Ground-breaking Indigenous Australian motorsport program Racing Together has received significant international recognition at the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) Prize-Giving Gala in Bologna, Italy, overnight.

Racing Together received the inaugural FIA President’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award from FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The honour recognises outstanding commitment to diverse and inclusive practices and activities that foster equitable, sustainable, and measurable change.

Motorsport Australia President Andrew Fraser and Racing Together director Monique Connelly accepted the prize from Ben Sulayem.

Racing Together was co-founded by Monique Connelly and Garry Connelly AM, Australia’s FIA delegate.

The program was established in late 2020 and has been embraced by all levels of the motorsport world, from seven-time World Drivers Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton to Australia’s leading Supercars team owners.

The program’s initial induction invites Indigenous youth between the ages of 12 to 16 to participate in an intensive two-day education and selection program that includes driver training, mechanics, personal health and well-being, career advice and life skills.

Successful applicants advance to participate in the full-time Racing Together program, which runs a karting program and prepares race cars for and competes in the nationally popular one-make Hyundai Excel series, currently running three vehicles with a fourth to be added in 2023.

In accepting the prestigious award, Monique Connelly said she was proud Racing Together was its first recipient.

“Every child, no matter their gender, ethnicity, economic circumstances, or culture, deserves the opportunity to experience the sport that we all love – motorsport,” Connelly said.

“We are so pleased that FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has created the award, and we are proud and honoured to be its first recipients.

“We also thank Motorsport Australia for its support, and on behalf of our Indigenous young people, thank you to the FIA and its President.”

Motorsport Australia President Andrew Fraser congratulated Monique, Garry and all those involved in the program, both as participants and supporters.

“Racing Together is about opening the world of motor sport to people who previously believed they had no place in it,” Fraser said.

“Receiving the FIA President’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award gives us the impetus to continue pushing the boundaries of our sport.”



Sixteen-year-old Karlai Warner, who joined the program initially as a tyre technician and driving a go-kart, and has graduated to racing one of its Excels, said she was proud of the international recognition for Racing Together.

“The award makes me feel happy for what the team has accomplished; it’s good recognition for the team, worldwide recognition, and exposure to show what Indigenous kids can do,” Warner said.

“Racing Together has taught me new skills, allowed me to race, and meet so many new people, which would never have happened if the program did not exist.”

Paul Morris, who supports and hosts the program at his Norwell Motorplex said he was incredibly proud of the program, its early achievements, and its recognition.

“When I first heard the concept, I thought it was a great opportunity to have a positive impact with Indigenous kids,” Morris said.

“The Indigenous community has a substantial automotive culture but hasn’t had a pathway into motorsport until now.

“Everything we’ve learnt at Norwell throughout the years of training drivers and people, and what we know about motorsports, has helped us achieve real outcomes for the kids, and now to receive this award from the FIA is a huge acknowledgement of what we are achieving with Racing Together.

“There’s enormous potential; you need facilities to do what we are doing, and there are lots of those throughout Australia, so we are already rolling out Racing Together into other Indigenous communities.”

Directors of Racing Together are Garry Connelly AM, Monique Connelly, former RACQ CEO Ian Gillespie AM, Supercars Championship-winning Team Principals Roland Dane and Dr Ryan Story AM, Morris, and Indigenous Olympian and Commonwealth Games medallist, beach volleyballer Taliqua Clancy.

The program is supported by VIVA Energy, Supercheap Auto, Toyota, Norwell Motorplex, Motorsport Australia, Pirtek, Patrizicorse, Boost Mobile, Triple Eight Race Engineering, DJR Shell V-Power Racing, Slideways Go Karting Gold Coast, Karting Australia, Gunya Meta.