Motorsport Australia has today announced significant changes to its licence and permits structure, aimed at improving access to motorsport participation.
Importantly, 90 per cent of competitor licence holders will pay less or the same for their 2021 licence renewals.
For those competitors who will see a slight increase in licence renewal costs, they will now be able to access more events with their new licence type.
Motorsport Australia has reduced the existing 34 licence types to 11, meaning less need for competitors to seek out licence upgrades as they progress through their respective disciplines.
For example, the Clubman Circuit Licence holder will now simply receive a ‘Circuit Licence’ and they will be able to compete at all levels of Circuit Racing, aside from those events where specific conditions apply, such as a Superlicence for Supercars.
The Officials licence structure has also undergone a significant restructure, with 78 licence types reduced to 40 so as to better align with the training provided and simplify the advancement opportunities for those Officials eager to rise through the ranks.
These changes will not stop Officials from continuing in roles they had previously, however they will provide an easier pathway for Officials to learn new skills.
Competitors and officials should check their emails for information on these changes, or can click here to learn about any change to their licence type.
Event organisers and clubs will also see benefits from these changes, with Motorsport Australia confirming its 172 permit types are being reduced to 61.
This change will see more consistency in the cost of permits, with the new permit structure to cast a wider net on events, making the permit process easier and fairer.
More information will be provided directly to clubs and event organisers via email, with details to be made available online in the coming days and weeks as the changes begin to roll out.
Motorsport Australia CEO Eugene Arocca said the significant restructure had been flagged midway through this year, with the changes stemming from the work of the Motorsport Australia Recovery Taskforce – formed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This year has provided us with an opportunity to critically review everything we do – from our own structure, through to our licence and permit offerings,” Arocca explained.
“For our competitors, 90 per cent of you will be better off under this new structure and for those who aren’t – their new licence types will provide more access to more events.
“We are also here to help. Our membership team is happy to talk through your circumstances, with a bridging year on offer for some licence types to cushion the impact of any price increase.
“And while only a small number of competitors will be subject to an increase – those who are will now be able to access more events without the need to upgrade their licence. We’ve found in the past that some people may have chosen a lower licence type at first, only to find they need to upgrade midway through their licence period as they look to make the step up in competition.
“Our Officials are the lifeblood of the sport and we couldn’t do what we do without them.
“These changes will make things easier to understand and also align our training modules with the licence types, something that had not always been clear in the past. This will allow Officials a clear path for advancement through the ranks, as well as give new Officials a clearer understanding of how the structure works.
“When it comes to our event permits, over the years a number of products were bolted on to our system and even with 172 permit types, some activities didn’t fit into a product, so specific were the permits. These changes will make it clearer and more consistent. Significantly, it will make life easier for our event organisers to plan for their event.
“2020 has certainly been a big year of change and we acknowledge there is a lot of information to take in. Ultimately, these changes will reduce the barriers to participation, reduce the red tape and allow us to provide ‘More Motorsport More Often’.
“Our membership team will be on deck throughout the Christmas and New Year period (aside from the public holidays) to answer any queries via our upgraded member hotline – 1300 883 959.”