The highest honor within SCCA’s RoadRally Program, presented to a deserving candidate by the RRB to recognize an SCCA Member who has gone above and beyond, exemplifying the highest degree of dedication, achievement, sportsmanship, and personal sacrifice to the sport while also making an outstanding contribution to the success of an event.
The 2021 Robert V. Ridges Memorial Award winner is Bruce Gezon of SCCA’s Philadelphia Region. Gezon was picked by the RRB based on his decades of support to the RoadRally program as a competitor, Rallymaster, National Champion, points keeper, helper, mentor, and contributor to RReNews, from nominations submitted to the RRB.
This was my submission to the RRB this year —
Each year when the Woolf Barnato Award is announced and those who were prior recipients come forward, I am in awe. They genuinely appreciate the legacy that each has brought to the Award and with great enthusiasm welcome the latest recipient. That I know many of them, no doubt, adds to my appreciation of the latest inductee.
Flash forward to the Robert V. Ridges Award and the need for us to add a fellow rallyist as the fifth SCCA Hall of Fame member recognized by their own program and honored by presenting them our very own highest award. I would like to confirm the nomination of R. Bruce Gezon who has met the words written in the RRRs many times over —
He has been a part of our sport since the 50s as a competitor, a Rallymaster, and certainly, by the record books, as a recognized National Champion in all categories: Course, Tour, and GTA. He has taken on Charity events as a Rallymaster to serve local communities and their efforts.
He has served our sport through the maintenance of the RoadRally Championship standings and has given considerable time to maintaining Championship, Lifetime and Manufacturer standings.
He has served on the various Boards offered to members of our SCCA program and works with the NEC/RRB (unsure of the total effort between the two) in maintaining the RRR’s with others in the National Championship side of our sport.
He has offered suggestions to enhance our sport to be more inclusive with Abridged RRRs, been generous to help fellow Regions and Rallymasters with their programs and Generals, and supportive to the cooperative effort of SCCA and Road Rally eNews with contributions and in recent years with Smuncher’s Attic, sharing his 50+ years of rallying with us. Stunningly, at times, to see that we are still having similar issues within the program as in the 60s and 70s!
Further, he has served in the administrations of at least three Regions that I know of, which means he has fought for the awareness and competition of our sport. I am sure there are more and while I could research his SCCA Hall of Fame induction, the above more than qualifies him as the next recipient to our Robert V. Ridges.
I have a list of individuals who are gaining their worthiness to be a part of the Ridges Award, yet there is no doubt that R Bruce Gezon is the best candidate for 2021. As a former recipient, I would proudly stand at the front of the Convention Hall with other recipients in attendance and welcome him into our RoadRally Ridges Family!
Respectfully submitted, Cheryl Lynn Babbe
Below is the list of previous recipients, and I encourage each of you to consider those in your program – do they meet the award guidelines in the first paragraph? If so, send in their nomination to the RRB for consideration during the open request timeframe.
2020 John J. Sears, Tucson, AZ
2019 Bruce Fisher, Dimondale, MI
2018 John Emmons, Galesville, WI and Lois Van Vleet, Galesville, WI
2017 Rich Bireta, Lawrence, KS
2016 Mike Thompson, La Crosse, WI
2010 Cheryl Babbe, Anchorage, AK
2009 Ron Ferris, Florissant, MO
2007 Bob Ricker, Pompano Beach, FL
2006 Jeanne English, Hermosa Beach, CA 70
2005 Jim Mirrielees, Arlington, VA
2003 Ted Goddard, Perkinsville, VT
2000 Jim Heine, St. Louis, MO
1998 Paula Gibeault, Ridgecrest, CA
1997 Russell Brown, Houston, TX
1994 Gene Henderson, Pinckney, Ml
1993 Bob Radford, Rockford, IL
1991 John Classen, Burbank, CA
1990 Norman W. Hill, Lisle, IL
1989 Virginia J. Reese, Ann Arbor, Ml
1987 John Buffum, Colchester, VT
1985 W. David Teter, Newark, DE
1982 “Doc” Floyd Shrader, M.D., W. Memphis, AR
1979 Harry M. Handley, Westport, CT
1976 Clyde Durbin, Dallas, TX
1975 Wayne J. Zitkus, Toledo, OH
1973 Erhard Dahm, Farmington, MI
1972 Kenneth Adams, Bakersfield, CA
1971 Ronald W. Jones, Tucson, AZ
1969 Victor T. Wallder, Nutley, NJ
1967 Frank Schmitz, Shawnee, KS
1965 Sam E. Fast, Middletown, NY
