MOTORSPORT Australia has a new supremo at the helm, and he’s quickly making a good impression.

V8 Sleuth catches up with Josh Blanksby to discuss his background, his vision, the hot topic of infrastructure, and more.

QUESTION: G’day, Josh. We know you’ve come from the Melbourne Racing Club. But in terms of motorsport itself, do you have much of a background there?

JOSH BLANKSBY: From a professional perspective, Melbourne Racing Club operated Sandown, so it was a key revenue line for us running the motorsport track there.

In terms of my history, motorsport hasn’t been in my family or a sport I’ve been directly involved with other than as a fan.

I remember growing up on the Gold Coast and whenever Indy came to town, it was a big deal. And then there’s a connection through my son, who has shown a great interest in F1 like a lot of kids have. Otherwise it’s all quite new to me.

Q: So, why did the gig appeal to you?

JB: It’s more the opportunity that the sport has. I’ve probably attended five 12-year-old go-karting parties, there’s just that passion among kids. It’s a sport that’s global and has global appeal, and I think it’s a sport that’s on the rise.

So being part of that and helping an organisation that wears two hats, both being the regulator of the sport but also as a member-based organisation – there’s that secondary part to really helping grow its membership base and grow participation – that was exciting.

Q: Do you feel as though you’ll be able to bring fresh ideas to the table?

JB: I think so. I’m coming in with no biased views. I’m just looking at the sport as someone who hasn’t been inside the bubble. And as someone who was in horse racing for 10 years, I think at times it was a sport that was guilty of being in the bubble, like a lot of sports, to be honest.

What I will say is that people have such passion for motorsport and they want you to have that same passion, so when they’re explaining it to you, they’re really doing it not in a condescending way, they’re doing it in a way where they want you to feel what they feel about the sport. I’ve found that quite welcoming.

Even recently I went to South Australia to visit The Bend and Sam Shahin showed me around, and I was just blown away by not only the level of investment he’s put in and how good it is, but just how he sees how motorsport can bring people together. He’s gone and put his money where his mouth is.

As I’ve said to people internally, every day I get more excited about the opportunity.

Q: Is there a particular vision you have?

JB: I think it’s probably a little bit premature in terms of establishing that exactly. I’ve started at a very busy time in the calendar which has been great because I have been able to meet a lot of people and see people in action, but equally I’ve also just been observing. Things such as the Grand Prix and the launch of Supercars were already well in motion before I started, so I’m just allowing people to get through that.

What I would say is I am keen for Motorsport Australia to be seen as a welcoming organisation that is customer-focused. I think that’s something through no fault, but maybe just a few circumstances on the back of COVID and staff departures, where the organisation has become a little bit regulatory-focused. That always needs to be there because we are the FIA delegate and we are the national sporting organisation, but I  think we can still we can take that customer and member focus.

So I think the vision longer term is to be known in that regard and be known as people who are trying to facilitate more motorsport for more people.

Q: The Avalon project was a big-ticket item on the Motorsport Australia agenda not that long ago, but seems to have gone quiet. What can you say on that front?

JB: We might have missed the boat there, because now I think the airshow is back and a few other things, so Avalon is probably going to be turning more into a business park type of arrangement.

But infrastructure is a key strategic pillar that I’m keen to understand.

There are some amazing facilities that are privately owned and there are some other facilities that could do with some investment, and I think it’s important that we have an infrastructure network that services the top end of the sport but is also accessible as we move down through the categories and especially at grassroots level.

The feedback I’m getting at a club level is it’s extremely expensive for clubs to access infrastructure and have their club days and things.

It’s a unique sport where the professional and amateur arms meet so clearly. You don’t have grassroots clubs playing at the Gabba or on the MCG, yet we do that in motorsport. So how can we have that network of infrastructure that actually services the entire sport?

Pic: Mark Walker

Q: And it would be remiss of me not to ask about Sandown, given your history there and how its future has been a never-ending topic…

JB: I think its future is pretty positive. Obviously the decision has been made by the current executive and board at the Melbourne Racing Club for Sandown to maintain the facility. I’m acutely aware that motorsport was a very important part of the revenue and profit from that venue.

In early meetings I’ve had with Melbourne Racing Club representatives, they’ve indicated that they’re looking to invest into the motorsport facilities, which for a long time hasn’t been invested into at a significant level. So I think all of a sudden Sandown now does become part of a future infrastructure network we can look at.

It’s somewhat ironic from my perspective, I get it, but it’s also exciting that there is another major historical motorsport track that the owner sees a future in. I think the business model has shifted there in the positive because of things such as track days and people using single-track licences to go and enjoy the sport.

I’m pretty keen to work closely with all owners to understand their business model and how all aspects of motorsport participants can enjoy it.

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