Twenty-one-year-old Kacey Burgess is the fourth winner of the Simon Diffey Heritage Motorsport Apprentice Award, presented during a star-studded ceremony at the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, London last night.

Kacey, an apprentice and employee of Road and Competition Engineering Ltd, demonstrated her engineering skills, passion, enthusiasm, and exceptional commitment as a team player during her apprenticeship, and importantly with a clear desire to go racing.

Kacey began her apprenticeship with Heritage Skills Academy in July 2023. She is in year two of her apprenticeship as an engineering technician.

Road and Competition Engineering is Kacey’s first employment within the industry and is a company which specialise in performance and classic car servicing, motorsport preparation, engine performance modifications and rebuilds including race support services.

Sarah Jane Adams-Diffey said, “I am delighted that Kacey is our winner for 2025. When asked to explain to the judges why she should be selected as the winner over the other finalists, her response was pure motoring passion as she exclaimed, ‘this is my dream, motorsport is my life!’ That is exactly what we were looking for in a winner, somebody who is passionate, inspirational and will be an ambassador and continue the spirit of Simon’s award.”

The Award was established by Sarah Jane Adams-Diffey in memory of her late husband and well-known historic racing driver, Simon Diffey, who was killed aged 57 in a road accident in May 2022.  The aim is to continue in perpetuity Simon’s ethos of recognising and encouraging the next generation of young heritage apprentice engineers through opportunity.

As the recipient of The Simon Diffey Heritage Motorsport Apprentice Award 2025, Kacey Burgess will receive the following:

• One month working with IN Racing during the race season in the summer of 2026
• Attendance at one international race with IN Racing
• £3,000 to help with subsistence and travel
• Motorsport UK will supply a free race licence pack which is required to apply for the ARDS test in order to gain a motor racing competition licence
• Private race tuition ahead of the ARDS test with Andy Dee-Crowne
• ARDS test supported by Silverstone to gain a racing licence
• Alpinestars will gift Kacey with a new race suit and full racing kit, including shoes and gloves
• Arai will supply a new helmet
• The HSCC will provide free entry into a suitable race series for a set number of races subject to a race car being available