As always the CRMC annual awards and dinner/dance was sold out, with genial Guest of Honour and TTRA President Alex George on hand to present the prizes at the Mercure Daventry Court Hotel.
Words by: Graham Lawlor; Pictures by: Russell Lee – www.sport-pics.co.uk
There was no doubting the popularity of the decision to award the Racer of the Year trophy to Ant Hart and Sidecar Racers of the Year to Kevin Hunt & Alan Cracknell.
The latter duo have provided great entertainment on their way to victory in the 1300 sidecars on the Patterson Imp, while Hart has defended his ACU 350 p/c and CRMC GP 350 championships and also again won the King of the Classics series.
The club’s other ACU UK championship, for 500 Classics, went to Mike Cooper, while Chris Chapman, sporting a tasteful blue plaster cast on his left arm following his big crash at Silverstone, was his usual smiling self as he stepped up to receive the Classic Racer Syndicate 1300 National trophy for the second year running.
Additional trophies announced on the night included: Edward Cheetham (Doug Jones Trophy, best young rider); John & Jo Kemp (Cathcart Trophy, non-committee member); Ashley Beckett (Lodge Brothers Trophy); Will Loder (Commentator’s Cup); Symon Woodward (Rear of the Year); Ray Howarth (Bob Anderson Trophy, clubman of the year); Graham Lawlor (Mick Collins Trophy, achievement beyond all odds); Vince Biggs & Vicki Cooke (Belgium Cup, best overseas performance); Steve Perlinski (Daytona Cup, best overseas rider); Bill & Sue Spencer (Micky Gray Gold Star Trophy); Harrison Dobbie (Stella Cathcart Trophy for best novice); and Phil Luhr & Sharon Reeves (Micky Gray Sidecar Trophy).
The afternoon’s AGM had begun with the chairman, Mark George, announcing that despite the difficult environment in which the club operates, 2016 had been “a bumper year”, with record membership and race entries and sufficient retained profits to cover most eventualities. Accordingly, for the coming season the club would be capping entry fees at 2016 levels for most circuits and only small increases for Donington and Brands Hatch. Jerry Ashton has stepped down from the position of Entries Secretary and this role is now filled by Anji Yardley.
Read more in the March/April issue of CR – out now!
