Life Members

Barry Heydon was a foundation member of NAMSC (awarded life membership in 1995), active in rallying and road racing while also being involved with the Top End Motorcycle Club and Darwin Karting Association. He was President of the Darwin Motorsports Council (forerunner to Motorsports NT) for three years in the late 1980’s and also served six years as Vice President. Elected a Life Member of the DMSC in 1993.

Brian Nixon had already been a motorcycling, drag racing and speedway competitor by the time he was heavily involved in the design of the new Hidden Valley circuit in the early 1980’s. First appointed to the Darwin Motorsports Council in 1985 as a representative of NAMSC, he spent time on the club committee (including two terms as President) while also competing in Rallying at a national level. Awarded life membership of NAMSC in 1995, he also received an Australian Sports medal in 2000.

Involved in Mudracing since it became established at Hidden Valley, Chris became President of the Top End Mud Racing Association in 2004, a position he held for more than a decade. Through his trade as a building certifier he assisted all clubs at Hidden Valley on a voluntary basis and was simultaneously Vice-President and Treasurer of Motorsports NT at the time the organisation was formed. Elected as a Life Member of the organisation in 2013.

A speedway karting competitor since the mid 1990’s he joined the Committee of the DSRDA in 1998 and became a Life Member in 2010. Also a main driver behind the formation of the Motorsports NT in 2006, he served as secretary for a total of 7 years. Chris was instrumental in securing the current lease arrangements for all motorsport at Hidden Valley, undertaking key negotiations to ensure the long-term success of the entire site. Elected a Motorsports NT life member in 2012.

Clint Holmes is a foundation member, President, Secretary and Life Member of the Darwin Motorcycle Club. He was instrumental in handing over the Hidden Valley site from the club to the wider motorsports community and was involved from the earliest days of the Darwin Motorsports Council, including as a sponsor via his Suzuki dealership. Elected as a Life Member of Motorsports NT in 2010.

Craig Garraway has spent more than 30 years with St Johns as a volunteer and employee, and in this time has also dedicated himself to motorsport across the Territory. Involved in Speedway and Dirt Karting as a committee member, competitor, crew member, official, first aid responder and volunteer he was elected as a Life Member of Motorsports NT in 2022 and the DSRDA in 2023.

A lifetime of voluntary work at Northline Speedway and around the Territory was rewarded with life membership of Motorsports NT for Debbie Turner in 2016. As a nationally accredited trainer she ensured that volunteers were equipped to undertake their tasks, and she was also awarded Life Membership of the DSRDA in 2011.

Excelling in motorsport administration, Gail has over 45 years of commitment to NAMSC, awarded life membership in 2003. She has fulfilled vital Treasurer and Race Secretary roles for many decades, including at Supercars events. Has also supported many competitors via sponsorship and providing equipment for facilities upgrades at Hidden Valley. Elected as a Life Member of the organisation in 2023.

Gary Pendlebury has competed in almost every form of Motorsport at Hidden Valley over the years, both two-wheeled and four. A founding member of TERRA in 1987, he served on the committee before moving into Sprintcars in 1994, about the same time he first became President of what is now known at Motorsports NT. Upon retirement from racing he became President of the DSRDA from 2001-2010, and has been Chief Steward at Northline for over 25 years. Also nationally accredited as an Official since 2004, he has travelled to all states and territories to undertake Stewarding duties. Elected as a Life Member of the Motorsports NT in 2011, his second terms as President commenced in 2019.

Starting out as a speedway competitor in Tennant Creek, Grant soon switched to karting and became the impetus behind the famous local Grand Prix event that attracted national attention from 1991-2003. By 2002 he was the President of the NT Motorsports Council, and from 2006 -2017 he was the inaugural leader of Motorsports NT, along with spending 8 years during that time as the President of the Darwin Karting Association. With 20 years as a competitor and 35 as an administrator he was elected a Life Member in 2016.

A founding member of the Central Australian Drag Racing Association in 1992, he competed and served on the committee (including over 10 years as President) while they raced at the Airport, and was the driving force behind the construction of the Alice Springs Inland Dragway, which opened in 2008. Elected as a Life Member of CADRA in 1998 and Motorsports NT in 2011.

Ian Jordan was one of the original committee members of the Darwin Motorsports Council in 1979, representing the Darwin Motorcycle Club. Also a life member of the Darwin Speedway Riders & Drivers Assn and Motorcycling Northern Territory, he helped many young racers into the sport via his Jordy Racing enterprise, while also officiating at many events. Elected a life member in 1990, Jordy passed away in 2020.

Involved in rallying and then circuit racing since before Hidden Valley was constructed, Jake has been a member of NAMSC for over 45 years (awarded life membership in 2000), serving on the committee and fulfilling a vital role as Chief Scrutineer for decades. Also officiated for Supercars in other states, and events such as Superbikes and the World Solar Challenge. Elected as a Life Member of the organisation in 2023.

Jeff Sutton spent 45 years as an official, and at one point was the Starter at Hidden Valley for the Supercars and NAMSC, Clerk of Course for TERRA, Starter for the Darwin Karting Association and Chief Steward at Northline Speedway. He also officiated interstate for over 20 years at F1, Moto GP and Superbike level. Was elected as a Life Member of the Motorsports NT in 2021.

Kerry Berry originated from the Darwin Karting Association and was first elected to MSNT in 2008. Kerry is currently the longest-serving member of the Executive, having spent 14 years as Secretary and five years as Public Officer of Motorsports NT. He was elected as a Life Member of the organisation in 2021.

Chief Minister of the Northern Territory from 1988 – 1995, Marshall Perron is a lifelong motorsport stakeholder who provided the economic impetus and political support for the creation of Hidden Valley Raceway. One of the original members of the Darwin drag racing fraternity in the late 1960’s, he continued his involvement in the sport while still in politics as Patron of both the King Cobra Rod & Custom Club and the Darwin Motorsports Council. Elected as a Life Member of the organisation in 2010.

Maureen Kohlman was the founding member of the Acacia Hills Motocross Association, and dedicated more than 20 years of volunteer service to the sport that included the construction of the facility that the club is based upon. A life member of Motorcycling NT (2018), she passed away in 2022 and was posthumously elected as a Life Member of Motorsports NT later than year.

A familiar face around NT Motorsport for many decades, Ray Henry or “Scruffy” has dedicated his spare time to assisting almost every club that operates out of Darwin and Alice Springs for over 50 years, both on racedays and through many other countless hours of volunteer work. From the Finke Desert Race through to Supercars, MXGP, road racing, drifting, mud racing, dirt karting and speedway, Scruffy has been out there doing it and was proudly elected as a Life Member of the organisation in 2024.

Long-time Alice Springs motorsport identity Robert Baldock has decades of service, including long spells with the Alice Springs Off Road Race Club and Arunga Park Speedway. In 2012, Baldock received the Northern Territory Motorsport Person of the Year from Motorsport Australia, he was elected a life member of Motorsports NT in 2014 and in 2023 received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Kings Birthday honours.

Trevor Horman had a background in drag racing, first elected as the Publicity Officer of the King Cobra Rod & Custom Club in 1971. He was the inaugural Treasurer of the Darwin Motorsports Council in 1979 and for served more than 25 years in either this role or as Vice-President or Secretary, elected as a life member in 1990 and retiring in 2006. A Member of the Order of Australia for his services to the Territory (he was a professional engineer who was pivotal in post-Cyclone Tracy reconstruction), Trevor passed away in 2019.