By Bruce Williams
Date posted: 11 September 2026
British-based EM Motorsport, a global supplier of timing and safety technology to Formula 1, MotoGP and Le Mans, has acquired Melbourne’s Dorian Timing Systems. With EM Motorsport saying that the purchase will secure the long-term future of one of Australian motorsport’s most familiar names.
The deal, announced on Thursday, sees EM Motorsport take on the IP assets of Dorian Timing Systems. Dorian is an Australian company whose DATA-1 timing system and precision transponders have been the electronic backbone of circuit racing, karting and club events across Australia and New Zealand for decades.
The company claims to have several important clients including the Supercars Championship, The Bend Motorsport Park and Natsoft are among the operators who rely on Dorian hardware weekend after weekend.
Dorian, from Melbourne to the world’s biggest tracks
EM Motorsport is no small operator. The Northampton-based business, founded in 2003, supplies FIA-homologated safety hardware, LED electronic flag panels, marshal signalling devices, telemetry units and Accident Data Recorders (ADRs) to Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, IndyCar, MotoGP and Le Mans, and to circuits including Monza, Suzuka and Brands Hatch.
Its arrival as Dorian’s new owner immediately links the Australian brand to that global network of elite motorsport clients.
Four decades of Australian precision
AUSCARs on the high banks of the Calder Park Thunderdome in November 1995, an early proving ground for the Dorian DATA-1 timing system. Image: Peter Weaver / Auto Action Archive.
Dorian has spent more than 40 years developing precision timing technology for motorsport. Its flagship DATA-1 system and high-accuracy transponders, capable of measuring lap times to 1/10,000th of a second, have become the standard electronic timing infrastructure for the region, from grassroots events through to top-level competition.
One of the original proving grounds for the DATA-1 was the high banks of Bob Jane’s Calder Park Thunderdome superspeedway, and the system grew from there.
Ian Robson, who acquired Dorian in 2004 and has served as Managing Director since, said finding the right custodian for the technology and its customer base was a priority.
“When I acquired Dorian back in 2004, our goal was to enhance the precision timing system that Australian motorsport could depend on weekend after weekend. I am immensely proud of what our team achieved and the trusted standard Dorian has become,” Robson said.
“Over the past 22 years, we have enhanced the timing system with more modern electronics and added new features such as MultiDriver and Dorian Data Link Technologies.
“It was very important to me that Dorian’s technology and its customers were put in the right hands for the future. EM Motorsport understands both the technology and the demands of motorsport, and I’m delighted that they will continue to develop the product and ensure the Dorian name remains part of racing in this region for many years to come.” Robson concluded.
Alitrax to handle local support
Under the agreement, EM Motorsport will maintain and develop the Dorian brand in Australia and New Zealand, with regional partner Alitrax providing trackside supply, hardware servicing and day-to-day customer support.
Existing Dorian customers, timekeepers and circuit managers will continue to access product support, spares and service through established channels, coordinated between EM Motorsport and Alitrax.
‘A real opportunity to invest’
EM Motorsport CEO Luca De Angelis said continuity was the immediate focus, with investment in the technology to follow.
“Dorian is a trusted name that has been part of Australian and New Zealand motorsport, and we recognise the responsibility that comes with taking it forward,” De Angelis said.
“Our priority is continuity, making sure existing customers continue to receive the products, servicing and support they rely on. From there, we see a real opportunity to invest in the technology and build on Dorian’s legacy for the next generation of motorsport.
“Working with Alitrax gives us an experienced partner on the ground and means customers will continue to have dedicated local support.”
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