It’s no secret that across the nation, there are countless, passionate motorsport fans who volunteer as Motorsport Australia officials and help our sport thrive.
At every event, be it at the grassroots or national level, there are officials from all walks of life with a variety of experience and a different story to tell about their journey – all of whom have the common love for motorsport.
One man who would have come across thousands of these people during his life is Stuart Allen, who celebrates 60 years as an official this year.
Born in 1945 to a British father who raced in the United Kingdom before the second World War, it took Allen just 16 years to find a hobby that would stick with him for the rest of his life – and that hobby was motorsport.
Joining the Sporting Car Club of SA as a teenager, Allen’s first event in the sport was the Australian Grand Prix, and soon enough he helped his father become an official – the two bonding over their love for motorsport and their desire to volunteer.
Allen’s journey through the sport from then on is an inspiring one.
Starting out as a spectator marshal, the South Australian took on a multitude of different roles in the last 60 years before becoming a national steward for a long period.
His time in the sport has seen him hold roles such as flag marshalling, assistant clerk of the course, race starter and pit lane marshal, as well as gaining a heap of unforgettable memories and lifelong friends in the process.
“I have been very fortunate and have enjoyed my time thoroughly across the various roles I have had, be it trackside or race control,” Allen said.
“There are so many memories from my time in motorsport. One thing that always sticks out to me is working with the drivers that I looked up to when I was younger - It was almost surreal.
“People like Kevin Bartlett, Sir Sterling Moss and even Sir Jack Brabham. It was just fantastic. I also remember being a steward at the 2009 Le Mans Series at Silverstone, which was possibly the biggest international-scale event I had a big role for.
“For me, It’s all about the people and the sport. I enjoy being a national steward at historic race meets because the people involved are there because they love the sport. They don’t see it as a business.
“I really have a passion for grassroots motorsport and I’d like to think that I have done reasonably well throughout the years. To start as a spectator marshal and work my way up to a national steward has been pretty good.
“The fact that I am still enjoying volunteering in my mid-70s is a credit to the sport. It keeps me involved and active and is a great outlet.”
Remarkably Allen is still loving life as an official and the 76-year-old’s next gig will be the popular Victorian 6-Hour Relay where he will serve as the Assistant Clerk of the Course Judicial.
And although he has no intention of slowing down any time soon, Allen admits that it would be nice to see more younger officials stepping up to take on senior management roles.
“There are a few young officials that have really impressed me as of late, but it’s too few, and it seems to be a worldwide issue, which is a bit sad,” Allen said.
“Most race controls are made up of people around my age and it isn’t because we’re not prepared to give it up. A lot of us, myself included, would love to take on more of a mentoring role than a doing role.
“It’s not all bad and there are definitely some really talented younger officials out there – in fact we have a couple of good young female senior stewards coming along around the country which is excellent.”
Allen will also be attending the Historics event at Mallala Raceway in October to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Adelaide Grand Prix, an event that was one of his first as a motorsport official.
