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In a season filled with some highly impressive performances
at MSV circuits and in MSV-run championships, we've
picked ten of our heroes from a memorable 2016.
The drivers and riders on this list have helped make
this year another great one for MSV. Many have won races and
championships, wowing the crowds along the way. The
list is in no particular order, since everyone featured
here will have much to celebrate over the holiday season and
we look forward to seeing many of them back in 2017!
Shakey Byrne
He's been the benchmark of the MCE Insurance British Superbike
Championship ever since his return in 2011, and has faced
opposition from both rising stars and returning heroes. This year
Shakey needed to fine tune his new Ducati, but once he'd got it
into winning shape at Brands Hatch in May, he was thrust into a
battle with former World Superbike star Leon Haslam. The rivals
fought hard throughout the summer and Haslam even stole the
advantage going into the Showdown. That didn't stop Shakey from
winning his fifth MCE BSB title, however, elevating him way above
the sport's other champions.
Gordon Shedden
Gordon Shedden secured his place amongst the Touring Car greats
this year, but his third championship didn't look at all likely at
the season's halfway point. Perhaps his second title-winning race
at the end of 2015, when he had to fight back from near the back of
the field, inspired his exemplary late-year run, as he entered the
Brands Hatch finale with an unmatched serenity. This translated
into a calm points-grabbing finals day, completed with a
perfectly-executed pass on title rival Sam Tordoff that earned him
back-to-back championships by just two points. Now the challenge is
to equal Andy Rouse's tally of four titles.
Colin Turkington
Shedden may have become the current BTCC grid's second triple
champion, but it could have been Colin Turkington, an even more
unlikely outcome after the opening three events. Colin's new Subaru
was completed one day before the opening event at Brands Hatch and
was withdrawn at Thruxton, but he came back fighting at Oulton Park
to take the marque's first pole position and win. This was followed
up with another two wins at Croft and Snetterton and he was
suddenly in title contention. A stunning weekend at Brands Hatch
put him equal on the year's most wins with Mat Jackson, and he
ended the season in fourth place, just 19 points shy of
Shedden.
Ryan Smith
The new British Truck Racing Champion only took up the sport
three seasons ago, having moved from the rather different
discipline of drifting. In his first year he challenged for the
Division 2 title, then bought an ex-European Championship MAN truck
from multiple champion Jochen Hahn. He was immediately on the pace,
and a strong 2015 was followed by a storming year in which he
entered the final weekend at Brands Hatch needing just a single
point to take the title. Rather than cruising to a safe finish in
the opening race he took on championship rival and multiple
title-winner Stuart Oliver, and threw caution to the wind with
several risky manoeuvres. Ultimately he finished in second place,
but it proved he was a worthy champion and won twice later on that
weekend. Earlier in the year he also took on the European
Championship grid and won.
Freddie Hunt
Freddie was only five when James Hunt passed away in 1993, but
he has been in awe of his father ever since. With 2016 marking 40
years since the dramatic 1976 World Championship, immortalised in
the motion picture Rush, Freddie revelled in the celebrations. He
was guest of honour at the Masters Historic Festival, signing
autographs and meeting fans, and drove his dad's Tour of
Britain-winning Chevrolet Camaro. A few weeks later he was back to
compete in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series at American SpeedFest
IV.
Enzo Ide
An Audi victory at the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup at Brands
Hatch was on the cards, but Laurens Vanthoor or Robin Frijns were
the most likely contenders to be spraying champagne from the top
step of the podium. Enzo Ide has been racing for Belgium Audi Club
Team WRT for several seasons as a highly enthusiastic amateur
alongside pro ace Christopher Mies, but this year he stepped up
several notches and his win in the main race was the springboard
that propelled him to the Sprint Cup title.
Jules Szymkowiak
The opening race of the Brands Hatch Blancpain GT Series Sprint
Cup weekend was claimed by the Mercedes-AMG of Jules Szymkowiak and
DTM legend Bernd Schneider, thanks to a great start from the
21-year-old Dutchman. But for a better pitstop strategy they could
have claimed a double, and Szymkowiak did all he could to deny race
leader Mies the win. It was this and other fighting performances
that earned him the inaugural Sean Edwards Trophy for promising
young GT drivers earlier this month.
Jonny Adam
Ever since he moved across from tip tops to GT cars, Jonny Adam
has been one of the British GT Championship's standout competitors.
Missing out on the 2013 title thanks to a points deduction penalty
was tough, but he came back to win the championship last season
before splitting with the Beechdean team and long-standing
co-driver Andrew Howard. He remained with Aston Martin, however,
and moved to TF Sport to partner Derek Johnston. After dominating
the first two events, including the Brands Hatch opener, even a
fallow mid-season period couldn't stop Jonny from becoming British
GT's first back-to-back champion.
Matheus Leist
British F3's first champion following the category's
MSV-assisted rebirth won at the opening two events at Snetterton
and Brands Hatch, but was overshadowed by Ricky Collard as the
season progressed. Things didn't look great after Snetterton when
Collard won twice, but the Brazilian turned it all around and with
Collard suffering a shocker at the Donington finale, it was Leist
who took the spoils.
Jason Kenny
Our final hero of 2016 achieved his greatest success away from
the motorsport arena, but it was typical of this unassuming man
that he should follow up equalling Sir Chris Hoy's British Olympic
record of six Gold Medals by taking part in a club motor race. Less
than two weeks after stepping off the plane from Rio, Jason Kenny
jumped into a Radical at Brands Hatch, adorned with six Gold Medal
decals (and one Silver), and scored a sixth place finish in the
Radical Challenge Championship. It wasn't his only appearance at
the Kent circuit this year; a few weeks later he competed alongside
members of the public in the Revolve 24 Hour cycling race. Here is
a hero who neither expects nor demands superstar treatment.
You can enjoy many more great moments with MSV's range
of 2017 Season Passes, available from £85. Click here for more information or to purchase
a pass.
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