on the track racing your new car next year, with Alistair sitting beside you!
Thank you:
Thank you to Jess Ritchie for organising tonight’s event, the trophies and all the fine details to make this night a success. Also for her contribution to the VORRA committee over the past 3 years as Secretary, Media and Social Secretary. Additionally, to this, her efforts in the lead up to and during each of our events, hasn’t gone unnoticed, she has been a great help to both Travis as Clerk of Course and Cass as Event Secretary at these events. Along with putting together and posting all competitor entry profiles for every round of the ARB Championship over the last two years.
