The 2025 virtual SCCA® National Convention, which kicked off on Thursday, Jan. 16, with the Annual Meeting and Road Racing Awards, continued the celebration on Jan. 17 with some of the highest honors the Club can bestow upon members. Therein, the SCCA hosted its annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, along with presenting the 2024 Woolf Barnato Award and the Member of Excellence Award.
SCCA President and CEO Mike Cobb led the evening with an introduction that set the stage for the proceedings. “I want to welcome each of you to our 2025 Hall of Fame award show,” he said. “We’re excited to be here tonight, and honored to bring you this celebration featuring your Sports Car Club of America 2025 Hall of fame inductees, along with the Member of Excellence and the Woolf Barnato Award winners.
“Tonight, we will recognize nine of our finest. Members who have made incredible contributions to this Club and to the broader world of motorsports through their passion for the sport.”
The entire Hall of Fame & Awards Presentation is now available on-demand on SCCA’s YouTube channel.
SCCA Hall of Fame Ceremony
The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony led the evening, with the presentation featuring videos celebrating Raleigh and Velma Boreen, Sam and Miles Collier, Bob Dowie, Alex Keller, and Ken Miles.
Raleigh and Velma Borren accepted their award, with Richard Collier (Sam Collier's son) accepting for the Collier brothers, Michele Furbeck accepting for her uncle Bob Dowie, Susan Rosenberg accepting for her father Alex Keller, and Peter Miles accepting for his father Ken Miles.
Read more about these new SCCA Hall of Fame members by clicking here.
Member of Excellence Award
The Member of Excellence award followed the Hall of Fame ceremony, with Mike Cobb introducing the 2024 winner: South Jersey Region member Matt Wojtkowiak.
“The Member of Excellence award, selected by the SCCA Board of Directors, is presented to the volunteer who shows the greatest commitment to SCCA motorsports activities,” said Cobb. “The recipient can be involved in any SCCA program as a driver, participant, or volunteer and should personify the SCCA volunteer who gives of his or her time and effort to helping organize, work a specialty, or any volunteer role necessary to support SCCA motorsports.
“This year’s award winner joins a distinguished cast of SCCA leaders like Earl Hurlbut, Lee Hill, George Laws, Rich Bireta, Lori Vitagliano, Ron and Monica Shaw, Sydney Davis-Yagel, Paula Hawthorne, and other deserving SCCA stalwarts as Member of Excellence recipients.”
In his acceptance speech, Wojtkowiak, who is well known for his work as part of South Jersey Region’s Men in Black tech team, said he was “shocked and honored and humbled” by the award.
“I got here because I have great support, primarily from my family, which includes my wife Diane, also known as Mrs. MIB; my sons, Matthew and Anthony, who sometimes think I’m crazy with some of the things that I do, they’ve supported me; and recently, I’m also supported by my grandchildren, and that’s Sara and Matthew,” Wojtkowiak said, adding that at ages 17 and 14, his grandchildren are two of the youngest members of South Jersey Region’s Men in Black tech team.
Wojtkowiak also thanked his mentors and the members of South Jersey’s Men in Black tech team, adding: “What would make me even more happy than I am right now accepting this award would be that if all those folks that I mentioned could be standing with me now to help me accept this award, because they’ve all earned a piece of it, and they deserve it. And I’d like a big thank you to them, and to SCCA for this honor that they have bestowed on me.”
Woolf Barnato Award
Closing out the evening, the 2023 Woolf Barnato recipient Paul Pfanner introduced the 2024 recipient of SCCA’s highest honor.
“Nicholas Craw is not just a name etched in the history of our Club, he is a beacon of integrity, intellect, and vision,” Pfanner said, adding that with a tenure as SCCA’s president spanning 17-plus years, as well as his time as ACCUS president and more, Craw helped shape the SCCA and motorsports into what it is today.
“The histories of the prior recipients are truly impressive, and so this surprises and makes me very humble,” said Craw, who, in 2010 was inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame.
“My association with the SCCA began with a chance encounter at a dinner,” said Craw. “It so happened that the host was an SCCA member and a racer, who ended up introducing me to a long-held dream of racing. Without that meeting and mentorship, my entire career, spanning 50 years both on and off the track and all over the world, could never have happened. I will be eternally grateful to that SCCA member, more than I can ever say – and now there are more to thank.”
Concluding his speech that covered his long and storied career, Craw had one final word of advice. “My message to all the members at SCCA: Always remember to acknowledge those who helped you along the way. It doesn’t cost anything, and is infinitely precious,” Craw concluded. “Thank you again.”
The SCCA Convention Continues…
The SCCA National Convention continues through Friday, Jan. 24, and is online and completely free for SCCA members to attend. More information, including a schedule of seminars and a registration link, can be found on the SCCA National Convention page of SCCA.com.
