Royal Automobile Club’s Torrens Trophy awarded Peter Hickman, Emma Bristow and Crescent Yamaha

The Royal Automobile Club has awarded the Torrens Trophy to Peter Hickman (2019), Emma Bristow (2020) and Crescent Yamaha (2021).

The ceremony took place at the Pall Mall clubhouse in London last night (March 14). It’s the first time the Trophy has been awarded in person since Tai Woffinden was recognised for claiming his third Speedway World Championship in 2018. Due to Covid-19, the traditional awards evening has been cancelled for the last two years.

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The Torrens Trophy was first awarded in 1978 in memory of Arthur Bourne, a motorcycling journalist who wrote a column under the name ‘Torrens’. Arthur Bourne was also a Vice-Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club. Alongside Woffinden, other winners include Jonathan Rea (2017, Cal Crutchlow (2016), Tom Sykes (2013) and James Toseland (2008).

Hickman was crowned 2019 winner for his trio of Isle of Man TT victories that year, and for setting the world’s fastest motorcycle road lap record of 136.415mph at the Ulster Grand Prix.

“It’s a really prestigious award,” Hickman told MCN at the Clubhouse. “If you’re into motorsport and motorcycling in particular then you’ll have heard of the Torrens Trophy, and to be able to actually be awarded this is a big thing and it’s really nice to be included within a great group of people who have won it before me.”

Bristow was handed the trophy for 2020 after claiming her seventh consecutive FIM Women’s Trial World Championship title. It’s the first time that the Torrens Trophy has been awarded to a female motorcyclist, whilst it’s also the first time that the Trials discipline has been recognised.

Alongside her exploits in Trials championships – which also includes 10 Women’s British Trials Championships, two Women’s European Trials Championships and one Latin American Championship – Bristow has also won two World SuperEnduro Championships.

“It’s crazy really,” Bristow admitted to MCN. “There’s a lot of history in this building and a lot of enthusiastic people in this club, so to be noticed is incredible. I was really honoured when they phoned me and told me that I’d won.

“Obviously, you go and Google it and you see the names that have been on the trophy before and it’s just a great achievement. I’m so pleased!”

The latest winner of the Torren’s Trophy is the Crescent Yamaha World Superbike team, with Paul Denning, Managing Director of Crescent and Team Principal, on-hand to collect the trophy.

Crescent became the first British team to win the Riders’, Teams’ and Manufacturers’ titles in a single campaign last season, with Toprak Razgatlioglu taking his maiden title onboard the R1.

In doing so, the team ended Jonathan Rea’s six-year hold on the title. It was Yamaha’s first WSB crown since 2009, when Ben Spies became champion in his debut season.

Crescent Racing, founded by Edward ‘Ted’ Denning, who rode his Triumph in Guernsey’s sand races before World War Two, has been competing at the top level in national and international racing for the past 25 years. The team has been successful in BSB, WSB, MotoGP, Enduro and Motocross.

“It’s a prestigious honour,” Paul Denning said on Monday evening. “In the 40-year history there has been some extremely interesting and prominent recipients, so to be in that elite group of riders and engineers, etc, is an absolute privilege.

“We are now very much focused on looking forward towards the 2022 season and doing everything we can to again be competitive, but the Torrens Trophy is a great way to cap off 2021!”