The Australian Racing Drivers Club

For members and guests

Ian Hansen

POLE POSITION AT SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK – A NEW ERA OF RACING

TUESDAY MAY 5, 2020: The first of 132 light towers was installed on pole position today at Sydney Motorsport Park (SMSP), placing the Western Sydney venue in the spotlight as Australia’s first permanent motorsport facility with the ability to operate both day and night.

The light tower was craned in and installed in front of representatives from the NSW Government, Supercars, and the Australian Racing Drivers’ Club (ARDC), signalling a new era of motorsport in Australia.

NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said he was proud to see the NSW Government’s strategic multi-million-dollar investment at SMSP come to fruition, resulting in permanent circuit lighting and the establishment of Australia’s first and only motorsport Centre of Excellence.

“It’s a new era of racing and the 2020 Lighting Project at the Western Sydney Motorsport Precinct couldn’t have come at a better time,” he said.

“We know that COVID-19 is taking its toll on this State, and racing can be a real morale boost for those isolating at home, so it will be fantastic when motor racing gets back on track.”

The project will see SMSP lead the field to become the ‘Silverstone of the southern hemisphere’; not only opening up track access for motorsport, but also substantial opportunities to further grow local tourism, investment, employment, and the development of existing on-site programs targeting performance engineering, education and training.

“ARDC’s strategic direction will build on motorsport engineering excellence to develop a Western Sydney hub for technology innovation and education,” said ARDC President, Andrew Leithhead.

“This lighting project will enable Sydney Motorsport Park to become a 24/7 home for a broad spectrum of stakeholders in motorsport, driver training, tourism, entertainment and manufacturing in the heart of Australia’s fastest growing urban area.”

Supercars CEO Sean Seamer said the introduction of lights at SMSP offered significant opportunities for the future of motorsport in Australia.

“Seeing this project come to life is fantastic for Supercars and our fans across the state,” he said.

“To be able to race at night under permanent lights here at SMSP is something we’ve been working towards for a long time. We look forward to getting on track as soon as possible.”

SMSP delivers year-round events which attract 330,000 visitors annually, with over 35 major events and multiple grassroots racing and car club events, plus many school and community events from across Greater Sydney.

“Sydney Motorsport Park is one of the busiest tracks not just in Australia, but in the world,” said ARDC CEO Glenn Matthews.

“We enjoy an occupancy rate of around 96%, and that was one of the reasons the Government was happy to support us in providing funding for the permanent lighting project.

“Lighting allows us to fit even more events into our calendar; not only enabling motorsport fans and enthusiasts, competitors and manufacturers more access to our world-class facility, but also opening doors for substantial opportunities to further grow the Western Sydney night economy.”

The $33M package of Government initiatives for the broader Western Sydney motorsport precinct saw $16.4 million go towards creating Australia’s first motorsport circuit with permanent lighting.

The 2020 Lighting Project will see 132 light towers with 864 individual light fittings placed around the four circuits and training Skidpan at SMSP. Advances in technology have allowed a minimum 400LUX lighting for all circuit configurations, and 800LUX on the main Brabham Straight, with the ability to run the circuits independently to save power. The system itself has a green tick, utilising the latest LED Technology from world leaders in floodlighting systems, MUSCO Lighting.

The unfortunate circumstances surrounding COVID-19 from February this year saw the temporary shutting of the Eastern Creek track, however this allowed the lighting project to move ahead rapidly, while maintaining approximately 100 jobs on site. The installation of the lighting at SMSP will continue at racing pace during this enforced track shutdown, ready for racers to get back on track when current restrictions lift.

DETAILS: The SMSP Lighting Project

  • $16.4 million Government investment
  • 132 light towers, including 864 individual light fittings.
  • Lighting all four variations of the circuit, plus paddock and skid pan.
  • Power is 800LUX main Brabham Straight, with a minimum of 400LUX on the rest of the circuit. Temporary lights seen in the inaugural Sydney SuperNight in 2019 had temporary generator-powered lights capable of 150LUX.
  • Ability to light individual parts of the track and precinct, plus change the colour of the lighting on the main straight.
  • Over 100 jobs created and maintained through COVID-19, plus local manufacturing support.
  • Technology: Lighting the smaller Druitt North Circuit five years ago quoted at $17 million, now entire circuit and precinct for $16.4 million with fibre optic connection.
  • Projected 40% increase in access capacity.
  • The first official event to mark the return of racing at SMSP (after and subject to COVID-19 restrictions) is Supercars under lights, using a combination of the new light towers and generator light towers.

SYDNEY MASTERBLAST FT. MUSCLE CAR MASTERS™ POSTPONED TO 2021

OFFICIAL RELEASE 05/06/20: The Australian Racing Drivers’ Club (ARDC), operators of Sydney Motorsport Park, along with key stakeholders and category managers have agreed to postpone the 16th running of the annual Sydney MasterBlast Ft. Muscle Car Masters™ in the interest of public health and safety.

With restrictions due to COVID-19 still in place for large sporting venues, and the Fathers’ Day weekend date fast approaching, it has been deemed impossible to hold such a large-scale annual event which typically sees competitor entries of around 300 teams and over 8000 spectators.

Travel restrictions, lack of track time for competitors in the lead up to the event, and financial considerations for all involved are also a factor in the decision.

“The ARDC has made this decision in the best interest of the event, the competitors, and the fans who flock every year to this historic annual event,” said ARDC CEO Glenn Matthews.

“’Safety first’ is key to all our operations at SMSP, be it motorsport or the health and wellbeing of our officials, competitors, and spectators.”

Last year, the Muscle Car Masters™ had a makeover; rebranded as the Sydney MasterBlast ft. the Muscle Car Masters™, the event went back to its traditional home of the Father’s Day weekend, saw the return of Touring Car Masters, the debut of motorbikes and superkarts, and most importantly the addition of night racing under lights.

“It was a great step forward for this hallmark event, and it is nigh on impossible to hold it with current COVID-19 restrictions,” said Matthews.

“All parties involved in the organisation and promotion of the event are in agreement: we will postpone the 2020 event to come back bigger and better than ever in 2021, under the bright beams of our 134 permanent light towers and hopefully with no restrictions on competitor or crowd numbers.”

The ARDC is focussed on the competitor, and in its stead will hold a round of the NSW Motor Race Championships. Some categories from Sydney MasterBlast may be able to enter and race alongside the NSW MRC’s usual suspects, offering up some much-needed competition track time on one of the country’s top racing circuits.

“We would like to thank our competitors, our volunteers, event sponsors, and spectators for the ongoing support and understanding, and hope to see Sydney MasterBlast back in 2021 with a full racing schedule and packed grandstand under permanent lights,” finished Matthews.

SMSP TO HOST RETURN OF SUPERCARS IN JUNE

May 16, 2020: Supercars has announced its long-awaited return to racing on the weekend of June 27-28, 2020 at Sydney Motorsport Park, Eastern Creek (SMSP).

The Australian Racing Drivers’ Club (ARDC), operators of SMSP, has been working closely with Supercars and Motorsport Australia to identify possible dates and operational procedures for the former’s return to live racing within the continuing COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.

The Club is delighted to have reached an agreement with Supercars for Sydney Motorsport Park to be the chosen venue for the first live action event following the COVID-19 lockdown.

Recent assessments of the Western Sydney venue by Supercars concluded that the Sydney circuit will ensure a successful application of COVID-mandated procedures such as general security and access control, catering protocols, adherence to hygiene, the location of a team base at the Alpha Hotel next to the track, and current social distancing requirements.

While the June 2020 event is slated as a closed event from a spectator perspective, the ARDC believes the size and layout of SMSP can be utilised to accommodate some form of spectator allowance within current social distancing guidelines.

Feedback from the fans certainly indicates significant demand for live racing, and further approaches will be made to the relevant NSW Government authorities to investigate a limited ‘park and view’ in-car spectator format or similarly distanced spectating, so fans can be involved while ensuring their safety and health.

ARDC President Andrew Leithhead said: “The ARDC team has been focussing on establishing procedures and protocols that will facilitate a rapid return to motor-racing at Sydney Motorsport Park while complying with COVID protection requirements.

“’Safety first’ is key to all our operations at SMSP, and this applies as much to COVID protection as to motorsport safety.

We are very excited at the prospect of Supercar racing at SMSP only six weeks from today.”

With the expedited progression of the SMSP circuit lighting project during COVID-19 lockdown, both the ARDC and Supercars also continue discussions about the return of a Sydney Supercars SuperNight event later in 2020.

Following the launch in early May of the first of 132 light towers across all circuit configurations on the venue, a further 45 poles have since been erected in just 10 days. The lighting project, originally brought on four years ago after discussions about night racing between Supercars and the ARDC, has seen a $16.4 million investment in SMSP to upgrade to a facility that can run night and day; key to meeting the demands of all levels of motorsport from track days and grass-roots racing, though to the premier Australian motorsport category of Supercars.

ARDC/SMSP:                                                                                                   SUPERCARS:
Samantha Stevens                                                                                         Felicity Hamblin
M: 0411494414                                                                                              M: 0467 785 203
email:  Samantha.Stevens@ardc.com.au                                                       Email: fhamblin@supercars.com

 

MEDIA RELEASE: POLE POSITION AT SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK – A NEW ERA OF RACING

TUESDAY MAY 5, 2020: The first of 132 light towers was installed on pole position today at Sydney Motorsport Park (SMSP), placing the Western Sydney venue in the spotlight as Australia’s first permanent motorsport facility with the ability to operate both day and night.

The light tower was craned in and installed in front of representatives from the NSW Government, Supercars, and the Australian Racing Drivers’ Club (ARDC), signalling a new era of motorsport in Australia.

NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said he was proud to see the NSW Government’s strategic multi-million-dollar investment at SMSP come to fruition, resulting in permanent circuit lighting and the establishment of Australia’s first and only motorsport Centre of Excellence.

“It’s a new era of racing and the 2020 Lighting Project at the Western Sydney Motorsport Precinct couldn’t have come at a better time,” he said.

“We know that COVID-19 is taking its toll on this State, and racing can be a real morale boost for those isolating at home, so it will be fantastic when motor racing gets back on track.”

The project will see SMSP lead the field to become the ‘Silverstone of the southern hemisphere’; not only opening up track access for motorsport, but also substantial opportunities to further grow local tourism, investment, employment, and the development of existing on-site programs targeting performance engineering, education and training.

“ARDC’s strategic direction will build on motorsport engineering excellence to develop a Western Sydney hub for technology innovation and education,” said ARDC President, Andrew Leithhead.

“This lighting project will enable Sydney Motorsport Park to become a 24/7 home for a broad spectrum of stakeholders in motorsport, driver training, tourism, entertainment and manufacturing in the heart of Australia’s fastest growing urban area.”

Supercars CEO Sean Seamer said the introduction of lights at SMSP offered significant opportunities for the future of motorsport in Australia.

“Seeing this project come to life is fantastic for Supercars and our fans across the state,” he said.

“To be able to race at night under permanent lights here at SMSP is something we’ve been working towards for a long time. We look forward to getting on track as soon as possible.”

SMSP delivers year-round events which attract 330,000 visitors annually, with over 35 major events and multiple grassroots racing and car club events, plus many school and community events from across Greater Sydney.

“Sydney Motorsport Park is one of the busiest tracks not just in Australia, but in the world,” said ARDC CEO Glenn Matthews.

“We enjoy an occupancy rate of around 96%, and that was one of the reasons the Government was happy to support us in providing funding for the permanent lighting project.

“Lighting allows us to fit even more events into our calendar; not only enabling motorsport fans and enthusiasts, competitors and manufacturers more access to our world-class facility, but also opening doors for substantial opportunities to further grow the Western Sydney night economy.”

The $33M package of Government initiatives for the broader Western Sydney motorsport precinct saw $16.4 million go towards creating Australia’s first motorsport circuit with permanent lighting.

The 2020 Lighting Project will see 132 light towers with 864 individual light fittings placed around the four circuits and training Skidpan at SMSP. Advances in technology have allowed a minimum 400LUX lighting for all circuit configurations, and 800LUX on the main Brabham Straight, with the ability to run the circuits independently to save power. The system itself has a green tick, utilising the latest LED Technology from world leaders in floodlighting systems, MUSCO Lighting.

The unfortunate circumstances surrounding COVID-19 from February this year saw the temporary shutting of the Eastern Creek track, however this allowed the lighting project to move ahead rapidly, while maintaining approximately 100 jobs on site. The installation of the lighting at SMSP will continue at racing pace during this enforced track shutdown, ready for racers to get back on track when current restrictions lift.

DETAILS: The SMSP Lighting Project

  • $16.4 million Government investment
  • 132 light towers, including 864 individual light fittings.
  • Lighting all four variations of the circuit, plus paddock and skid pan.
  • Power is 800LUX main Brabham Straight, with a minimum of 400LUX on the rest of the circuit. Temporary lights seen in the inaugural Sydney SuperNight in 2019 had temporary generator-powered lights capable of 150LUX.
  • Ability to light individual parts of the track and precinct, plus change the colour of the lighting on the main straight.
  • Over 100 jobs created and maintained through COVID-19, plus local manufacturing support.
  • Technology: Lighting the smaller Druitt North Circuit five years ago quoted at $17 million, now entire circuit and precinct for $16.4 million with fibre optic connection.
  • Projected 40% increase in access capacity.
  • The first official event to mark the return of racing at SMSP (after and subject to COVID-19 restrictions) is hoped to be Supercars under lights, using a combination of the new light towers and generator light towers.

ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN RACING DRIVERS’ CLUB (ARDC)

The Australian Racing Drivers’ Club, known as the ARDC, has promoted motorsport in NSW for over 68 years. Commencing in 1952 at Parramatta Park, the ARDC has conducted events for cars and motorcycles at Mount Panorama Bathurst, Mt Druitt, Castlereagh, Catalina Park Katoomba, Amaroo Park and at its current home, Sydney Motorsport Park in the booming suburbs of Western Sydney.

The goal of the ARDC is to create a world-class motorsport park in the heart of Australia’s global city – Sydney. As official operators and custodians of Sydney Motorsport Park for over 20 years, the ARDC continually looks to build and enhance the venue’s reputation as Australia’s true Home of Motorsport.

Over recent years the ARDC has continued to build on its long-standing vision and business plan for Sydney Motorsport Park. This new master plan and vision describes the development of a highly engaging motorsport precinct and destination, with a range of world-class events, driving/riding experiences (concepts and categories), excellence in driver education and training, public “motortainment”, motorsport/auto support services and business park.

ardc.com.au

ABOUT SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK

Sydney Motorsport Park (SMSP, originally known as Eastern Creek International Raceway) was officially opened in 1990 and is owned by the NSW Government. It has been operated by the Australian Racing Drivers’ Club (ARDC) since 1997.

It is Sydney’s only permanent racetrack, and one of just two permanent race circuits in Australia that holds a FIA/FIM Grade 2 International Licence. The purpose-built 92ha motorsport facility west of Sydney features four race circuit configurations to suit a number of motorsport activities; the Brabham Circuit, Gardner GP, Druitt (North) and Amaroo (South). SMSP is also Sydney’s main hub for driver safety, education and vehicle testing, featuring a floodable Skidpan, Skid Circuit, and 4WD training track.

The North Paddock boasts fifty garages lining pit lane, offering easy access for transporters and a secure base for cars, bikes, equipment and personnel. The support paddock has a bitumen surface, a dummy grid for fifty cars, multiple carports and a scrutineering building.

SydneyMotorsportPark.com.au

Media contacts:

ARDC/SMSP:                                                             SUPERCARS:
Samantha Stevens                                                           Felicity Hamblin
M: 0411494414                                                               M: 0467 785 203
email:  samantha.stevens@ardc.com.au                         Email: fhamblin@supercars.com

 

SPECTATOR ADVICE – COVID-19 VIRUS

UPDATED JUNE 2021:
We love motorsport here at the ARDC and Sydney Motorsport Park, and to ensure we can keep our sport at full speed in the midst of COVID-19, we are asking all visitors to the park, including staff, competitors and promoters, to follow the latest information and advice from NSW Health and the World Health Organization (WHO).

23/06/21: COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS FOR GREATER SYDNEY

The following restrictions are currently in place at Sydney Motorsport Park:

– Masks are compulsory in all indoor settings.

– The one person per four square metre rule in in play for all indoor and outdoor settings, including garages.

– The Grandstand is limited to 50% seated capacity.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updated information and advice in this page.

For more information, read the NSW Health official release: https://www.nsw.gov.au/…/new-covid-19-restrictions-for…

Be safe, stay well – ARDC Team, SMSP

VENUE

Our first priority, whether you are racing, riding or spectating at SMSP, is the safety and well-being of all persons on our venue.

Most daily experiences at SMSP have under 500 people in attendance, and we sit on 90-odd hectares, so low risk events and experiences are currently going ahead with all current NSW Health safety and hygiene practices in play.
Any events near to or over 500 attendees are currently restricted in numbers depending on the areas and gates in use. Please check the CALENDAR for all up to date information on individual event restrictions.

We are following guidelines from NSW Health in regards to crowds and events, and we are monitoring their recommendations as the situation changes rapidly.

We will communicate updates via our socials and website as news comes to hand.

ACTIVITIES

We will be working with promoters and clients now to determine the suitability of their upcoming events.

We will provide updates via our website and social media channels as the situation develops.

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES

You can help us and help others by following these basic preventative measures:

  • Stay home and not attend if you are feeling unwell
  • Stay home and not attend if you have been to a country considered at higher risk of covid-19 (excluding airport transit) in the past 14 days
  • Practice simple hygiene by:
    Making sure to clean your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand rub
    Covering your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with tissue or a flexed elbow.

CANCELLATIONS / POSTPONING EVENTS

Should events be cancelled / postponed as directed by NSW Health or Promoters, we will communicate updates via social media and our website.

YOUR RISK

This virus doesn’t affect us all equally. Those with pre-existing medical conditions (heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, lung issues) are at a higher particular risk. We suggest you take extra precautions and even recommend avoiding gatherings and crowds as much as possible.

UPDATES

Latest updates are provided by NSW Health, please follow the links below
FAQs: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/diseases/Pages/coronavirus.aspx
Latest: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/diseases/Pages/covid-19-latest.aspx
We will communicate updates via our socials and websites www.sydneymotorsportpark.com.au, http://shop.smsp.com.au and www.ardc.com.au.

This is a highly dynamic situation, and all of us will have to adapt and adjust as appropriate.
We appreciate your patience and cooperation in the coming days and weeks as we tackle these challenges together.

Thank you,

The ARDC Team @SMSP.

ARDC President’s Report, November 2019

November 2019

Everyone now knows that there will soon be a Supercar team based at Sydney MotorSport Park! ARDC has been working closely with several parties for some time to make this ambition a reality. We are delighted that Australia’s largest city will again have a resident team in Australia’s most popular motor racing category. I know that the team is very pleased to be based not just at SMSP but in the heart of Western Sydney, amongst the fastest growing and most exciting locations in the country. There is a lot of work to be done finalising details and planning permanent facilities, but this is a major step toward developing SMSP as a key location for engineering innovation and education, as well as expanding the motor sport industry in NSW.

Last month I gave some information about the locations on the Sydney MotorSport Park circuit where serious injuries occur most frequently. I described a ‘serious injury’ as one requiring ambulance transport; this could have been more precisely defined as a ‘requiring ambulance transport to hospital’ i.e. away from SMSP. Any injury to a rider or driver is undesirable, but I hope it’s not surprising that the data we follow most closely is for the more serious injuries. ARDC will continue to develop that data and I will keep members informed. The more data points we collect, the better the information we have, but unfortunately every one of those data points mean someone has gone to hospital! It’s a bit of a conflict – we want to give you the best information, but it comes at a price. Warren Buffett says ‘price is what you pay, value is what you get’; we hope that proper use of this information will ultimately mean the value is greater than the price.

Two members wrote expressing their views about other parts of the circuit and we will be looking into the questions they have raised.

ARDC Director Denis Cribbin recently announced his decision to retire from the Board after lengthy service. I know that Denis will continue to keenly support our Club, but he believes it is important that we should continue to renew the talent on our Board and that it is time for him to step down. I have always enjoyed Denis’s contribution to our discussions and thank him for his service and thoughtful participation in the governance of ARDC.
Denis’s retirement created a casual vacancy for an Elected Director position and I am very pleased to announce that at its October meeting the ARDC Board appointed Rachelle Stirling to fill the casual vacancy. Members may not recognise this name, but Rachelle Wilson has been a Board Appointed Director since September 2017 and has made a considerable contribution to Board discussions and overall governance. Rachelle Wilson recently married Jeremy Stirling and has chosen to change her name, so Rachelle Wilson and Rachelle Stirling are the same person. Rachelle is particularly passionate about attracting and supporting women into motorsport. She has been a key initiator and Program Director of the Women’s Motorsport Development Program (http://www.wmdp.com.au/), which is supported by ARDC and NSWRRC, among others. Rachelle will serve the remainder of Denis’s term as an Elected Director and will stand for re-election in May 2021. She has been an ARDC Member since 2016.

This means there are now two Board Appointed Director vacancies, as Natalie Turmine and Rachelle have both been asked to fill casual Elected Director vacancies that have arisen this year. The Board has recently conducted a skills audit, to identify those areas where we would benefit from additional knowledge and expertise. The selection of new Board Appointed directors is a perfect opportunity for us to seek out people who can bring those desired skills to the Board.
So, if you have skills and experience in digital/social media, property development and construction, IT/cyber/privacy/data security or venue/facility management and you are interested in contributing to the governance of ARDC, please contact me at president@ardc.com.au . A passion for motorsport is obviously a mandatory requirement! Please do keep in mind that the Board’s role is not to manage the club but to take responsibility for oversight and governance of ARDC.

See you at SMSP,

Cheers,

Andrew