Concerns Raised Over Winton Event

[RaceTime]

CONFEDERATION OF AUSTRALIAN MOTOR SPORT (CAMS)
25 August 2003

CONCERNS RAISED OVER WINTON EVENT


CAMS, the authority for motor sport in Australia, today highlighted a number of concerns relating to the impending Australian National Historic Meeting at Winton Motor Raceway.


A commercial organisation, calling themselves the Australian Auto-sport Alliance, has scheduled a race meeting for 4-5 October 2003.


CAMS Chief Executive Officer, Dr Rob Nethercote, said that CAMS is in no way associated with the event and that entrants should not assume that the standard of the systems proposed for this race meeting will be the same as those consistently provided by CAMS.


Importantly, as this is not a CAMS sanctioned event, CAMS insurances do not apply to this event.


CAMS wishes to bring to the attention of all competitors, officials, and pit crew members, that the entry form for the event falsely states that pit crew are covered by CAMS Personal Accident Insurance. CAMS emphasises that this is incorrect.


"CAMS has been providing fair, safe and socially responsible motor sport in Australia for 50 years through practices that are not only internationally recognised but are held up as an example to other governing bodies throughout the world," said Dr Nethercote.


"These systems have evolved with the input of CAMS members; its competitors, officials, affiliated clubs and club members across all states and categories of motor sport."


Dr Nethercote urged all competitors and officials to also question what insurance and risk management practices are in place before committing to the Winton event.


Over time, and in particular the past two years, CAMS has developed unparalleled risk management procedures. As a result it has been able to provide its competitors and officials with the most comprehensive motor sport insurance coverage.


"CAMS raises these issues out of a concern for the wellbeing of our sport; its competitors, officials and club members", said Dr Nethercote. "We see this as part of our responsibility to all levels and all categories of Australian motor sport."

[Crash Test]

Does CAMS not understand or do they feel threatened?

But I agree that the AAA needs to convince a lot of people of their worth...

[RaceTime]

Normally I wouldn't comment on a media release issued by anyone, but in this case I have to seriously ask 'What the hell are CAMS playing at?'

This seems like one of two things, to me at least.

1. CAMS are getting desperate and they are under serious actual threat by AAA

or

2. They haven't learnt the lessons of the Bob Jane/CAMS legal battles from the early 90's and still believe that they are the be-all and end-all of Australian motor sport...

My first question to Dr. Nethercote then is - next time I am officialing at a CAMS sanctioned event, I want to see a copy of the insurance policy that you say gives me such wonderful coverage. I can see the AAA policy, I can see Wakefield's policy - funnily enough, I can't see yours. Is ASIC aware of this?????

[RaceTime]

Originally posted by Crash Test
Does CAMS not understand or do they feel threatened?

But I agree that the AAA needs to convince a lot of people of their worth...

Why should AAA have to convince people of 'their worth'?

They are providing cover for motor race events just as CAMS do - but CAMS would have you believe that they are the only ones capable of doing this.

Any respect I had left for CAMS just got flushed...

[GTRMagic]

Do CAMS actually have an insurance policy or do they self-insure? Having worked for companies that self-insure... seriously scary stuff!!!

I think the statement is odd, but seems to be coming from a position where they are suggesting CAMS are the only body that should be allowed to operate motor racing events in Australia by some interestingly worded scaremongering.

[RaceTime]

Exactly what it appears.

I have contacted Winton - they weren't even aware of the release (as usual, CAMS did their normal 1645 issue of a release such as this to - it appears - stop any reply on the day it goes out).

Winton will eb issuing a statement of their own - will post that when I receive it.

[GTRMagic]

CAMS dont have a lock on late afternoon press releases...

Is there an argument that the AAA may be materially damaged from the content of the statement issued by CAMS?? If no officials turn up, and it can be linked to the words in the CAMS statement, there could be some dancing going on.... if AAA has the $$ behind them to pursue it

[Onlooker]

CAMS are in the mindset to lose court cases so ,situation normal

[BFC]

Originally posted by RaceTime
Normally I wouldn't comment on a media release issued by anyone, but in this case I have to seriously ask 'What the hell are CAMS playing at?'

This seems like one of two things, to me at least.

1. CAMS are getting desperate and they are under serious actual threat by AAA

or

2. They haven't learnt the lessons of the Bob Jane/CAMS legal battles from the early 90's and still believe that they are the be-all and end-all of Australian motor sport...

My first question to Dr. Nethercote then is - next time I am officialing at a CAMS sanctioned event, I want to see a copy of the insurance policy that you say gives me such wonderful coverage. I can see the AAA policy, I can see Wakefield's policy - funnily enough, I can't see yours. Is ASIC aware of this?????

how about at the next big race meeting (Sandown 500)we all ask to see copy of insurance policy be4 we sign on..wouldnt that tie up the system. i have been in motorsport for 16 yrs and have not yet seen insurance details at any race meeting,,just been one of the sheep following the guy in front,presuming i have insurance coverage at lest AAA prepared to show us

[RaceTime]

I have a very sneaky suspicion that something like this may well soon be done at various tracks...

[GTRMagic]

Can I watch the fireworks??

[RaceTime]

Why not light the fuse instead?

[harderfaster]

I think CAMS are a bit pi$$ed that AAA's entry form states that entrants are covered by CAM Personal Accident Insurance

[RaceTime]

Yes - that was admitted yesterday it was a mistake.

[GTRMagic]

As ever though, there are ways and means of discussing things, it could be an amenable discussion in a meeting of the minds, but instead the war continues.

Very clever... not!

[SAMS]

I think it could have been a mistake. I believe orginally the entry form was sent to CAMS to get approval to run the event under CAMS. I believe that CAMS held the entries up for nearly two weeks way past opening date of the event. Then made major increase in the permit fee which were unacceptable to Winton. Winton were prepaired to negotiate but CAMS would not so AAA was brought in. The entry form was modified and there was a small error in that pit crew were covered under CAMS Insurance. They will be definetly covered under AAA insurance which is supposed to be better than CAMS. I am not sure but if Winton has a track licences and the pit crew are CAMS members they may well be covered by CAMS insurance.

[RaceTime]

This sounds just like the NSW CAMS office - very efficient and always on time - NOT!

[RaceTime]

And the following has now been issued by Winton:

AN OPEN LETTER TO AUSTRALIAN MOTORSPORT

After 45 years of conducting motor race meetings our organization has reached a point where our relationship with CAMS has deteriorated to a point where we have been forced to look at a new way of doing business in the sport.

Negotiations with CAMS broke down recently when we were unable to get the Permit Fee for the Australian Historic Motor Festival reduced to the $10,000 listed for a National Historic meeting. In the past such events have been conducted at Winton under a CAMS Permit with payment of the standard historic fee.

Our Board has made the decision to use the alternative for the sanctioning of the Australian Historic Motor Festival and other activities at the raceway.

The Australian Auto-sport Alliance (AAA) will be used to provide the Rules and Insurance for the conduct of the meeting.

The Australian Auto-sport Alliance has been formed by a number of leading Australian motor racing circuits to provide a structure to allow motor sport competitors to have an alternative when making the choice in conducting an event.

Public Liability insurance has been placed with three Lloyds of London syndicates to cover Australian Auto-Sport Alliance events.

Personal Accident insurance is also in place to cover officials and competitors. This insurance has been placed with the same underwriters you have been insured with in the past except the benefits of our Personal Accident cover are far in excess to what you have had in the past (insurance details are available).

We are now in a position to be able to offer Public Liability and Personal Accident Insurance to groups and organizations that conduct events at our facilities. This insurance has been structured in such a manner to provide cost effective cover for motorsport and will allow for a reduced premium to be offered for those organizations wishing to avail themselves of this opportunity.

Australian Auto-Sport Alliance rules have been produced in such a fashion that we should be able to put the fun back into the sport as we know that motor racing is your chosen hobby and you should be allowed to enjoy your hobby.

We ask you to support this event and place your trust in our 45 years of experience in motor racing and come along and enjoy a safe and cost effective weekend of motor racing.

All of our normal officials will be there to help you have a great weekend of fun.

Yours faithfully,

MICHAEL J. RONKE
Chief Executive Officer
Winton Motor Raceway Pty. Ltd.

[GTRMagic]

Interesting release.... I know this is a historic meeting, and licence upgrades wont be at the top of mind, but if AAA is used on say a state championship round, and a driver is trying to get off P plates, or indeed progress from C3 to C4, will the AAA rules & officialdom be able to sign off on a CAMS-issued driver's licence?

Or does it act like the AUSCAR vs CAMS nightmare, where the threat of CAMS licence cancellation was always in the air??

[RaceTime]

CAMS licences won't, AFAIK, be recognised as such BUT, having said that, Wakefield Park recognises them for their permitted events as the basis for accreditation and experience. Wakefield don't, and can't, sign off on CAMS licences at their own events and I would suspect the same would be true of any AAA meeting at Winteon.

Officials licences, however, are a totally different issue - there is nothing in place to force an official to have any form of licence and, indeed, the way CAMS NCR's/rules are written, it is illegal to force anyone to produce a CAMS licence.

[RaceTime]

And further to Winton's response - I expect some clarification from them on some of the issues you have raised GTR - so stay tuned.

[GTRMagic]

I still like the idea of parlaying the circuits into a single entity and managing them as one unit. Its better than a loose alliance that seems to be the case now.

I guess there arent any visionaries with money in the sport to look long term at such capital-intensive assets.

The bigger question than who will be where next year in terms of circuits is the long term strategy for the race tracks in this country. There seems to be no golden plan to build new circuits, to bring street circuits under the wings of the local permanent tracks...

... especially with population growth and housing densities pushing out places like Calder, Oran Park and possibly even Eastern Creek in the short to medium term

This would be within the remit of CAMS I would have thought, surely they have enough bright people around and about that can have such goals, visions, dreams and do's...

[RaceTime]

The tracks themselves won't go for it - was tried a few years ago but Eastern Creek steadfastly refuses to join (they know how to do things better than anyone else - witness their involvement in Formula Alfa or whatever it is called this year); and Phillip Island and Sandown want their own way of doing things.

[GTRMagic]

Perhaps part of TC's job description should be to help develop and ultimately execute a plan that will see motor racing circuits to survive beyond the middle of next week....

Even if CAMS officials have to stop driving expensive European cars for a few years to be able to afford it....

[RaceTime]

Expensive European cars?

Don't know who you mean

(ordinary shoes would possibly help as well...)