Highest honour for motor car racing stalwart

Shelly Beach local Ross Forbes has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Motorsport Australia Service Star Award by Motorsport Australia for exemplary service to motorsport in Australia.

He was presented with the award at the Motorsport Australia State Awards at Sydney Motorsport Park on February 8; the only Service Star award handed out on the night.

The accolade is awarded to a member who has given exemplary service to Motorsport Australia, usually over many years and often in a variety of roles and activities.

Forbes, a mechanic by trade with 40 years’ experience in motor car racing, said he was honoured to have received such an accolade.

“It’s one of the biggest awards in motorsport you can actually get,” Forbes said.

“I couldn’t believe it.”

Now semi-retired and working with TAFE NSW training future mechanics, Forbes was born into a successful motorsport family as the son of race car driver Brian Forbes, and has carried on the family tradition as a race car driver as well as officiating in varied volunteer roles with Motorsport Australia.

When he’s not teaching at TAFE or competing in car races, Forbes can be seen speeding to the scene of a racing car accident at major car races like Bathurst as part of the Medical Response team.

“I’m part of the green team, driving the doctor or paramedic to deliver emergency care to drivers on the track,” he said.

He began competing in local and national karting in the early 1980s, before attaining success in other racing disciplines including racing in the Australian Sports Sedans Championship, the NSW HQ series and the Australian Tarmac Rally events.

He has officiated in various roles including sector marshal at Supercar and Shannons events, F1 flags and recovery marshal, F1 communicator/observer, F1 medical intervention vehicle driver and extrication expert.

Forbes has completed and trained in many things, including advanced first aid, CPR, emergency life support, differing administrative roles, command theory and critical incident management.

He is also currently the Managing Director of Odin Motorsport Australia, and races his own RX8 in the Formula RX8 category.

Forbes is widely recognised for his expertise in automotive training with an outstanding ability to communicate, encourage and facilitate training to all age groups.