SPEED READ J U L Y
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Welcome back, Motorsport From Supercars to khanacrosses, Australian motorsport is bouncing back at all levels. With national and club-level racing starting back up, July's Speed Read shares the stories of a few categories that have successfully Returned to Race.
CLUB GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR NSW AND TAS
BURSON EXPANDS INTEREST IN MOTORSPORT
OUR BUCKLEY’S A RISING STAR
Motorsport Australia has received funding from NSW and Tasmanian State Governments with grants now available for affiliated sporting clubs.
Burson Auto Parts has announced an extension of its partnership with Motorsport Australia.
Australian Alice Buckley will represent Australia as part of the new FIA Rising Star program, which could see the youngster join Scuderia Ferrari in 2021.
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CONTENTS 4
NSW clubs eligible for funding boost
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Tasmanian club grant: $3k to play
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Busy weekend for Central Coast
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Boisdale enjoys grand return
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Burson expands interest in motorsport
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Industrial manslaughter laws could affect clubs
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ANCAP helping the rescuers
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ARC4 open for eligible crews
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A welcome return for Supercars
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New Club Merch Program launched
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Our Buckley’s a Rising Star
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SXS begins 2020 campaign in Traralgon
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Motorsport driven with purpose
28 Q&A: The Formula Ford Association 30
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Former director receives top honour
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Marking a significant milestone in this season of Australian motorsport, Supercars is back for its third event this year. Photo: EDGE Photographics
275 Canterbury Road, Canterbury VIC 3126 PO Box 172, Canterbury LPO Vic 3126 Member Hotline 1800 883 959 (9am - 5pm AEST) Telephone 1300 883 959 or +61 3 9593 7777 Website motorsport.org.au E-mail info@motorsport.org.au
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“We are passionate about seeing grassroots motorsport thrive around Australia.” - Eugene Arocca, Motorsport Australia CEO
Photo: Renault Car Club of Australia
NSW CLUBS ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING BOOST Motorsport Australia has received funding from the NSW Office of Sport, with grants of up to $1000 now available for affiliated sporting clubs. All Motorsport Australia sporting clubs will be eligible for a share of the Grassroots Sports Fund – designed to support grassroots clubs through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Clubs can apply for the grants this week, which can be used to cover fixed costs incurred between March and June 2020, such as IT support, electricity bills and banking fees. Motorsport Australia CEO Eugene Arocca thanked the NSW Government for its support and encouraged clubs to apply, noting only those with Motorsport Australia sporting affiliation are eligible. “We are sincerely grateful to the
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NSW Office of Sport and the NSW Government for their ongoing support of motorsport and are pleased our affiliated clubs can receive a funding boost during what is a very difficult time,” Arocca said. “As Motorsport Australia is the only government recognised sanctioning body in all states around the country, this funding opportunity - and many others like it - are only available to our affiliated clubs. These opportunities further emphasise the benefits of affiliation with Motorsport Australia. “We are passionate about seeing grassroots motorsport thrive around Australia and although there have been some difficult times in 2020 for motorsport, grassroots is certainly leading the way in our COVID-19 recovery, with events taking place safely around the country every week.
MOTORSPORT AUSTRALIA SPEED READ
Photo: Wollongong Sporting Car Club
Photo: Smiley Kez Photography
“I encourage all NSW sporting clubs to apply and reach out to us if they have any questions about how these grants can be used to help their club and loyal members.” Motorsport Australia is working with all other state governments to maximise other grant opportunities for clubs in other states around the country. Eligible Motorsport Australia affiliated clubs will receive an email with details on how to apply in the coming days.
Those interested in finding out more about Motorsport Australia affiliation or the Grassroots Sports Fund should email development@motorsport.org.au
TASMANIAN CLUB GRANT: $3K TO PLAY Motorsport Australia affiliated clubs in Tasmania can now apply for up to $3000 through the government’s ‘COVID-19 Sport and Recreation Grants Program Tranche 2’.
• hygiene supplies such as hand sanitiser, soap, and disinfectant
Funding is available to ensure clubs can provide a safe ‘return to play’ under the club’s COVID-19 Safety Plan as well as Motorsport Australia’s Return To Race strategy. Funding will be allocated on a first-come,-first-served basis.
• additional protective equipment for players to avoid the need to share equipment
Eligible projects include the purchase of equipment or supplies necessary to ensure a safe return of motorsport in Australia’s southernmost state.
• additional game day equipment to meet hygiene requirements
Examples of such equipment can include, but is not limited to:
Motorsport Australia staff are also on hand to assist clubs in applying for these grants.
• additional equipment to comply with safety measures such as thermometers and face masks
Applications and more information for Tasmanian clubs can be found here, with applications closing on 31 August 2020.
• additional equipment for training to meet hygiene requirements e.g. balls, training bibs, cones
• printing of additional signage regarding COVID-19 safety.
Photo: Angryman Photography
MOTORSPORT.ORG.AU 5
BUSY WEEKEND FOR CENTRAL COAST The Central Coast Car Club restarted its 2020 calendar during a busy weekend in June, with the club one of the first in Queensland to return to action. Hosting a khanacross on Saturday 21 June and a motorkhana the following day, the club enjoyed a no fuss return to motorsport with 26 drivers competing across the two events. Starting off with the four-test khanacross, Jacob Martin steered his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo to a 36 second victory over Jason Chandler in the Mazda MX5, while junior driver Kobi Martin finished in third place.
With Jacob comfortably winning all four tests, the battle between Kobi and Chandler was much closer as Chandler was seven seconds faster on the first test before Kobi took out the second test. Only one and a half seconds separated the duo in the third and fourth tests, but the damage had already been done and Chandler placed second. Strong performances from Scott James and Ryan Woods saw the duo round out the top five. Twelve drivers returned the following day for the motorkhana, with two new faces also competing and it was
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Photo: Jake Martin
“People were ecstatic just to be able to compete again.� - Stephen Ebenestelli, Central Coast Car Club
Jacob Martin who once again took out top honours over Chandler.
in a row to Jacob in between was enough for him to secure the victory.
However this time, there was more in it as only two seconds separated the top two, while Mark Boyd finished in third place - just eight seconds slower than the winner.
Rounding out the top five was Kobi and Kristopher Chant, who won the event’s third test.
Boyd had the better start to the 12-test event, winning three of the first four tests, before Martin was fastest over the next three tests the defining one being the seventh, where he was more than two and half seconds faster than everyone else. Despite Chandler fighting back with test wins in the eighth and again in the last, another three test wins
Following on from the club’s return to motorsport, spokesman Stephen Ebenestelli was pleased how the event went.
“We adhered to the COVID-19 plan from Motorsport Australia, which included barriers to help with social distancing, doing our drivers’ briefing over the PA system and having full electronic timing to avoid people on the start line.”
“It was really good to be running events again and we had no hiccups which was nice,” Ebenestelli said. “It was great because a lot of the people who took part were ecstatic just to be able to compete again and they were really keen to get back out there and do their part.
Click here to view full results and media from the day.
Photos: Jake Martin
MOTORSPORT.ORG.AU 7
“We had a really good event and it was really good to be back racing again” - Keegan Wain, Maffra and District Car Club
BOISDALE ENJOYS GRAND RETURN The Maffra and District Car Club has restarted its 2020 campaign on a high as more than 70 drivers took part in the club’s Boisdale hill climb last month. With each driver allowed up to 10 available runs at the hill climb, event winner Kerrin Pridmore needed just one as he picked up the winning time of 42.23 seconds on his first attempt. After a few more runs on the course, Pridmore was unable to top his time but didn’t need to worry as the event’s runner-up Anthony Kovco also posted his best time of 43.14 seconds on the opening run but couldn’t better it as the day went on.
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A 44.97 second run on his second attempt sealed the podium’s final spot for Matt Healy, while Patrick Malanaphy finished in fourth place, just three tenths slower than Healy after recording his best time on the second run. The battle for fifth went right down to the wire as Mitch Jones pipped Ken Jorgensen on his final run to secure a top five position by four hundredths of a second with a time of 47.39. Earlier in the day, Darren VanErken occupied fifth place with his best time of 47.68 seconds but fell to seventh when he couldn’t match Jones and Jorgensen’s times.
The event’s best junior was Lauchlan Miller in 11th place with a final time of 49.13, just one tenth short of a top 10 finish, while Emily Jorgensen placed 16th outright after notching up a 50.32 to claim the fastest time out of the women. Following the Victorian club’s successful event, club spokesman Keegan Wain was really happy with how the hill climb went. “We had a really good event and it was really good to be back racing again,” Wain said. “We did everything we needed to do to stay within Motorsport Australia’s Return To Racing guidelines and comply with all social distancing requirements. “With around seventy entrants - including both junior and senior - the event ran smoothly with all competitors enjoying being back in action. “The absence of spectators, whilst having an impact on families of competitors, has not deterred the club from running its next hill climb scheduled for July.”
Click here to view the full results.
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BURSON EXPANDS INTEREST IN MOTORSPORT Having already been a big a supporter of Motorsport Australia in recent years, Burson will also continue to focus heavily on grassroots motorsport.
“We are thrilled to be continuing our support of motorsport”
Burson Auto Parts’ Anthony Hughes was excited about re-signing with Motorsport Australia.
- Anthony Hughes, Burson Auto Parts
Burson Auto Parts has announced an extension of its partnership with Motorsport Australia. Burson, Australia’s trade specialist supplier of automotive aftermarket parts, accessories and workshop equipment, will also extend its partnership and feature as part of the growing Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships, as its official automotive retail partner.
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“We’ve had a strong and successful partnership with Motorsport Australia since 2015 and we are thrilled to be continuing our support of motorsport, including being part of the popular Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships,” Hughes said. “The growing stature of the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships presents some really great opportunities for our brand and we look forward to the first event getting underway in Sydney in August. “Burson Auto Parts is a proud supporter of Australian motorsport, from grassroots through to the national
level, and we look forward to our next chapter with Motorsport Australia.” Motorsport Australia CEO Eugene Arocca thanked Burson Auto Parts’ desire for its ongoing support. “We are really thrilled Burson Auto Parts decided to renew their partnership with Motorsport Australia and continue to show their support for grassroots motorsport and beyond,” Arocca said. “It’s fantastic to have Burson Auto Parts extend its support to the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships as the official automotive retail partner of the newly re-branded event.
“We look forward to what this revamped partnership will continue to achieve in the years to come.” The opening round of the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships takes place at Sydney Motorsport Park on 14-16 August, 2020.
Click here to visit burson.com.au
Photo: Ferrari Media
Photo: Revved Photography
MOTORSPORT.ORG.AU 11
INDUSTRIAL MANSLAUGHTER LAWS COULD AFFECT CLUBS Victoria has introduced new industrial manslaughter laws as part of its commitment to make safety a priority, not only in the workplace, but all public places. The new penalties, introduced into the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004, reflect similar changes to the laws in Queensland and the ACT introducing significant penalties, including jail and multi-million dollar fines, for those found guilty of breaching these new provisions. It is important to note that these laws apply to ALL organisations, including unincorporated bodies and unincorporated associations, which many Motorsport Australia affiliated clubs would be categorised as. Motorsport Australia CEO Eugene Arocca said it was important that clubs and committee members were aware of their responsibilities under the Act within their state. “As with any law, regulation or requirement change, we are keen to make sure that our clubs are fully aware of their responsibilities and the ramifications of any breach,” Arocca said.
“We felt it important to ensure that our clubs are aware of these new laws. “We are here to offer our support and advice.” - Eugene Arocca, Motorsport Australia CEO “While there are many things to consider, it is important to understand the serious consequences that could apply if a club, event promoter or venue operator was found to be at fault in an accident and those on the Board or Committee of any such body could face individual prosecution were the worst to happen. Directors and Committee members are
expected, indeed, required by law, to fully understand their obligations with respect to health and safety. “We felt it important to ensure that our clubs are aware of these new laws and to reassure our members that we are here to offer our support and advice. We adapt best practice standards for a reason and the consequences if someone should cut corners or compromise safety for expediency or commercial reasons are now very significant.” These duties and responsibilities apply across the country and while not all states have introduced this new crime, a number of states have increased the penalties to reflect the seriousness with which such incidents are treated. Given the recent changes, Motorsport Australia will host a free online Q&A for its affiliated clubs in the coming weeks on these laws. If your club is interested in joining this free session, please email communications@motorsport.org.au and provide your club’s name, location and the name of members interested in attending this session.
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ANCAP HELPING THE RESCUERS
Photo: ANCAP
The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has introduced a new smart phone app, ANCAP Rescue, which aims to improve post-crash responses, which could also have benefits for Motorsport Australia incident response officials. The app provides access to vehicle safety information and highlights the location of potential in-vehicle hazards in the form of ‘rescue sheets’ – which could assist those involved in incident response at motorsport events. With many motorsport events tailored to suit production cars, the app will be particularly useful to incident response officials working with these vehicles. The vehicle manufacturer supported rescue sheets provide information including the location of fuel tanks, high voltage batteries, airbag inflators, seatbelt pre-tensioner inflators, gas struts and high-strength steel – all of which are identified on the app through colour-coded drawings. The app could also be of benefit to Motorsport Australia members in
their daily lives as well, according to ANCAP Director – Communications & Advocacy Rhianne Robson. “With the support of vehicle manufacturers, the ANCAP Rescue app compiles the rescue sheets of over 500 vehicle makes and models in the one place,” Robson said.
Click here for more information.
“This is part of our broadening safety focus to minimise post-crash risks for vehicle occupants and our front-line rescue workers. “Those who’ll benefit most from the ANCAP Rescue app is the everyday Australian. No one wants to be involved in a crash, but if you are, the information contained within the app is provided with the key purpose to allow first responders to safely and efficiently extract you from the crashed vehicle. “Providing our Fire and Rescue, Police and Ambulance officers – and in many cases SES volunteers – with the tools to identify known hazards will improve response time and help reduce some of the risks they face on the job each day.”
The ANCAP Rescue app is free and available for iOS and Android.
Click here for the iOS app.
Click here for the Android app.
MOTORSPORT.ORG.AU 13
ARC4 OPEN FOR ELIGIBLE CREWS
Photo: Roy Meuronen
Rally crews looking to enter the 2020 ARC4 competition can now begin to formulate their schedules with the nominated ARC4 events for each state confirmed. The RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship’s (ARC) fourth tier is open to any competitor who doesn’t receive manufacturer support or does not drive R5 or AP4 class vehicles. To qualify for the title, crews must nominate and enter one round in their local state championship, plus two ARC rounds, one of which must be their home event as well as an interstate event.
“This is a great opportunity to score some points in the national competition” - Nigel Bland, Rally of the Bay Event Director
For Victorian, West Australian and Queensland crews to be eligible for the ARC4 title, they must enter at least two of their nominated state championship rounds plus an interstate ARC event of their choice.
With the first ARC event to be the Netier National Capital Rally on 26-27 September, the first eligible ARC4 will be next month’s MTA Motorsport Australia NSW Rally Championship’s season opener in Batemans Bay – the AMH Automotive Rally of the Bay.
On top of having the honour of being the inaugural ARC4 winner, the driver with the most points at the conclusion of the 2020 season will receive free ARC entry into each ARC round next year.
Rally of the Bay Event Director Nigel Bland was proud the Rally NSW event would be the first 2020 ARC4 event available.
Each state has two available events for potential crews to enter, with Tasmania and South Australia the only exceptions – South Australia’s sole authorised event being the SEAC Forest Rally in August and Tasmania’s Mountain Stages in October.
“This is a great opportunity for anyone who is entered in our Rally to score some points in the national competition in,” Bland said. “The Australian Rally Championship ARC4 category is a great initiative and we’re really fortunate to be one
of the State Rounds nominated for points towards the award. “There are plenty of teams entered in our event that will likely do a few ARC rounds, like the Netier National Capital Rally and the possible NSW ARC round, so there is no doubt they should consider this opportunity, as they could easily find themselves winning ARC4.” Scoring for the ARC4 will be awarded as per the ARC’s Technical and Sporting Regulations with only the first ten places to score points. Crews must also note that all ARC4 competitors will be required to run Hoosier Tyres during their nominated ARC4 national events. Hoosier tyres are a recommendation for competitors at their chosen state events.
ARC4 ELIGIBLE STATE EVENTS NSW: 4 July – Rally of the Bay NSW: 31 October – Monaro Stages VIC: 20 September – Valley Stages VIC: 18 October – Akademos Rally TAS: 3 October – Mountain Stages QLD: 19 September – Imbil QLD: 31 October – Manumbar SA: 15-16 August – SEAC Forest Rally WA: 13 September – Forest Rally WA: 7 November – Safari Rally
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MOTORSPORT AUSTRALIA SPEED READ
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Photo: EDGE Photographics
A WELCOME RETURN FOR SUPERCARS After a four month break, the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship finally returned in June as competitors and fans alike witnessed some thrilling contests over the course of the weekend. The BPUltimate Sydney Supersprint saw the 24-car field complete three races at Sydney Motorsport Park, with each race providing plenty of entertaining battles across the field. The first came in the familiar form of Scott McLaughlin against Shane van Gisbergen, with the
long-time rivals spending the last five laps of the opening race seperated by just centimetres. Having trailed McLaughlin for the whole race, van Gisbergen came charging home in the final stages and was right on his tail but couldn’t pass the reigning champion. It was another memorable performance in the round’s second race as Brad Jones Racing’s Nick Percat secured an unlikely victory after fighting off Jamie Whincup over the 32 laps.
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Outside of Percat securing his first win since 2016 in what was his 200th race, the battle for third between McLaughlin, Cameron Waters, Chaz Mostert and David Reynolds was just as intense as all four cars went toeto-toe for much of the final stint. While McLaughlin couldn’t seal the deal in the second race, he got back to business in the third with smart strategy securing him the win over a rampaging Lee Holdsworth, who made up 10 positions in the final 12 laps.
Photos: EDGE Photographics
“We can do as much cartoon racing as we want but there is nothing like going out there and revving the engine.” - Scott McLaughlin Sharing the feelings of every driver, McLaughlin was just happy to be racing again. “There have been some tough times for everyone in the sport. We can do as much cartoon racing as we want but there is nothing like going out there for the first time and revving the engine at the start,” McLaughlin said. “I haven’t minded the formats. It’s been pretty cool. Takes you back to the development series days when everyone used to run different tyres. “There was some really good racing this weekend.” MOTORSPORT.ORG.AU 17
SUPPORT CATEGORIES TO JOIN SUPERCARS AT WINTON The Virgin Australia Supercars Championship resumes later this month with the Truck Assist Winton on 18-19 July.
SATURDAY 18 JULY
SUNDAY 19 JULY
While it will be a televised-only event with no crowds in attendance, the main game will not be on its own this time around.
10:05-10:35am: Supercars Practice 1
9:30-9:40am: Supercars ARMOR ALL Qualifying (Race 11)
Joining Supercars on the bill will be a combined field of the Dunlop Super2 and Super3 Series, the Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup and the Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia 86 Series. The format will stay the same once again with three 33-lap races. The Porsche Carrera Cup and Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia 86 Series will also have three races, while the joint Super2 and Super3 category will have just two-30 minute races.
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MOTORSPORT AUSTRALIA SPEED READ
11:35am-12:05pm: Supercars Practice 2 1:10-1:20pm: Supercars ARMOR ALL Qualifying (Race 10) 1:30-2pm: Supercars ARMOR ALL Top 10 Shootout
9:50-10am: Supercars ARMOR ALL Qualifying (Race 12) 11:55am-12:55pm: Supercars Race 12 2:50-3:50pm: Supercars Race 12
3:45-4:45pm: Supercars Race 10
Photos: Porsche Carrera Cup
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NEW CLUB MERCH PROGRAM LAUNCHED
Motorsport Australia is proud to announce a new collaboration with S-Trend Sportswear that will see affiliated car clubs able to order merchandise and set up their own online stores. The Club Merch Program has been introduced with Motorsport Australia’s Official Apparel Partner to offer highquality merchandise and online store solutions to sporting and enthusiast clubs around the country. If you are a Motorsport Australia affiliated car club and are looking at new merchandise or uniform for your club, learn more about the Club Merch Program here:
motorsportaustraliaestore. s-trend.com.au/pages/clubs
HOW IT WORKS Design S-Trend Sportswear will work with you on uncovering the ‘heartbeat of your club’ and leverage your club’s understanding to build a completely custom apparel range. Order Your club’s merchandise will be made available for order online and delivered to your club or individual members in four weeks. Clubs can also choose to place bulk wholesale merchandise orders for delivery to the club or events.
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The Marque Sports Car Association have worked with S-Trend Sportswear on creating a custom merchandise range for their members. MSCA members are able to purchase their new merchandise range online.
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OUR BUCKLEY’S A RISING STAR “This opportunity makes me feel like I am on the right track for racing” - Alice Buckley
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a lifetime opportunity and I want to take it. Getting this opportunity makes me feel like I am on the right track for racing,” Buckley said. "When I found out that I had been selected, my first thought was that I need to go to the gym and I need to work really hard in my preparation for this. I have also started learning some sentences in French too!"
Australian Alice Buckley will represent Australia as part of the new FIA Girls On Track Rising Star program, which could see the youngster join Scuderia Ferrari’s Formula 4 program in Europe in 2021. Buckley will join a select group of 12-16-year-old females from across the globe, with a potential seat in the 2020 FIA Formula 4 season with the Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) on offer for the winning driver. The program will begin with a ‘shootout’ event and determine 12 drivers to be selected to undergo two training camps in October and November. As a result of the training camps, just four drivers will then be selected to attend a one-week course at the FDA also in November. Following November’s oneweek course, a winning driver will then be selected. One of just 20 selected worldwide, Buckley was understandably excited to be part of the exciting FIA Women’s Commission initiative. "I am very excited to be selected into this program because it's a once in
"I am very grateful for the assistance I have received, especially from my mum and dad, who have given me the chance to compete and made sure everything happens the way it's supposed too. “I would also like to thank my sponsors and supporters for their financial, emotional and physical support." Buckley, along with the 19 other drivers worldwide, will begin her quest for the prestigious prize at the ‘shootout’ at Circuit Paul Ricard in France in October.
“On behalf of everyone at Motorsport Australia, we congratulate Alice and her family, and wish her all the very best.” - Eugene Arocca, Motorsport Australia CEO
“[Being part of this program] makes it a very real possibility of seeing someone like Alice in Formula 1 or another top tier championship in five to 10 years’ time” - Jessica Dane, Australian Women in Motorsport Commission Chair
“Alice is a great ambassador... and she continues to develop into a top level driver ” - Kelvin O’Reilly, Karting Australia CEO
“FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars is another immense step forward at the grassroots level of the sport... to develop and support young women drivers” - Michèle Mouton, FIA Women in Motorsport Commission President
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Photo: Dirtcomp Magazine
SXS BEGINS 2020 CAMPAIGN IN TRARALGON After a long wait, the DEWALT SXS Motorsport Australia Championship gets underway later this month with the first of three scheduled rounds to take place at Traralgon Motorcycle Club on 25 July. Despite no crowds being able to attend the season opener later this month, there is a lot of interest building, with a number of stars confirmed to return in 2020. Headlining the list of competitors already confirmed for the season’s first round is reigning champion Jackson Evans, who will no doubt face a lot of pressure from 2018 champion and father, Simon. Evans won last year's title after a dramatic climax in the final round, which saw him pip leader James Shipp in the final laps of the Grand Final. Now the Victorian is embracing the new role of being the one to beat.
“I am looking forward to being the hunted rather than the hunter because for me, I perform better when I am under pressure, which is a hard thing for most people to do,” Jackson said. “I find that when there is no pressure, I tend to stuff it up. I will enjoy that pressure of everyone trying to take me down because it will just keep pushing me to do better.” One driver who will be hoping to hunt down Evans this year is Stephen Henry, with the Queenslander often towards the top end of the field at each event. A proven round winner himself, and third in outright 2018 Championship, Henry is ready to have another crack at the elusive title but is aware how important it is to get off to a good start. “It’s been a bit of a wait between races, but I am really looking forward to it,” Henry said. “We have been prepping the car quite well. We tried to get too smart with
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our buggy last year and it didn’t pay off. We got off to good starts but never got on top of it, so we are hoping to be better than last year in that regard. “I am feeling confident about my chances this year but you never know until you are lining up. With only three rounds, every race counts. The new change of track should make it interesting for everyone as no one has been there.” The three round DEWALT SXS Motorsport Australia Championship season begins at Traralgon Motorcycle Club on 25 July.
Interested competitors can get more information on the championship at sxs-racing.com.
MOTORSPORT DRIVEN WITH PURPOSE Motorsport Australia members are encouraged to get behind the FIA’s #PurposeDriven movement which aims to create a positive impact on the world using its worldwide platform of motorsport.
“Being in the public forum and having access to a platform where we can educate others, the FIA, along with Motorsport Australia and other ASNs, can make a difference in the world that we live in,” Arocca said.
With a strong reach to motorsport fans around the globe and a large amount of resources, the FIA has established a range of goals it wishes to meet within the future, which it hopes will have a long term effect on the world.
“Creating an initiative like this allows us to do our part in reaching levels of harmony on significant world issues, as well as advocating economic, social and environmental benefits to our society.
Some of the goals range from contributing to climate action and using technological innovation to assist industries such as healthcare, to more culture-sensitive issues such as eradicating systemic racism and inspiring positive behaviours around the world. Motorsport Australia CEO Eugene Arocca was highly supportive of the new movement created last month.
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“I strongly encourage our members to get behind this fantastic initiative in one way or another and help spread awareness. It is about doing the right thing to make our world more sustainable and co-operative. Actions can range from developing innovative environmental change policies or technology to simply standing up to racism.”
MOTORSPORT AUSTRALIA SPEED READ
“It's about doing the right thing to make our world more sustainable and cooperative” - Eugene Arocca, Motorsport Australia CEO
Q&A The Formula Ford association (FFA) has been racing for many years, with various competitions running in different competitions around the country.
Speed Read caught up with club administrator, Phil Marrinon, to get an insight into the association.
Speed Read: Tell us about the Formula Ford Association’s origins?
Phil Marrinon: Formula Ford originally started as a training category at Brands Hatch in the United Kingdom. When one of their staff returned to Australia in the late 1960s and were working at Sandown, they decided to introduce it to the country. In 1969, we set up our own strict rules with Ford Australia and since then, we have changed them very little, meaning that ethos has been maintained for more than 50 years. SR: How is the Association tracking with members? PM: We have around 179 members and it’s always stayed around that number. It can be transient category because people come in for a few years to learn the craft and then move into a different category.
Photo: James Lambert
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Realistically, Formula Ford is for the career and hobby racer alike. We have such a variety of people part of the
MOTORSPORT AUSTRALIA SPEED READ
Photo: Formula Ford Association
The Formula Ford Association club, which ranges from 14-yearolds starting out their racing careers to 78-year-old seasoned drivers just having fun. The diversity of our people is what makes us special and it’s not compulsory to join either. SR: What makes the category popular? PM: We have always had good fields and it’s been affordable because it’s a great category to learn the ropes in motorsport, such as how to set up a car, how to race properly and set yourself up for a career for motorsport. SR: What is the club’s biggest focus? PM: The club’s biggest focus is getting drivers on the track, whether it’s through historic, state or national racing. We want to get back to the days where everyone gets their cars out of the shed and just races. That being said, we have found our spot in the sport. It’s as a development category for the younger driver and for the enthusiast and I think people
“We want to get back to the days where everyone gets their cars out of the shed and just races.” - Phil Marrinon, Formula Ford Association
Photo: Formula Ford Association
Photo: Phil Wisewould
realise that it’s one of the places where you can enhance your skills as a driver. SR: What makes the club unique? PM: Our club is very unique because we represent Australia and we also represent all Formula Ford cars, Historic, State and our National competition. Being a nation-wide association means we have a committee that represents every state. There are two people from each state on the committee, which means every state in the country gets a say in important matters. Each state will have its own meeting and then the representatives come to a national meeting with feedback. Not only is having the committee great for involving every state, but it also means we have people with all kinds of experience and decisions are made rationally with exceptional knowledge. SR: You mentioned before that there aren’t many changes made to the regulations. Have you made any recently? PM: We recently changed to Yokohama tyres and these tyres are really good. They have durability, great wear and very little drop off, if any. They are great in the wet and I think they are the perfect tyres. They might be a bit heavy, but they are making it affordable for our members to race.
Photo: Priceless Images
Anyone can race on them and they have great grip. Therefore people are more comfortable racing and as a result, we're having less prangs. You can get a few years out of them too. So it’s been a change for the better. We have also implanted electronic start up for the cars, which we hope will help. The FFA also undertook a comprehensive tyre test for Historic cars and in an effort to reduce costs have been using the Hard Avon tyre which has a great wear rate. SR: What are some of the big events the club has run in the past? PM: We have really concentrated on cost conservation as of late and instead of doing all Supercars rounds in our National Competition, we got off the big cards to make it more accessible to people and reduce the expensive travel and accommodation. So now we have just one Supercars round and more local competitions, which sees us getting around 22 to 25 cars on the grid each round. We also have a healthy state level competition with every state having their own series. and by in large, they are very successful which provides great development and competition for drivers.
Photo: Priceless Images
The Historic competition continues to have strong fields and particularly in Victoria where over subscription is a regular issue at events. As for particular events, we are lucky enough to get to Bathurst occasionally where we always get around 50 competitors. The last time we were there was the 2019 Bathurst 12 Hour and our competitors just loved it. That’s one of the events that acts purely as a way to give something back to our members. SR: What are the benefits in affiliating with Motorsport Australia? PM: It’s good to be a part of Motorsport Australia as it’s a controlling body that allows us to operate under a set of technical rules, which stabilises our involvement in the sport as a category as a whole, as well as competition rules for the competitor.
Want to get the spotlight on your club? Contact communications@motorsport. org.au to find out how you can get your local car club profiled on motorsport.org.au.
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FORMER DIRECTOR RECEIVES TOP HONOUR Former Motorsport Australia Director Ian Gillespie was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) last month for services to motoring associations, to the cooperatives and mutual sector and to motor sport. Having held CEO and senior executive roles in the corporate sector for more than 35 years, it was his time in the RACQ where Gillespie’s leadership qualities really stood out. Gillespie became involved with the RACQ in 2006 when he was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer where was able to make a positive impact for its 1.7 million members during his 12-year tenure. While the 65-year-old worked tirelessly behind the scenes to create a number of policies and strategies for the betterment of the RACQ and its members, he also played a major hand in the Queensland Government actively enhancing its support of injured victims of car accidents. Another major milestone of Gillespie’s impact on the RACQ was establishing a dedicated community education system within the organisation and developing the RACQ Foundation, two initiatives which will keep the company and state's automotive community sustainable in the years to come.
sector across Australia, as well significantly improving the 100-yearold club’s core membership base. Gillespie has also spent time on several boards in a volunteer capacity, including seven years on the Motorsport Australia board. Motorsport Australia President Andrew Papadopoulos was proud of Gillespie receiving one of the country’s highest honours. “Ian is a very deserving recipient of a Member of the Order of Australia and the inevitable legacy he will leave on the RACQ comes as no surprise,” Papadopoulos said. “I am proud to have worked alongside Ian during his terms on the Motorsport Australia board and there is no doubt he contributed heavily to the sport in Australia. “On behalf of the whole Motorsport Australia community, congratulations to Ian Gillespie on being awarded with the prestigious award.” Gillespie became the second Motorsport Australia affiliated individual to be presented with an award of this calibre in 2020, with Australian Motorsport Hall of Famer John Harvey receiving The Order of Medal Australia (OAM) award on Australia Day.
His efforts in those programs enabled the RACQ to become a leader in the mutual, community-owned
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“Ian is a very deserving recipient of an OAM and the inevitable legacy he will leave comes as no surprise” - Andrew Papadopoulos, Motorsport Australia President
CONTACT US The Motorsport Australia member hotline is open from 9am to 5pm AEST So for all your motorsport needs call the Motorsport Australia Hotline or visit the website at motorsport.org.au Email memberservices@motorsport.org.au
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