The SCCA Member of Excellence award, chosen by the SCCA Board of Directors, is presented to the volunteer who shows the greatest commitment to SCCA motorsport activities. And while it’s an honor to receive the recognition, the prize is pretty awesome, too.
Winners are provided up to $5000, funded with a 20-year private endowment by an anonymous SCCA member, to attend any motorsport event in the world. The award has been given out only eight times, but the recipients have made really good use of the opportunity.
Take for example 2013 winner Jerry Cabe. He openly admits deciding on a motorsport destination was a tough decision. Venues such as Le Mans, Bathurst and Spa jumped to his mind. But in the end, Cabe came to a conclusion.
“I kept coming back to one of my childhood dreams, to experience the Monaco Grand Prix,” Cabe said. “For F1 practice and qualifying, we had a suite with terrace at the Hotel Hermitage overlooking the high-speed hill climb from the start before entering the casino complex. For Sunday’s race, we were seated atop the Fairmont Hotel which overlooks the Fairmont Hairpin. Both were great with iconic views of the event.
“The hospitality stuff is great for watching racing,” Cabe continued, “but I often found myself envious of the Corner Marshals flagging the event. Flaggers still have the ‘second best seat in the house.’ We have a lot of good memories from this trip in 2015, and thank the BOD and award benefactor for the opportunity to experience a life-long dream.”
While Cabe picked Monaco over Le Mans, 2015 award winner Paula Hawthorne chose the legendary 24-hour event in France for her trip.
“We were given a tour of Race Control by the United States Representative of SOM. The race was fantastic to spectate and our tickets allowed us near unlimited access,” Hawthorne said. “The trip was taken this past June and included a side trip to the French Riviera, a tour of Paris and an overnight stay in Iceland. We are very grateful to the anonymous donor and to SCCA who made this trip possible. It truly was a once-in-a-lifetime trip.”
Europe was also the destination of choice for 2012 award recipient Mary Shiloff.
“My husband and I have been involved in racing since before we met. In fact, we met at the track,” Shiloff said. “So I chose to go to the Goodwood Revival in 2014 as my trip. We decided to see types of cars we saw when we first met. Since none of the cars competing were newer than 1966, this was a perfect destination.
“Everything about the trip was top drawer and will be an experience I will remember forever,” Shiloff continued. “Receiving the award was truly a humbling experience.”
The nomination deadline for this year’s Member of Excellence award is Monday, Nov. 21. The honor will be presented to the winner at the 2017 SCCA National Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the SCCA Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet. Nominations should be submitted to athoennes@scca.com. Nominations must be received by close of business Nov. 21, 2016, for consideration.
Photo: F1 drivers make their way around the hairpin at Monaco
Photo Courtesy of Jerry Cabe
