Two organisations that have made significant contributions to the economy in Wales were presented with Welsh Motoring Writers’ two top accolades on Saturday night.

The Tom Pryce Memorial Trophy recognises the achievements of Anglesey Circuit-Trac Môn as it celebrates its 25th Anniversary and also 10th Anniversary of the £4m reconfiguration featuring, most appropriately, the Tom Pryce Straight.
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The Terry Davies Automotive Award (formerly Automotive Achievement Award) goes to General Dynamics Land Systems-UK for its world class armoured fighting vehicles and latest AJAX reconnaissance fleet for the British Army creating major employment opportunities at its Merthyr Tydfil base.

A journalism student has won a £1,000 prize, a driving experience at Silverstone, and work experience at some of the UK’s top automotive publications for a feature produced on her course.
 
Beth Hughes, of Flintshire, elected to take the automotive journalism module at Cardiff University, and was one of four students at the School of Journalism eligible to compete for Welsh Motoring Writers’ John Arfon Edwards Memorial Prize in 2017.
 
Their assignments looked at the future of diesel fuel, and Beth’s work examined the impact on the independent garage of increasing take-up of vehicles with electric power.

​Welsh Motoring Writers has launched a new brand identity for 2017, created by our patron and Land Rover design studio director Richard Woolley.
 
Richard, who has designed the covers of our handbooks for many years, as well as the unique trophies for the Automotive Achievement Award since inception in 2010, offered to come up with a single design that would replace the varied artwork that had been used inside the handbook, on stationery and our website.
 
WMW chairman Huw Thomas said: “Richard had mentioned more than once that we would benefit from a consistent, single brand identity to communicate exactly who we are and what we do.

WMW is pleased to follow up an earlier donation to Air Ambulance Wales this year with, more recently, a donation to Blood Bikes Wales.

Blood Bikes Wales's 300-plus volunteer members are motorcycle enthusiasts who deliver blood, documents, analyses or other vitally required items overnight or at weekends when NHS Wales transport is unavailable or committed elsewhere. As with Air Ambulance Wales, Blood Bikes Wales is a charity dependent on financial support from public fundraising.

WMW Chairman Huw Thomas said: “Like the Air Ambulance, Blood Bikes offer a service of particular value to a country like Wales. They fill crucial gaps in the Gwasanaeth Iechyd Cenedlaethol (National Health Service) transport system - entirely free of charge. We at WMW readily offer our support”

With great sadness Welsh Motoring Writers announce the death of founder member, first chairman and honorary life member Terry Davies.

WMW chairman Huw Thomas writes –
Terry Davies, who died on Monday 6th March aged 84, had a long and successful career as a freelance motoring writer winning a Pirelli Award in 1978. He contributed to the Wrexham Leader, Chester Standard and Country Quest magazine among many others.

Along with John Edwards (1928-2014), Terry was a founder member of Welsh Motoring Writers in 1992. He gave long and exemplary service as chairman laying the foundations for success. Together with John, Terry was awarded honorary life membership in 2006 and subsequently made honorary president.

Wrexham-born, Terry was a courteous ‘gentleman-writer’ of the old school. He possessed a fine musical voice but was equally adept at turning out a sharp, well-researched road test. He interviewed some of motorsport’s greats including Fangio, Moss, Hunt and Stewart.

Terry had not been well for some years but had borne his ill-health with characteristic optimism and resilience. It is a comfort to know his death in hospital this week was tranquil, peaceful and pain-free.

He was highly thought of, his friendship greatly valued and he will be sorely missed. Terry is survived by his wife Pamela, daughter Jill, son Simon, grand-daughter Seren and grandson Alexander. The funeral will take place at Amlosgfa Pentrebychan Crematorium on Friday, March 17, at 2.30pm.

Welsh Motoring Writers has welcomed a new member for 2017 following the successful application of Automotive World’s Xavier Boucherat, a previous winner of the group’s John Arfon Edwards Memorial Prize.

His membership was confirmed on Friday (February 17) as the group met for a milestone annual business meeting at Welshpool (Y Trallwng), where plans were mapped out for Welsh Motoring Writers’ 25th anniversary year.
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The group takes particular pride in the fact that Xavier won the inaugural WMW John Arfon Edwards Memorial Prize in 2015. On completion of his post-graduate degree at Cardiff University School of Journalism & Media, he was offered a position at Automotive World, Penarth, and is rapidly building a reputation as a motoring and motor industry journalist. Membership of the Group overall now stands at 22.

The Circuit of Wales and The Extreme Sports Company have announced plans to develop a world-leading sports, leisure and entertainment destination at the Circuit of Wales, the £425m, 336 hectare multi-purpose infrastructure project located in South Wales, north of Ebbw Vale in Blaenau Gwent.

Extreme’s offering, which includes a collection of indoor and outdoor action and adventure sports, leisure facilities, a variety of food and beverage offerings alongside retail outlets and themed accommodation is hoped to breathe life, regenerate and create new jobs in the area.
 
This combined offer is the largest privately-funded infrastructure project in Wales and is the most significant capital investment program in automotive, motorsport and extreme sport infrastructure in the UK within the last 50 years. 

It was a double whammy for Elfyn Evans last weekend, as he was awarded the prestigious Tom Pryce Memorial Trophy just weeks after winning the 2016 British Rally Championship.

It's the second time an Evans family member has scored a double victory in the same year - his father Gwyndaf was awarded WMW’s inaugural Tom Pryce Trophy in 1996 having won the BRC that year, with Elfyn replicating the feat exactly 20 years later.

The Automotive Achievement Award went to Riversimple of Llandrindod Wells for the radically innovative Rasa lightweight hydrogen-powered prototype car. Road-legal and built for full European Type Approval, it can cover 300 miles on 1.5kg of Hydrogen and has the lowest 'well-to-wheel' carbon emissions of any vehicle. The awards were presented by HM Lord-Lieutenant for Gwynedd, Edmund S Bailey.

​A journalism student has won a £1,000 prize, a driving experience at Silverstone, and work experience at some of the UK’s top automotive publications for a video produced on her course.

Emily Brown, who graduated from Cardiff university this summer, took the automotive journalism module on her course, and created the video, which was eligible for the John Arfon Edwards Memorial.

The report examined the impact of diesel emissions rules on modern agricultural vehicles, and was presented with a cheque on Friday (September 23) at the university.