While motorsport fans often focus on the action on track, plenty of work happens out of sight to ensure an event runs safely, smoothly and in line with Motorsport Australia regulations.
At the centre of it all is the Secretary of the Event, who oversees the administrative side of a race meeting, including pre-event planning, competitor entries, official documentation, results and post-event reporting.
The Secretary of the Event has a deep knowledge of the event, categories competing within the event and related supplementary regulations. A sound understanding of sporting and technical regulations is also important.
Working closely with the event organiser and Organising Committee, the Secretary of the Event is a key point of contact for competitors, officials and other stakeholders, making sure everyone has the information and resources they need.
The Secretary of the Event prepares and distributes supplementary regulations, manages permit applications, processes competitor entries and helps put together the event schedule.
This means checking entries, confirming competitor eligibility and allocating competitors to the appropriate categories.
The schedule must also account for the number of entries, track activity, briefings and other planned activities.
Recruiting and appointing officials is another important responsibility.
The Secretary of the Event must ensure there are enough people to run the event and that officials have the appropriate licences, skills and training for their roles.
Safety is also a major priority. Required Safety-First Checklists must be completed before an event permit can be issued, while race operations and emergency procedures need to be coordinated with relevant authorities and emergency services where necessary.
Once the event gets underway, the Secretary of the Event helps keep everything organised and on schedule.
They communicate changes, coordinate briefings and ensure competitors, officials and other trackside personnel complete the necessary sign-on forms, indemnities and documentation.
They also help check competitor licences, club memberships and logbooks where applicable, while making sure the correct credentials and passes are issued.
The Secretary of the Event helps coordinate venue arrangements, track set-up, police and medical personnel, and awards presentations where required.
They also manage the administration team and ensure important records such as permit checks, competitor sign-ons, supplementary regulations, Motorsport Australia “Official statements” and results are kept up to date throughout the event.
When it comes to results, the Secretary of the Event ensures they are prepared in accordance with the relevant category regulations and distributed to the appropriate stakeholders.
Provisional results must generally be published within 120 hours of the competition completion, unless otherwise specified, before final results are published.
There is also plenty to do once the event wraps up. The Secretary of the Event coordinates required Motorsport Australia reports and ensures relevant incident, medical and scrutiny documentation is collected and filed for follow-up and archiving.
The Secretary of the Event doesn’t have to do everything alone. The Deputy Secretary of the Event helps with administrative duties, and can represent the Secretary of the Event when required.
The Assistant to the Secretary of the Event supports both roles by processing paperwork, preparing documents and coordinating their distribution.
Together, the team helps ensure the administrative side of the meeting runs as smoothly as the track activity.
Being a good Secretary of the Event requires strong organisation, communication and leadership, along with the ability to make decisions under pressure, manage deadlines and resolve conflicts.
Above all, the role reflects Motorsport Australia’s commitment to delivering a fair, safe and fun sport.
Treating everyone with respect, acting with integrity and supporting the wellbeing of all participants are responsibilities shared across the entire motorsport community.
For more information on how to become a Motorsport Australia official, head to the website.
