Speedway Australia has re-joined the Motorsport Australia family, and in turn will now be able to compete under the Motorsport Australia and FIA banner.

The affiliation will see Speedway Australia join the likes of Karting Australia and the Australian National Drag Racing Authority (ANDRA) as authorised delegates of Motorsport Australia.

The partnership is a welcome one for both parties, which will benefit the entire motorsport industry – its participants, officials and all stakeholders.

Speedway Australia General Manager Darren Tindal said the news was one which would have wide-reaching benefits for the discipline. 

“It is such a great affiliation for us to be able to come back under Motorsport Australia. It has been quite a few years now but to be able to come back and join forces, and as I have said to a number of people now, there is a great message in numbers,” Tindal said.

“And when you join these two with drag racing, karting and motorcycling, we’ve got some great numbers for the sport moving forward. 

“One of the biggest things is that it gives us a lot of credibility when we go to government that we are part of Motorsport Australia, and that will be extremely helpful in every region of our nation. For example, all 22 Speedway Australia venues in Victoria will now have the opportunity to start looking at grants for safety upgrades, lights, catch fences, concrete walls, all those types of things, all because of this relationship.

“We see around the country there are more motorsport complexes being built, where they are putting circuit racing, drag racing, speedway and karting together. I think that if we weren’t part of the Motorsport Australia family, that we may not be recognised as part of those motorsport complexes. We are made up of 13,500 licence holders, 97 venues around the country, 275 clubs – so that’s a lot of people looking to go racing on a Saturday night. 

“I think it is important to be part of a collective group of people who are all trying to move a sport in the general direction.”

Motorsport Australia CEO Eugene Arocca echoed Tindal’s sentiments.

“We are thrilled that Speedway Australia are back in the family, it’s a benefit to them, and it’s a benefit for us because we can share information.  Additionally, it provides a pathway through to the FIA, which connects us to international motorsport,” Arocca explained.

“It is very significant from a motorsport point of view in that we now have a major discipline of our sport, which is Speedway, back under the FIA banner via their delegated authority from Motorsport Australia. 

“For the Australian Motorsport Council, it completes the process of bringing together the entire motorsport industry being karting, motorsport, motorcycling, drag racing, and speedway. Apart from the opportunity to share our collective knowledge, it is very important in allowing us to promote the sport generally. We already have a strong working relationship between all the recognised sanctioning bodies and importantly, it confirms the international pathways leading within the FIA and FIM.

“We are thrilled that Darren and the Speedway Australia Board have reconnected with Motorsport Australia.”