Motorsport Australia Scrutineer Athol Wilcox is a highly respected member of the officials community as a dedicated scrutineer in Queensland and around the country.

Based in Gympie, Athol is a familiar face at events across Queensland, regularly lending his experience and expertise to a wide variety of circuit competitions.

His recent calendar has included major events such as the Ipswich Super 440 and the SpeedSeries GT Festival Queensland, alongside numerous state championship and club-level circuit events.

With more than 25 years of experience in Australian motorsport, Athol has developed a reputation for his professionalism, knowledge and willingness to support competitors and fellow officials. His extensive experience across events at all levels has made him a highly valued member of the officiating community.

“I seriously take great joy in being a scrutineer,” Wilcox said.

“The major reason I became one in the first place was to give back to the sport, which I hazard a guess is the reason for a lot of officials.

“Dave Woods, God rest his soul, was one of my mentors early on and really put me on the right path to being an effective scrutineer. It has helped me get to where I am now in that area of motorsport.”

Athol’s involvement in motorsport began through off road racing, following the formation of a local off road racing club. He competed for several years until around 2003, during which time he also claimed a state-level off road title.

After stepping away from competition, Athol turned his attention to officiating, determined to help provide future competitors with the same enjoyment he had experienced behind the wheel.

The role of a scrutineer is vital to delivering safe and fair motorsport, with officials working behind the scenes to ensure vehicles comply with the relevant regulations and are safe to compete.

For Athol, the opportunity to contribute to the sport while working alongside fellow officials and competitors remains a key part of what makes volunteering so rewarding.

He also shared some of the key areas he focuses on during pre-event vehicle checks, providing an insight into the knowledge and attention to detail required of a scrutineer.

“There are a litany of things to look at, as one can imagine in a vehicle,” Wilcox said.

“These include seatbelts, seatbelt welds, seatbelt condition, the age of seatbelts, whether seats are mounted properly to the specified seat regulations, padding on roll cages, cut-out switches, fire extinguishers, racing apparel for drivers and other aspects of safety.”

While scrutineers play an important role in ensuring vehicles meet the required standards, Athol is keen to reinforce that their role is ultimately about helping competitors get on track safely.

“It’s also important to note, scrutineers are not there to stop you from racing. We’re there to advise competitors on what is needed to be implemented or upgraded to keep our drivers safe on the track and travelling home safe.”

Motorsport Australia thanks Athol for his continued commitment to the sport and congratulates him on being named Motorsport Australia’s latest subject of the Supercheap Auto Scrutineer Spotlight.

For his efforts, Athol will also receive a ToolPRO kit filled with tools specifically selected for a scrutineer.