“It’s a magical feeling to be honest. It’s something I have been working towards since I started my career.”
AUSTRALIA’S FIRST FEMALE DEPUTY There was much to look forward to for the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship’s season opener at the Superloop Adelaide 500, but for one particular individual it was a significant milestone for the sport. After more than a decade of being a Clerk of Course in New South Wales, Jessica Nicholson was appointed as the Deputy Race Director for the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup – the first woman to do so for an Australian category. The selection was a well-deserved one too, with Nicholson highly regarded amongst the New South Wales community due to her work at Sydney Motorsport Park and Wakefield
Park, including the World Time Attack Challenge and the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships. Though already highly accomplished and experienced in her field, a thrilled Nicholson was still surprised to be given the opportunity for the position. She will work under the guidance of, another highly respected Motorsport Australia Race Director, David Mori. “It’s a little bit of a surprise to be appointed but fantastic to be accepted. It’s a magical feeling to be honest because it’s something I have been working towards since I started my career as a Clerk of Course,” Nicholson said.
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“Over the years, I have been working on building my skill set through exposure at a variety of different events with the goal of getting my knowledge up to a level that is accepted for this kind of role. “The plan is to stay in this role for a while and eventually move into more of a Race Director role, although it will depend on how I go in this year’s Porsche Carrera Cup. “I’ll be assessed at the end of the year on whether I am capable of doing a Race Director role, or whether I will require more training.” While the appointment is the beginning of something special
