Aston Martin racer Jonny Adam has capped 2014 with an accolade which ranks as one of the most satisfying of his career.
The Fife star’s hectic but mixed season on track saw the 30-year-old just fall short of a successful defence of the British GT championship crown with Beechdean Aston Martin alongside team principal Andrew Howard.
Any disappointment has been diluted by the award of the Allan Simonsen Memorial Trophy.
The honour was inaugurated last year following the driver’s tragic death at the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race.
Simonsen was a universally popular figure in paddocks and Adam said he was proud to receive a trophy established to recognise the season’s British GT driver who performs with the pace, humility and good humour which the Dane was renowned for.
Adam raced against Simonsen for two to three seasons and said it was a privilege to be able to count him as a rival and a friend.
He said: “I remember my first GT race at Oulton Park in the Aston Martin in 2011.
“I was obviously really nervous and had heard his name, and that race with Allan was one of the toughest of my career.
“It was really intense and I just managed to pip him on the line, but it was a tough 35 minutes,” he said.
“After that we grew as friends and rivals and I had massive respect for him.”