Miles, Almond, and Talbot nominated for Morris Finance Sportsperson of the Year award
Following the nominations of Adrian Flack, Nick McBride and Cameron Hill for the Morris Finance Sportsperson of the Year award earlier this year. Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia has announced the remaining nominations for this prestigious award ahead of the final round of the 2019 Championship on the Gold Coast this weekend.
The list of new nominations includes two TAG Heuer Pro-Am drivers in Tim Miles and Liam Talbot, as well as the Bob Jane T-Marts sponsored driver of Michael Almond in the Pro category.
Like Flack, McBride, and Hill, the three nominated drivers were adjudged to be excellent ambassadors for Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia Championship in the manner they conduct themselves both on and off the track.
From this list of six nominations, one driver will be awarded the Morris Finance Sportsperson of the Year award at the Awards presentation dinner after the final race on Sunday evening. Each nomination was selected from the drivers in the 2019 championship that exhibited a passion for Porsche brand and the Series as well an enthusiasm and dedication to improve on track.
The award takes into consideration how each nominated driver treats their fellow competitors, team members, race officials, and fans, demonstrating respect, fairness and integrity both on and off the track. The support, encouragement and advice shown to fellow competitors, team members and officials are also taken into consideration when selecting not only the nominations but the overall winner. The overall winner is the nominee that best distils and exhibits all of these traits.
Tim Miles is one of the most respected characters in not only the Porsche paddock but in Australian motorsport. The Sydney based businessman has also made a successful ascent of the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid over the past few seasons, progressing from the Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge series through to the ultra-competitive Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia Championship.
Miles’ racing resume over the past years includes a Bathurst clean sweep in the premier class and is sprinkled with strong appearances not only as Porsche Pro-Am driver, but co-driver for the likes of Renee Gracie and McElrea Racing teammates Matt Campbell and, in 2017, Jaxon Evans.
Liam Talbot is relatively new to the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Championship by comparison and heads into this weekend in contention for the 2019 TAG Heuer Pro-Am Championship, along with fellow nominee Adrian Flack. Talbot’s career includes victories in the 2013 Radical Australia Cup series, two class wins in the Bathurst 12hr endurance race in 2013 and 2017 as well as a podium finish at the famous Nurburgring circuit in Germany.
Further highlights include a first place in the Blancpain GT Endurance Cup (AM) in 2016, a Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hour class victory as well as GT3 race and GT4 round wins on debut in the Australian GT Championship.
Talbot, who recently proposed to television personality and social influencer, Charli Robinson on the 2019 Bathurst grid, only started his racing career at age 30 but has since built a strong competitive resume both in Australia and abroad.
Michael Almond needs little introduction and is one of the leading Porsche drivers since bursting onto the scene in 2010 when he qualified on pole on his debut in the Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Australia. He has since gone on to and forge a strong career with the Porsche brand.
A race winner in GT3 Cup Challenge, Almond also won races in the classic Touring Car Masters series, racing a 1973 Porsche RS against much larger and more powerful cars – against drivers like Jim Richards, John Bowe, and Glenn Seton.
A move to Carrera Cup in late 2012 has seen his career blossom and climb towards a breakout season in 2016 that netted his first career win. Appropriately for this Adelaide born driver, it came in front of his home town fans and friends on the streets of Adelaide at the Adelaide 500.
The overall winner of the Morris Finance Sportsperson of the Year award on Sunday night will receive a Business Class trip to Germany to attend the 2019 Porsche Motorsport Night of Champions at Weissach, Germany.
Follow the awards, news and announcements from the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia awards evening on our social media pages: Instagram – @carreracupaus / Twitter – @CarreraCupAus / Facebook.com/CarreraCupAuss
Sources: Angus Thompson/Porsche Cars Australia