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2019

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

ARDC President’s Report, October 2019

This morning I attended the Australian Institute of Company Directors annual Essential Directors’ Update. [I hear thousands of responses already…….”BORING!”]

Well, it may not seem immediately relevant or interesting with respect to motorsport, but high standards of governance are an essential requirement for ARDC’s ongoing occupation and management of Sydney Motorsport Park.  As I have said in this column before, we are responsible for a premium tax-payer asset, and we need to deliver excellence in our operations.  A key area of focus in the 2019 Directors’ Update was on non-financial risk.  All competently-run organisations have a high level of sensitivity to financial risk, but in recent years there has been increased focus on non-financial risk areas, such as conduct risk or operational risk.

ARDC is the same: while we are very sensitive to correct financial management, we spend plenty of time focusing on areas of risk that are not primarily financial in nature but can ultimately impact on our financial position and potentially reputation.

A key example is the ‘serious incident heat-map’ that we have been developing this year to provide a better understanding of the high-risk points at Sydney Motorsport Park.  Generally, we are confident that our management of on-track risks is as strong as possible, allowing of course that motorsport is dangerous. But serious injuries (i.e. requiring ambulance transport) still do occur and anything we can do to improve our risk mitigation, while not impinging on the nature and enjoyment of motorsport, must be considered.

So, at this point here is some information for our competitors:

  1. Four wheels are safer than two. [doh!] Our heat-map for 2019 shows 8 serious incidents involving cars (to the end of August) and 21 involving motorbikes. That’s just the raw data and isn’t adjusted for the fact that there are many more events for cars than for bikes.
  2. For cars, so far this year, the most likely place for a serious incident is at the start.
  3. For bikes, entry to Turn 1 is most likely, closely followed by entry to Turn 15 and exit from Turn 2.
  4. Turns 4 and 6 have not seen a serious incident at all this year, on two or four wheels.

I know we are all diligent in our preparation (of car/bike and driver/rider) and no-one goes on to the track anticipating an incident, but every little bit of information helps.  And, before anyone suggests I am disparaging bike riders: not so – they are far more heroic than me in my steel cage –  but the statistics say what they say!  We will continue to collate this data and I’ll provide another update in a year or so.

World Time Attack is just around the corner on 18/19 October featuring the new Brabham BT-62 to add to the enormously competitive and exciting entry list. See you there!

Andrew Leithhead
President
president@ardc.com.au

 

ARDC President’s Report, September 2019

What a BLAST!

The 2019 Paynter Dixon ARDC MasterBlast on Father’s Day weekend was a fantastic celebration of motorsport.  We were blessed with great weather on race weekend (even if it was a bit dodgy for private practice on the Friday) and plenty of people gathered up family and friends to come along.

There were over 280 entries and all categories enjoyed great racing with relatively few on-track dramas. I wonder when was the last time that a race meeting included both car and motorcycle racing, 4 different starting procedures – standing, handicap, rolling and ‘Le Mans’ – plus two different circuit configurations, plus night racing? On top of that was the usual open and friendly nature of the paddock area with many competitors chatting with spectators and visitors about their cars and the racing. It really was a great weekend all around, so mark your diaries for Father’s Day next year!

It is always useful to receive constructive feedback after a race weekend to help us continue to improve events at Sydney MotorSport Park.  Competitors will receive the usual invitation to respond to an online survey and I encourage Members who came along to provide comments in the short SPECTATOR SURVEY.

We are optimistic that by this time next year the permanent circuit lighting will be fully operational and some of the challenges posed by temporary lighting will therefore be resolved. A number of categories have already confirmed their interest in participating again in next year, so we will be working to firm up the program as the 2020 calendar develops over the next few months.

The next high profile event at SMSP will be World Time Attack on 18/19 October, but in the meantime don’t forget usual activities such as the monthly ‘Night Drive’ for Learners (soon to be more twilight than night when daylight saving starts again), plus driver training with Driving Solutions, V8 experiences with Fastrack, rider training with MotoDNA, ride days, track days, icu=ycle racing – surely there is something for everyone!

See you at SMSP,

Andrew Leithhead
President
president@ardc.com.au

ARDC President’s Report, August 2019

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As I write there are only 30 days to go until the 2019 Paynter Dixon Sydney MasterBlast featuring Muscle Car Masters, to be held on Father’s Day weekend.

The traditional Muscle Car Masters format has seen declining support in recent years, not helped by having to move the date away from Father’s Day to accommodate various category racing calendars.  This year will see a new package of the traditional mixed with some new ideas, in response to feedback from competitors and spectators.  In all likelihood not every special interest group will have all their preferences satisfied, but we believe the overall new package will present an exciting weekend of racing that showcases Australian motorsport heritage with some new attractions and angles.  Categories this year include Touring Car Masters (TCM), Heritage Touring Cars (Group C & A), Historic Touring Cars (Nb/Nc), National Sports Sedans, and Historic Sports Cars (Group S), plus Production Touring, Superkarts, and on the Sunday, Motorbike racing including a fantastic Le Mans start. On Saturday night there will be racing under lights for TCM, Group N, Group C and A, and Production Touring on the Druitt (North) Circuit!

More immediately, the next round of the 2019 State Motor Racing Championships is on this weekend (3rd & 4th August) and there is another strong entry list.  It is often said that some of the closest and most exciting racing is seen in ‘grass roots’ racing at State Championship events; the drivers and teams might not be big dollar professionals, but the standards of car preparation, pit crew support and driving skills are of the highest order.

Other upcoming events include the annual Council of Motor Clubs Shannons Classic display day, on Sunday 18th August.  There will be over 1900 cars motorbikes and other vehicles on display and parading on the circuit over the course of the day.

You might also want to note in your diary the 2019 World Time Attack (WTAC), to be held on October 18th & 19th (yes, Friday and Saturday). In addition to the ‘normal’ engineering masterpieces that are presented for the ultimate one-lap screamer competition, the big feature this year will be the latest in the Brabham line, the BT-62.  Many of you will have seen this car reviewed on Top Gear and/or the YouTube video of the record-breaking lap at Mt Panorama, and at the very least the idea of another sensational car with this famous name, built in Australia, should be more than enough to bring you along.  I’m sure there will be great interest in seeing if the BT-62 can threaten the times recorded by Mark Webber in 2013 (1:13.6) and Daniel Ricciardo in 2014 (1:11.23), both in the Red Bull RB7.

Members will recall that earlier this year long-serving ARDC Director Neil Turner retired from our Board, and that Neil and his wife Ronda were elected Life Members of the ARDC at our Annual General Meeting in May.  Neil’s retirement created a casual vacancy for an Elected Director position and I am very pleased to announce that at its July meeting the ARDC Board appointed Natalie Turmine to fill the casual vacancy. Natalie has been a Board Appointed Director since September 2017 and makes a considerable contribution to Board discussions and overall governance.  Nat is a Competitor Member for both cars and motorcycles, and is a keen participant on both 2 and 4 wheels.  Nat will serve the remainder of Neil’s term as an Elected Director, and will stand for re-election in May 2020.  The Board has begun considering the opportunity to fill Natalie’s previous position as an Appointed Director and I expect to keep members informed of progress.

Andrew Leithhead
President
president@ardc.com.au

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SYDNEY SHINES BRIGHT NEW LIGHTS ON THE FUTURE OF MOTORSPORT IN NSW

Saturday 23 February 2019: Today’s announcement by the NSW Government of a strategic multi-million-dollar investment at Sydney Motorsport Park in permanent circuit lighting and the establishment of Australia’s only Motor Sports Centre of Excellence has been overwhelmingly welcomed by the Australian Racing Drivers’ Club (ARDC) – operators of Sydney Motorsport Park since 1997.

The news is part of an all-encompassing $33M package of Government initiatives for the broader Western Sydney motorsport precinct, which also includes work to find a new operations site for Motorcycling NSW and improvements to the adjacent Sydney Dragway.

ARDC President Andrew Leithhead commented “The ARDC views this additional Government investment in Sydney Motorsport Park as an important continuation of the Club’s long-standing commitment to excellence within the Australian motorsport industry.”

The ARDC has a proven record of co-investing with Government in the SMSP venue. In just the last 8 years well over $23M has been invested back into the Park, with the not-for-profit ARDC contributing over $16M of its own funds, combined with a 2012 Government contribution of $7M towards the new Brabham circuit extension. Each year the ARDC invests well over $1M in track maintenance and development, and this is set to continue and grow.

“The ARDC projects a 40% increase in access capacity at the perennially booked-out Government venue.

A newly expanded SMSP calendar allows for strong increases in the level of innovative high-demand Tier 1 motorsport events headlined by the Supercars Championship night racing and other major events.

“This is a great step forward in our plans for Sydney,” said Sean Seamer (Supercars CEO).

“The 2018 night race was a fantastic proof of concept and since then, Glenn Matthews and his team have done a wonderful job to secure these significant upgrades which will establish Sydney Motorsport Park as an elite, 24/7 motorsport facility. We look forward to the SuperNight format returning in 2020 and moving on to the second phase of our partnership with the ARDC and NSW Government, which is to establish a Supercars team in Sydney, based at SMSP.” Seamer added.

Seamer said a Sydney-based team would have the advantage of calling the booming western corridor home along with the premium facilities offered at Sydney Motorsport Park.

“A Sydney franchise would have premium facilities on their doorstep,” he said.

“This initiative will provide a manufacturer, team and their partners with immediate access to an international race track, premium function facilities for major corporate events, vehicle launches, drive days, vehicle appreciation sessions, product R&D and conferences.

“This also provides the catalyst to link Supercars’ technology, education and training with Western Sydney’s strong tertiary education and engineering communities.

“A Sydney-based team will also have the growing greater Western Sydney community as a support base given the huge number of Supercars fans in the western corridor of Australia’s largest city.” Seamer said.

“It’s also a lot more than just expanding traditional motorsport activity at the track.” Leithhead continued.

“Circuit lighting now opens the doors for substantial opportunities to further grow the Western Sydney night economy, local tourism, as well as significantly expanding the existing on-site programs targeting performance engineering education and training, innovation and technology development. Investments such as these can only further leverage major game-changing infrastructure projects such as the Western Sydney Airport to deliver more jobs, investment and visitors to Western Sydney and help ensure Sydney Motorsport Park builds on its reputation as Australia’s number one motorsport venue.” Leithhead added.

The ARDC delivers year-round events which attract 330,000 visitors p.a. and includes over 35 major events and multiple grassroots racing and car club events annually, plus many school and community events from across Greater Sydney. For the past two years, the not-for-profit ARDC has also been developing plans and engaging with leaders across the motorsport, skills and education, government and private sector industries both here and abroad to capitalise on the opportunities that exist within the SMSP site and broader Western Sydney area – one of the fastest growing regions in the country.

SMSP is already the new permanent home to motoDNA TECHNOLOGY, the research and development division of the motoDNA Group as part of the ARDC’s emerging SMSP Motorsport Institute and Innovation Hub.  motoDNA TECHNOLOGY utilises its close association with the ARDC and immediate access to the circuit to rapidly advance its developments in the areas of rider safety research and technology which it recently embarked upon in conjunction with Yamaha Australia.

ARDC CEO Glenn Matthews noted “We have a long-held, strong working relationship with the Confederation of Australian Motorsport. The location of the new Motor Sports Centre of Excellence at Sydney Motorsport Park is fantastic, and we certainly don’t underestimate the opportunities that will arise from working more closely with CAMS and key industry partners such as Supercars.”

“It’s important that together we have been able to break the dominance of Melbourne and the Gold Coast as the sole location of technical development in Australia.  The new Centre of Excellence is a standout example of the high regard the NSW Government, CAMS, Supercars and other key players hold both the venue, and the ARDC Club”. Matthews added

ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN RACING DRIVERS’ CLUB (ARDC)

The Australian Racing Drivers’ Club, known as the ARDC, has promoted motorsport in NSW for over 67 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 & 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.

ABOUT SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK

Sydney Motorsport Park (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 race track, 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), along with the Skid Circuit.

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. Sydney Motorsport Park is also Sydney’s main hub for driver safety, education and vehicle testing. To accommodate these activities, the venue features Sydney’s largest purpose-build, floodable Skidpan, and a separate Figure 8.

ABOUT SMSP MOTORSPORT INSTITUTE AND INNOVATION HUB.

Modelled off the United Kingdom’s Silverstone Park’s University Technical College (UTC) and Innovation Centre, the ability to co-locate with the auto industry, technical education and exhibition sectors will enable SMSP to become home to cutting-edge employment and education programs and increase its appeal as an attractive and highly unique events venue.

Media contact, ARDC/SMSP:
Glenn Matthews (CEO)

(02) 9672 1000 or M: 0418865924
email:  glenn@ardc.com.au

THE NEW MOTORCYCLE LANDSCAPE AT SMSP IN 2019

OFFICIAL RELEASE, 08/11/2019: THE AUSTRALIAN Racing Drivers’ Club (ARDC), operators of Sydney Motorsport Park, is excited to announce a new and exciting motorcycle experiences line-up for 2019.

Leading at the first turn will be Motorcycle Events Group Australia (MEGA) directing the SMSP RIDE DAYS track-based program, alongside the motoDNA Riders Academy taking charge of all rider coaching and training needs. Completing the grid is the globally-recognised California Superbike School (CSS).

The selection of MEGA, motoDNA and CSS to spearhead the program came after an exhaustive six-month review by the ARDC of bike activity at Sydney Motorsport Park, and investigations into best practice procedures around the country and overseas. Extensive research was conducted into what riders really enjoyed about their time on track, and track users and ARDC Bike Members also submitted their suggestions and ideas for improvement.

This included rider/group selection, scheduling of experiences across the week and year, circuit selection, maximising rider track-time, the involvement of manufacturers and industry, coaching and rider safety, the opportunity to develop special interest days, building rider community events, and last but not least offering riders the widest selection of rider experiences at the best value for money available.

This research was followed by an Australia-wide call for expressions of interest to the country’s best operators, and as the saying goes, cream rises to the top.

“We are particularly excited about the MEGA/motoDNA collaboration which will see over sixty days of two-wheel action at the Park throughout the year,” said ARDC CEO Glenn Matthews.

“We’ll see the welcome return of long-standing SMSP partner, MEGA, and motoDNA have really ramped up their operations to become SMSP’s inaugural Resident Rider Training Provider.

“Steve (Brouggy, MEGA) and Mark (McVeigh, motoDNA) have been working closely together over the past few months to begin building what will be an amazing 2019 for the rider community,” added Matthews.

MEGA promises not only to bring back its industry-leading format, but to also make some major leaps forward in the process of how Ride Days are presented with cutting edge technology matched with good old-fashioned customer service.

“We’re really happy to be returning to Sydney Motorsport Park and partnering with the ARDC for the provision of SMSP Ride Days,” said Steve Brouggy of MEGA.

“MEGA’s focus for the past 24 years has been on providing the best possible rider experience for each and every attendee of our events, and we’re more enthusiastic than ever to be doing exactly that at SMSP for the next five years… As far as we’re concerned, January 1 can’t come soon enough!”

motoDNA’s Mark McVeigh said: “I’m very excited to partner with ARDC as both the motoDNA Riders Academy and motoDNA TECHNOLOGY companies are now based on the racetrack at Sydney Motorsport Park.

“The ARDC have some great plans for the future at SMSP and we feel very privileged to be a part of it.

“Ultimately our job at motoDNA is to turn ordinary people into extraordinary riders in a fun and safe environment and collaborating with MEGA will help us both provide awesome new products for all levels of our motorcycle community at the Park.”

Both MEGA and motoDNA have confirmed five-year agreements, locking in their tenure at SMSP until 2023 and allowing both businesses to build, invest and consolidate their commitment to SMSP and the loyal rider base that call Sydney Motorsport Park their home.

It also paves the way for the ARDC to work on further developments in the areas of rider safety research and technology which it is advancing with motoDNA TECHNOLOGY, the research and development division of the motoDNA Group which resides at SMSP as part of the emerging SMSP Innovation Hub.

“There’s never been a better time for riders to consider becoming a Member of the ARDC,” said Matthews.

“Bike Members will be able to take advantage of a myriad of great Member-Only offers, incentives and invitations by our experience partners, and it also offers complimentary access to events at SMSP throughout the year.”

There’s a lot to look forward to on two-wheels in 2019, and we’d love to see you trackside.

For more information contact:
Samantha Stevens, Media and Communications Manager
The Australian Racing Drivers’ Club, Sydney Motorsport Park.
T +61 2 9672 0207
F +61 2 9672 0209
M +61 411 494 414
E samantha.stevens@ardc.com.au