Championship winners, volunteers and officials all converged on the Old Thorns Hotel in Liphook this past Saturday (February 1) for the coveted British Automobile Racing Club Championship Awards Evening – and it proved to be a night to remember.

Celebrating the accomplishments of 2024, we sat down to talk to not only a number of deserving winners but also some key personnel from the Club as well. Listen here:

Ben Taylor – BARC Chief Executive: The Club’s Chief Executive sat down to chat about the momentous season that 2024 was, honouring the champions of last year and what is to come for the organisation as preparations ramp up for the upcoming 2025 campaign.

Pat Blakeney – Thruxton Circuit: After almost four decades at the Hampshire venue, Pat is embarking on ‘semi-retirement’ at Thruxton and he was commemorated for his long-standing service with a special surprise presentation.

Simon Morris – BARC Marshal of the Year: Awarded by the BARC Marshals Core Group, Simon was a standout recipient for this accolade having volunteered for a number of events, as well as displaying great leadership and a superlative skillset.

Matt Jennings – The Peter Harris Trophy Trainee Marshal of the Year: Awarded to the trainee marshal of 2024, Matt joined the orange army in June of last year and subsequently completed 20 volunteering days – often undertaking a number of different roles as well.

Abbi Pulling – The Peter Collins Trophy: Awarded to the junior driver of the year, Abbi made history in the ROKiT British F4 Championship by becoming the first-ever female race winner before then going on to dominate in F1 Academy.

Rob Manger – The Gerry Marshall Trophy: Handed out to the person that the BARC believes to epitomise Gerry Marshall’s philosophy for motorsport, Rob has been a staple of Thruxton and the driving force behind the hugely successful Jochen Rindt Trophy.

Abbie Eaton – The Densley Trophy: Given to the leading female within the BARC in recognition of a successful year, Abbie jumped across to the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain in 2024 and made history at Silverstone by becoming the first-ever female race winner.

More interviews from the BARC Championship Awards Evening can be listened to via https://barcaudio.net/.