INDIGENOUS athletes have graced many sports in Australia, such as football, basketball, cricket and athletics, but motorsport has never been among them.
Motorsport is exciting and demands high levels of skill, fitness, concentration, commitment and teamwork. It offers many roles, not just for drivers, and it’s something you can stay involved in for a lifetime as either an amateur participant or career professional.
Believing Indigenous boys and girls should have these opportunities like anyone else, my wife Monique and I launched the charity Racing Together. In late 2020. Six teenage boys and four girls were enrolled in a fully-supported program based at the Norwell Motorplex, just south of Logan.
Most knew nothing about cars or motor-racing, yet little more than a year later they maintain, prepare, manage and race their own car and go-kart at events as far afield as Darwin.
For some, the experience has changed their lives. They have been supported and mentored by some of the biggest names in racing, from Formula 1 champion Sir Lewis Hamilton to Stapylton’s Dick Johnson and Norwell’s Paul Morris. Three have won automotive apprenticeships, including two in coveted roles at Supercar teams.
The initial success of Racing Together means that we are now ready to recruit more members to the team. We’re especially keen to welcome young people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background living in the Logan region.
An open weekend at Norwell Motorplex on 21-22 May for girls and boys (girls are very welcome) aged 12-17 will offer free training, education and assessment of their potential to join the team.
Successful candidates will enjoy roles as mechanics, engineers, logistics and communications crew and tyre technicians. One recruit will train as a racing driver and a further place will be allocated for an appropriate person with high academic potential to study motorsport-related engineering at university.
The open weekend will start at noon on Saturday 21 May and finish around 4pm on Sunday.
Pre-event registration is required. An application form can be downloaded from the website www.racingtogether.org.
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