February 2021 Board Summary

Following the latest board meeting of MotorSport New Zealand Inc, please see below a summary of the key discussion items and decisions made.

• The Production Racing Championship will be revived as part of the recently announced Super Production series. You can read the full announcement here.
• It was acknowledged that the recent clash of dates between the NZGP at Hampton Down and Historic GP at Taupo was not ideal. MotorSport New Zealand is continually working with organisers and clubs to find solutions to avoid date clashes wherever possible. However, it was recognised that this particular case was unavoidable due to a number of constraints which were outside the control of MotorSport New Zealand and the event organisers. We would like to direct you to an interview conducted with Benjamin Carroll from Talk Motorsport in December which covers off in more detail the issues around dates clashes within motorsport in NZ.
• The Board approved a GAP analysis assessment to be conducted on the current MotorSport Online program. This is the first step in making improvements to the online system for all users. This will help provide options to move it to a more mobile-friendly and cost-effective platform for a better user experience overall.
• The decision to appoint David Gee (Marlborough Car Club) as a steward was ratified. David is a long competing member of our sport having a vast amount of experience in both rally and ClubSport in the Upper South Island. His knowledge and experience will be a great addition to the sport.
• A session was held around the renewing of the MotorSport New Zealand Strategic Plan and we would like to remind clubs that submissions around the content of this plan have been called for and can be submitted by the following clicking here. Submission close on March 8^th and will be used for initial input into a planning workshop at the AGM in May 2021.
• A new member of the Women in Motorsport Advisory Commission was approved which will assist the commission to continue to develop and deliver on the goals. We would like to welcome Jacky Braid to the Women in Motorsport Commission and look forward to seeing the results of her involvement.
• It has been approved that a user-pays medical assessment system will be put in place for any licence application that requires further medical reviews when applying or renewing a competition licence. More details will be provided in the next newsletter.
• After a presentation from MotorSport New Zealand management, we can advise the Board has approved MotorSport New Zealand’s involvement in the FIA Rally Star project. This program will allow New Zealand drivers to take part in a global talent detection program for rally drivers. The detection method chosen by MotorSport New Zealand will use the #rallyathome programme which allows drivers to compete online using the WRC9 eSport platform with the quickest driver within the region getting an entry into the regional final. The ultimate prize at the end of the Rally Star competition is a Junior WRC drive. More details will follow in the next newsletter as the FIA finalise details.