SUPERCARS champion Brodie Kostecki has been awarded the prestigious Peter Brock Medal at the Motorsport Australia National Awards Gala Dinner.
Kostecki’s appearance at the event itself was notable, given how low a profile he has kept in the weeks since his fallout with Erebus Motorsport came to light.
Further notable is the honour bestowed upon him tonight, which Motorsport Australia describes as recognising “outstanding driver ability and commitment to the positive endorsement of motorsport within the greater community”.
The Peter Brock Medal was launched in 2011, with subsequent recipients being Jason Richards, Craig Lowndes, Neal Bates, Jim Richards, Molly Taylor, Mark Webber, Will Brown, Anton De Pasquale, Harry Bates, Alex Peroni, Toby Price and Thomas Randle (in chronological order).
That marked Kostecki’s second appearance up on stage, having earlier been presented with the Australian Touring Car Championship trophy synonymous with his Supercars success.
“The pinnacle of motorsport in Australia is considered the Australian Touring Car Championship, and to have my name on a trophy that includes names like (Craig) Lowndes, (Dick Johnson and John Bowe)… is quite surreal and something that I will never forget,” he said.
“To say that 2023 was an interesting year would be an understatement. We had a brand-new Gen3 car to work with and I lived and breathed it in an effort to understand what made it work and how we could make ours faster than anyone else.
“In the end, the hard work and more than a decade of personal commitment to learning my craft paid off, and I came away with the drivers’ championship. And also to my great teammate as well from last year, Will Brown, who helped contribute to a teams’ championship to top it all off.
“It is great to share this trophy with all of the mechanics and crew, all of the hard-working members of our team at the track and back at the shop.
“In more recent weeks, it’s no secret I’ve come to a crossroads with my 2023 Supercars team and ongoing discussions mean I cannot say more on that matter at this time, and I thank you for your appreciation.
“But I can say that I have been overwhelmed by the support from some quality individuals in our industry that have offered their unwavering support and advice, and also a massive thank you to the thousands of fans that have reached out to me from both sides, even teams that I have competed with.
“It’s quite funny, you get some ‘eff you’ messages above them and then they’re making sure I’m okay, so it’s quite funny. It’s obviously been overwhelming.
“I’m unsure what the immediate future holds but what I can say is I’m in generally good health and I have a long-term commitment to Australian motorsport and have a burning desire to stand up here again and hopefully get my hands on this (trophy) again in the future years to come.”
Among other motorsport identities recognised tonight were Dick Johnson (Member of Honour) and Paul Morris (Life Member), while Blanchard Racing Team rookie Aaron Love picked up Young Driver of the Year.
V8 Sleuth also won big, collecting Best Use of Digital Media and Breaking News Story of the Year.
Motorsport Australia National Awards
Member of Honour: Dick Johnson
Life Member: Lawrie Schmitt, Paul Morris, Frank Lowndes, Stephen Preece, Phillip East
Presidential Citation: Jeff Mattner, Gordon Smith, Maverick Kemenyvary, David Halstead
Phil Irving Award: Kevin Drage
Official of the Year: Susanne Dixon
Peter Brock Medal: Brodie Kostecki
Young Driver of the Year: Aaron Love
Best Track or Road Marshal of the Season: George Chrobak
Donald Thomson Award: Steve Kirby
FIA Girls on Track High Achiever Award: Chantelle Lloyd
Motorsport Australia Media Awards
Photographer of the Year: Jack Martin
Photograph of the Year: Timothy Wilson
Journalist of the Year: Andrew van Leeuwen
Breaking News Story of the Year: Connor O’Brien
Best Use of Digital Media: V8 Sleuth
