The Award Patron, Sarah Jane Adams-Diffey, judges, Andy Dee-Crowne, CEO of the Historic Sport Car Club (HSCC) and James Crossland, Director of GTO Engineering, 2024 secondment partner Bell Sport & Classic, plus the Directors of the Heritage Skills Academy (HSA), are delighted to announce that Jamie Scott Marriott, an apprentice and employee of P&K Thornton Restorations has been selected as the worthy recipient of ‘The Simon Diffey Heritage Motorsport Apprentice Award 2024’.
Year three of this award came with a very healthy entry list of applicants. After an intense initial round of judging of the 14 strong apprentice nominations, approved by their employers, they were then whittled down to three finalists. Final interviews took place at the Royal Automobile Club, Woodcote Park, on 16 June 2024, followed by a drinks reception.
Jamie met the judge’s criteria at interview, with aplomb, demonstrating his engineering skills, passion, enthusiasm, and exceptional commitment as a team player during his apprenticeship, and importantly with a clear desire to go racing.
Jamie Scott Marriott, aged 20, joined P&K Thornton Restorations and began his apprenticeship with Heritage Skills Academy in July 2022. He is in year two of his apprenticeship as a ‘classic body work technician’ (coachbuilding engineer). Jamie is proving to be an outstanding young coach builder committed to engineering excellence. P&K Thornton Restorations is Jamie’s first employment within the industry, and is a firm which specialise in classic Jaguar servicing, restoration, race preparation and support services.
The Award Presentation Event
The award will be presented to Jamie by Stuart Pringle, CEO of Silverstone Circuit, at a star-studded awards ceremony followed by a Q&A hosted by renowned author, and motorsport commentator, Simon Taylor, at the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, London, on Thursday 19 September 2023 at 6 p.m.
Tickets for the event are available through Bookwhen using this link:
https://bit.ly/DiffeyAward2024
Award judge, Andy Dee-Crowne, CEO of the HSCC, commented: “Jamie showed confidence and a sound knowledge of motorsport, demonstrating the skills, commitment, and determination needed to succeed and represent the Simon Diffey legacy. He is a very worthy winner and I look forward to working with him in 2025.”
Award secondment partner for 2024 and Director of GTO engineering, James Crossland commented: “In addition to his clear technical capabilities, Jamie showed a personal spark and eagerness to talk about his work which makes him a worthy winner of an award which aims to help inspire younger generations and demonstrate the benefits of a career in historic motorsport.”
Commenting, Sarah Jane Adams-Diffey said: “It was a difficult year of judging with an extraordinarily high level of quality entries. However, Jamie shone through and should be very proud of his win as he demonstrated to the judges his pure passion for all things to do with heritage automotive and his personal passion for motorsport. He built his own motorised drift trike during Covid lock down, from nothing to painted in eleven days. This is exactly what we were looking for in a winner, somebody who is inspirational and could be an ambassador and continue the spirit of Simon’s award.”
About the Simon Diffey Heritage Motorsport Apprentice Award
The Award was established by Sarah Jane Adams-Diffey in memory of her late husband and well-known historic racing driver, Simon Diffey, who was killed aged 57 in a road accident in May 2022. The aim is to continue in perpetuity Simon’s ethos of recognising and encouraging the next generation of young heritage apprentice engineers through opportunity.
Award Prize
As the recipient of The Simon Diffey Heritage Motorsport Apprentice Award 2024 Jamie Scott Marriott will receive the following
- One month working with GTO Engineering and Bell Sport & Classic during the race season in the summer of 2025
- Attendance at one international race with GTO Engineering
- £3,000 to help with subsistence and travel
- Motorsport UK will supply a free race licence pack which is required to apply for the ARDS test in order to gain a motor racing competition licence
- Private race tuition ahead of the ARDS test with Andy Dee-Crowne
- ARDS test supported by Silverstone to gain a racing licence
- Alpinestars will gift Jamie with a new race suit and full racing kit, including shoes and gloves
- Arai will supply a new helmet
- The HSCC will provide free entry into a suitable race series for a set number of races subject to a race car being available
The Award Patron, Sarah Jane Adams-Diffey, Simon’s wife, would like to publicly thank and is most grateful for the support of Heritage Skills Academy, Goodwood, Silverstone, Motorsport UK, Magneto magazine, Octane magazine, Alpinestars, Martin Stretton, Arai, Andy Dee-Crowne, HSCC, Secondment partners: Classic Team Lotus, Ecurie Bertelli, GTO Engineering & Bell Sport & Classic. Mentors: Nick Lyford, Will Nuthall at IN Racing & Martin Overington, Award winner’s employers, Jim Stokes, The Splined Hub and P&K Thornton restorations, plus all the helpers and those who have made financial donations to support the award in Simon’s memory.
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