Monoposto SUNBAC Nova Awards - £1,000 Worth of Awards to be Won Annually by New Race Drivers

We hope the badge of the awards will become a familiar sight on cars in our races

Those who attended the AGM on 19 February heard some good news for novices in Mono, and therefore good news for the club. The Nova awards have already been annouinced and covered in Startline but there's some added news which is covered in a recent press release. We start with the release:

Monoposto Racing Club has been leading the way in organising low cost single seater racing for its members for over 50 years. The Monoposto Championship is the largest single seater championship in the UK with typical entry numbers in the 50+ range.

Monoposto Racing Club has combined forces with SUNBAC to announce the Monoposto SUNBAC Nova Awards, which are specifically aimed at encouraging new drivers. SUNBAC – the Sutton Coldfield & North Birmingham Automobile club – has been historically important in introducing new competitors to motor sport. Although SUNBAC is no longer active in Motorsport organisation their major support for the Nova Awards means that these now offer a long-term platform to help new drivers develop their careers.

Starting in 2011, for the next five years, as part of the Monoposto Championship, the Awards will go to the first and second place drivers on Championship points won in any Mono class, who start their season as “novices”. The Awards provide two free double header Monoposto Race entries in the following season for the winner, and one free double header race entry for the runner up. The total value of the Awards is approximately £1000 each year; arguably the most valuable prize fund in club-level single seater racing.

The Monoposto SUNBAC Nova Awards will be open to any full Monoposto member, who starts their Monoposto Championship year still needing to be observed and to obtain some or all of the initial 6 signatures on their competition licence Upgrade Card. To be eligible for the Monoposto SUNBAC Nova Awards, a competitor will therefore start their Mono Championship campaign as a novice race driver as defined by the MSA, with the car carrying the compulsory black/yellow cross.

The Monoposto SUNBAC Nova Awards are a positive recognition that Monoposto is a key entry point into single seater racing in the UK, and one which also enables racers to progress to faster cars as they gain experience.

Monoposto Chairman Nick Harrison commented “Anyone thinking of racing a single seater season could buy a competitive car, ready to race for less than £5,000, and with race entries among the lowest in club racing we are going a long way to achieving our goal, to make single seater racing an affordable and enjoyable experience. We are delighted by SUNBAC’s support, the Awards will keep this famous name to the fore in club motorsport in a very appropriate way, and enable us to extend the scheme for the next five years”

A little of the background:

Chris Hill (son of OMS pilot Gary) is a good example of those eligible for the SUNBAC Nova award. ......	...as is Marcus Sheard. The Novice Cross is the key requirement - birthdays aren't!

The idea behind the Nova trophy is to encourage entry into club single seaters. Rather than give a cash award which might encourage "pot hunters", the award is race entries for the next year in Mono, so drivers are encouraged to stay with us. History has shown that once a driver does a season with us, if they stay in motorsport they do tend to stay with us for another season or two - or thirty in some notable cases. Entry is for both young persons out of karting and for the "more mature" driver. As long as the novice cross is present they are welcome to the award scheme.

We hope to do a profile of our sponsor SUNBAC shortly, but the story of their involvement is interesting. Their stalwart David Baxter, familiar to many of us as the organiser of the excellent early season SUNBAC Silverstone meetings, was acting as scrutineer at the MSCC Mallory to which the club was invited. A club supporter got into conversation with him and heard the sad news that SUNBAC was winding down its involvement in motorsport. He wondered if they might have any trophies which, as a club with similar grassroots aims to our own, they might consider donating for our Nova awards, to help perpetuate their name. Some time later Nick Harrison got a call asking for a representative to visit their committee meeting as they were thinking of offering financial support. Shortly after that a cheque for £5,000 was banked. The generosity and kindness of SUNBAC in guaranteeing the SUNBAC Nova award for at least 5 years is remarkable and our thanks go to them.

If you're eligible, please get in touch with Simon and register.It's as simple as that.