New Faces On Superkart Working Group

Open letter to Superkart Club Executives &  the Superkarting membership Nationally.

It is with pleasure that I have this opportunity of communicating with you as the incoming Chairman of the SWG, via your panel members. This is a privileged position  & one that will be treated with respect, I’m honored to have been successful & I thank those who took the time to participate in the process.

This is a significant change for Superkarting in Australia – at this point I would like to acknowledge & thank the previous Chairman & the Panel for their past efforts.

The Australian Motor Race Commission (The “Commission”) received 14 well-credentialed applications in total, 3 were for the Chair position. This is a vast contrast to previous occasions. Clearly it demonstrates a revived interest in the sport.

The current panel memberships has varied from the previous year from 7 to currently 5 with the Commission electing to have a sole representative from each state with the Chairman having a vote.

The panel members ratified for the remainder of 2008 & 2009 are:

  • John Pellicano – New South Wales (Chairman)
  • Ron Goldfinch – South Australia.
  • John Whitfield – ACT
  • Phil Silcock – Queensland.
  • Jon Crooke – Victoria.

Our mandate whilst principally technical will present significant challenges but we look forward to the challenges as opportunities. The Panel comprises of individuals who have a lot to offer the sport with their varied skill sets & importantly their willingness to progress the sport.

There is unanimous consensus amongst the group to change the “Mantra” of the panel. We look forward in delivering a more open & transparent method of operating where you the member will be afforded the luxury of “having your say”. The systems & procedures adopted will ensure consistency & repeatability for arising matters.

The following are some points noted for change but not limited too:

  • Submission on the required form only, submitted to the State SWG representative. Submission can be on a confidential basis.
  • State Rep to discuss at club meeting and report back to the group.
  • SWG to discuss and if required ask for further information/details etc. All within a set period of receiving, say 2 – 4 weeks.
  • When the SWG believe all or sufficient information is received we discuss further, if we believe it has merit, move to the next step.
  • SWG submit details to the 4 clubs & their memberships for comment. Requesting clubs & interested parties to respond within say 6 – 8 weeks if they want an input.
  • SWG discuss again, taking into account all the clubs responses, proposal is either then submitted to the AMRC or dismissed, again all within a set time period.

I must emphasize strongly that the prosperity of the sport rests with all of us…not one panel & 5 individuals, as some would have you believe. Put simply there is no one magic bullet that will deliver all.
 
In moving forward we must limit the rhetoric from the Historians…….the “remember when” crowd – Yes, I too remember when petrol was 40c a litre but life is different today & fuel is $1.70 per litre. So decisions the Panel may make for the sport should be reflective of the shifting platforms we go racing in coupled with forward thinking strategies. And to further complicate matters we have state differences that impact the sport at varying levels that often present problems.

To the sceptics…please relax & trust the process!

Work has commenced in earnest, presently we are taking stock of our current position with outstanding matters & the most pressing will be the rewriting of the STR’s for 2009 to reflect the absence of the 100cc & 80cc class in the manual. The first draft copy should be available for our perusal within the next 14 days. Following on from there, there is still a list of items from the former panel that await the commission’s approval.

Along with several initiatives we have provided the membership with a direct email link swg-info@superkart.org.au to the panel. Your enquiry will go to all the Panel members.

I thank you for your time & we the Panel look forward in putting forward our best efforts for the sport & fostering a more defined sense of unity. Should there be any enquires please feel free to communicate with your respective state representative.

Regards
John Pellicano
Chairman SWG

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