Ralston won the overall Club Championship, the title given to the competitor who accumulates the most points from the clubs activities each season. This includes racing at the Teretonga Park motor race circuit plus the grassroots clubsport activities such as motorkhanas and sprints. Ralston was to the fore in all disciplines.
He won the 2501cc & over race class title and the Erskine Flying Farewell Championship Trophy while he also finished runner-up in the Race Championship behind fellow Invercargill driver Rick Michels and third in the Clubsport Championship behind Winton competitor Brendon Mitchell and Roger Laird of Gore. Ralston's successes gave him enough points to comfortably clinch the Club Championship from a past multiple champion, Brendon Mitchell. Mitchell won the Keith McFadzien Trophy for the Motorkhana Championship from Laird and Ralston's son Anthony (who pipped his father for third by one point) and the Warren Robbie Memorial Clubsport Championship.
The prizegiving capped off another successful season for the Southland Sports Car Club.
The SSCC Speed Trophy for the Sprint Championship went to newcomer Shannon Baker who took the title from Mitchell and Laird.
The race awards were keenly fought throughout the season with many of the class titles very close indeed. Mark Quertier won the Turntru Machining Trophy in the 0-1300cc class, using his Star Car to head off the similar car of Walter Wilmott by just 4 points with class stalwart Ian McKenzie of Otautau third.
Jeremy Dawson won the Nebulite Windows & Doors Trophy for the 1301-1600cc class from Nick Hamlin and Jeremy Skeggs. Rick Michels took the 1601-2500cc class from Dean Maw who was in just his second season of motor racing while Ivan Harvey was close behind in third place. Club Champion Ralston won the 2501cc & over class from Phil Crannitch and Winton driver Brent Cross.
The Harold Williams Memorial Trophy for the Sports & Racing Car Championship went to expatriate Irishman Paul McCulla who headed off Invercargill duo Trevor Earley and Dave McKenzie.
Dean Maw won the Howard Kingsford-Smith Trophy for the Most Improved Driver while National Formula Ford Championship contender Damon Leitch again won the Ladies Committee Trophy for the Club's top Junior Driver in his final year of eligibility.
Another youngster, karting star Jamie Conroy, won the Arrow International Award for the Novice Driver Of The Year and was also acknowledged for setting a new lap record of 1 minute 09.610 seconds in the 0-1300cc class in his maiden season. Rachael Beck took the Ladies Race Championship by one point from Nicky Maw.
Rick Michels won the Overall Race Championship from Ralston and Andrew Cundall.
Colin Dawson received a Special Award acknowledging his success in winning another South Island OSCA Saloon title while the Hedges Trophy for a young competitor from Otago or Southland competing successfully without a lot of sponsorship support went to Hamish Mosley of Balclutha.
While the clubs champions are acknowledged at each years prizegiving so too are those behind the scenes whose input ensures that both the clubsport activities and motor racing take place each year.
This year the RB Munro Workers Trophy went to Chief Flag Marshall Richard McMillan while the Macks Panel & Paint Trophy for the Marshall Of The Year went to Neil MacDonald.
Certificates of Appreciation were given to two hardworking club members stepping aside after many years of service, Neil Affleck who is retiring from the Club's Board Of Control and Wendy Jenks who is retiring as Race Committee Chairman.
A new award this year, the Keith Douglas Memorial Trophy, was presented for Distinguished Service to a club member who works extremely hard in the background. The inaugural awarding of the trophy went to Bevan Gerrard, the Chief Timekeeper who has been in the timekeeping area for around thirty years, twenty-five of them as the head. During that time he has dealt effectively with the transition to the many different timing systems that have evolved. His wife and family have also been heavily involved in the club.
The new season gets underway at Teretonga Park over the weekend of 18/19 September.
2009/2010 SOUTHLAND SPORTS CAR CLUB PRIZEGIVING
CLUB CHAMPION - SSCC CLUB CHAMPION
Robert Ralston
Runner -Up
Brendon Mitchell
MOTORKHANA CHAMPIONSHIP - KEITH McFADZIEN TROPHY
1st - Brendon Mitchell
2nd - Roger Laird
3rd - Anthony Ralston
SPRINT CHAMPION - SSCC SPEED TROPHY
1st - Shannon Baker
2nd - Brendon Mitchell
3rd - Roger Laird
CLUBSPORT CHAMPION - WARREN ROBBIE MEMORIAL TROPHY
1st - Brendon Mitchell
2nd - Roger Laird
3rd - Robert Ralston
RACE CHAMPIONSHIP
SPORTS & RACING CAR CHAMPION - HAROLD WILLIAMS MEMORIAL TROPHY
1st - Paul McCulla
2nd - Trevor Earley
3rd - Dave McKenzie
FLYING FAREWELL CHAMPION - ERSKINE FLYING FAREWELL TROPHY
1st - Robert Ralston
2nd - Rick Michels
3rd - Jeremy Dawson
0 - 1300cc Class - TURNTRU MACHINING
1st - Mark Quertier
2nd - Walter Wilmott
3rd - Ian McKenzie
1301 - 1600cc Class
1st - Jeremy Dawson
2nd - Nick Hamlin
3rd - Jeremy Skeggs
1601 - 2500cc Class
1st - Rick Michels
2nd - Dean Maw
3rd - Ivan Harvey
2501 & Over Class
1st - Robert Ralston
2nd - Phil Crannitch
3rd - Brent Cross
RACE CHAMPION - NOEL MCINTYRE TROPHY
1st - Rick Michels
2nd - Robert Ralston
3rd - Andrew Cundall
Most Improved Driver
Dean Maw
Novice Driver
Jamie Conroy
Junior Driver
Damon Leitch
Ladies Champion
Rachael Beck
Hedges Trophy
Hamish Mosely
South Island OSCA Champion
Colin Dawson
WORKERS TROPHY - R.B. MUNRO TROPHY
Richard McMillan
MARSHALL OF THE YEAR - MACKS PANEL & PAINT MARSHALL OF THE YEAR
Neil MacDonald
SPECIAL AWARDS
Certificates of Appreciation
Neil Affleck
Wendy Jenks
Lap Record
Jamie Conroy (Star Car) 0-1300cc 1minute 09.610 seconds 21/2/2010
KEITH DOUGLAS MEMORIAL TROPHY - DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Bevan Gerrard
