Australian Super Sedan Association

Frequently Asked Questions.  ( FAQ’s)

As of 5^th May 2009

 

Q. Do drivers still have to be a member of their club as they are now.?

A.    Yes. I think it is important to remain a member of the local clubs and support them. I intend to remain a club member and sponsor at the Swan Hill Motor Racing Club.

 

Q. To obtain their NASR Licence, Infringement Card and Rego etc do they still use the same channels as they do Now, eg through their Club to State (SSA of NSW Inc) etc?

A.    Yes, at this stage, but it may depend on how fruitful our discussions are with Speedway Sedans Australia/ASCF. This would be the preferred option but we do need to investigate the option of self assessment that the ACSF used at the National Title in Lismore. Car owners and drivers filled in check sheet to confirm that safety equipment met the current specifications prior to scrutineering. I believe that this concept can be expended to include all aspects of the car with significant penalties imposed if it is found to be noncompliant. This is certainly something that the National Super Sedan Association can investigate further.

 

Q. State Titles: Will this be the same as now, completely run by State Assoc of NSW, eg, nom forms sent out by our State Assoc. Will the Nat Super Assoc only help coordinate or take complete control of state titles?

A.     Yes. The state associations would definitely control the event and all the associated administration. The National Super Sedan Association through its membership in each State would help with the co-ordination of Title race dates so that we don't have State Titles in Victoria and Tasmania on the same night etc. This deprives many drivers the opportunity to compete and also deprives the spectators of seeing the best possible race meeting. A National Super Sedan Association would source potential sponsors for both State and National events but to do that, we have to guarantee a professionally organized and a well run event. The final outcome has to be of benefit to the sponsors, competitors and spectators in order to grow the division.

 

Q. Is the intent of Nat Super Assoc to completely control Super specifications and print their own spec book?

A.    Yes. This is the single most important issue that has instigated the formation of National Super Sedan Association. Every active car owner will be involved in a very transparent process designed to arrive at a very concise rule book. I expect that it will just be an up to date version of what we have now but with the removal of all the ambiguous issues. The car owners will then decide how long they want it locked in for in order to guarantee some longer term certainty in engine configurations and technical specifications.

 

Q. Is this a move to completely remove Super Sedans from Speedway Sedans Aust control?

A   That is not the plan.  If we can fix the technical issues and help promote the division, then we all win. Hopefully Speedway Sedans Australia/ASCF have the same fundamental aim and that we can work together. There doesn’t seem to be a current transparent democratic process within the ASCF that gives every Super Sedan owner a say particularly in technical specifications. The very latest referendum on engine specifications has now created a huge issue for every owner. We are at the end of a season and owners are now faced with a huge problem because they can't proceed with their engine program due to the uncertainty created by referendum. In the future, the National Super Sedan Association would manage the referendum / voting process after a particular issue has been raised at state level. It is fair to say that the current referendum on engine capacity only goes to demonstrate that the ASCF don’t have a good understanding of the needs of the majority of Super Sedan competitors and don’t have procedures in place to gather a more representative view on this type of issue. The National Super Sedan Association would be designed to fill this role.

 

Q.   Why do we need another speedway organisation?

A.   The Super Sedan division is arguably the premier sedan division in Australia with the greatest capital investment but we don’t have a democratic say in how it is run. There is a total lack of transparency through the ASCF and it is time to stand up and create an organisation with the specific mandate to look after Super Sedans. Every registered Super Sedan owner will have an open and transparent process in order to put his view across and then have the right to vote on the matter.

 Q.   How will I get a say?

A.   Each State will set up a State based Super Sedan Association. Many states already have this model in place. Every member will be entitled to put his/her views forward for discussion and debate. Good ideas that meet with state based approval will proceed to the National Committee. If the idea is sound and meets the intent of fostering and promoting the division, the national committee will place the proposal on the web site for comment prior to the vote. Comment periods would typically be 7 days followed immediately by a vote of all eligible voters. You may choose to vote at any time through the 7 day period. The forum discussion will continue until the close of voting. The actual votes will be displayed at the close of voting for all to see.

Q,   How will the interim committee be formed?

A.   A candidate for the interim committee should be an active registered car owner, driver or manufacturer preferably with a business background and the suitable amount of time available to contribute to the committee. The candidate then needs to be endorsed by the majority of registered Super Sedan car owners at a designated meeting attended by a proportionally representative group of super sedan owners. The intent is to have a candidate on the committee that can secure the majority vote of a lage group of active Super Sedan owners. This will ensure that we have the right committee members that have the respect and designated responsibility to represent that particular state.

Q.   How long will the interim committee be in place?

A.   The interim committee will serve at least the first 12 months in order to establish state based Super Sedan associations where required and establish sound relationships with other speedway organisations. The makeup of the committee will be reviewed constantly to ensure that compliance with the intent of this document.

Q.   What will be the structure of the NSSA ?

A.   The National Super Sedan Association will be a committee formed comprising representatives from each state based Super Sedan Association. An interim committee will be formed first starting with a representative from Victoria. Victoria has endorsed Ron Bergmeier as the interim committee member at a meeting of registered car owners on the 25^th April 2009.  The interim committee will grow as various states appoint members.

Q.  How will this impact the existing State Super Sedan Associations?

A.   The existing State Super Sedan Associations will form the backbone of the national association. The State associations will still co-ordinate all the state based racing series and member support programs. Additional opportunities will include organising dates for State titles so that competitors have the opportunity to compete at each one with out date clashes. Packaging state titles and national titles into a format that would be more appealing to sponsors whilst minimising costs to competitors.

Q.   How are members kept informed of what is going on?

A.   Members will be kept informed through the Sate based Super Sedan associations and the National Super Sedan Association website. We plan to use various forms of the speedway media to also showcase the Super Sedan division and provide information and technical support to all members.

Q.  Who gets a vote?

A.   Eligible voters would include all active registered car owners. That is, any registered owner of a Super Sedan that actually competed at a designated Super Sedan programmed race meeting during the immediate past season or is active in the current season. This allows a voting process to take place in the early stages of each season before many of the cars are registered. If an individual has 2 or more active registered Super Sedans, he/she is entitled to a vote for each active Super Sedan.

Q.   How will voting take place?

A.   The National Super Sedan Association will develop an Internet based Web site. All news and information will be placed on the site for all to see. A secure part of the site accessible to active registered car owners will be used to lodge all votes before the nominated closing date and time. Immediately after the voting closes, the voting page will be accessible to all eligible voters to inspect the result and see how each eligible voter voted.  I will be able to see how you all voted and you will be able to see how I voted. There will be an option for those choosing not to vote for any reason so that a result can always be achieved. A majority of 75% of the vote will be required to pass any proposal or amendment on technical specifications. Those members without access to Internet facilities will still receive information from their respective State and vote through their State Super Sedan association.

Q.   How much will it cost me?

A.   The State based Super Sedan associations will set any fees required but that will be decided and voted on by each member. Once formed, The National Super Sedan Association will investigate what becomes of our current fees paid to ASCF and NASR to determine whether some of those should rightfully stay within our organisation for our benefit.

Q.   What power will be NSSA committee have?

A.   The NSSA committee will have the power to act in good faith as required by law of any company directors. They will be required to administer the Not For Profit organization in a professional manner taking into account all financial and regulatory obligations. The committee will organise and facilitate the business and administration requirements of the organisation but at the end of the day, each committee member will only have one vote. ( or 2 if they have 2 active registered Super Sedans as per the voting eligibility criteria.). You will be able to see their vote on the web site along with everyone else’s.

Q.   Explain what you mean by Development series.?

A.   Top level Super Sedans are very expensive and the racing is fast and furious. The commitment to enter the sport at this level is daunting to say the least. We need to introduce a national development series that uses exactly the same technical specification so that potential competitors can enter the sport or move up from other divisions. The development series would be the same as the Division 2 Super Sedans in Queensland. In addition, there is scope to create a national Super Sedan division based on The six cylinder classes in Tasmania and Western Australia. This would essentially be a chassis car with a quick change differential and Bert type gearbox. Members would determine wether to run the Holden and Ford style of body tyre width etc. These three Super Sedan categories would provide an ideal pathway for entry into and progression through the Super Sedan ranks plus provide a market for second hand equipment.

Q.   What role would ASCF/Speedway Sedans Australia have with regards to Super Sedans?

A.   If the pending discussions between the two groups prove to be mutually beneficial to the sport and the ASCF/Speedway Sedans Australia accept that a reform and cultural change is desperately overdue in the sport, there should be potential for both organisations to focus on their core objectives. The sport can only benefit in the long term. The reform process has to deliver a real sense of ownership and responsibility to the owners and drivers and the cultural change has to evolve whereby the ASCF/Speedway Sedans Australia realise that the greatest depth of experience and expertise available to the Super Sedan division actually resides within that division. To move forward, we only need to give that bank of expertise and experience an opportunity to  provide a stronger foundation for the sport.

Q.   Would the NSSA set race dates for State and National titles?

A.   The National Super Sedan Association will assist States with the allocation of State titles to minimise date clashes. This will allow all competitors the opportunity to participate at State Titles and further enhance the spectator and sponsor appeal of each title. The National Super Sedan Association will poll all members for their thoughts on the selection process for the National Title venue and format. This will then be a point for discussion with ASCF/Speedway Sedans Australia.

Q.   How would new Technical specifications be decided?

A.   Changes to the technical specifications for Super Sedans would be voted on by all registered car owners through the voting procedure described above. A 75% majority vote endorsing the proposed change would be required to implement the change. A large majority vote ensures that the proposed change is generally well accepted within the division. If we passed a rule change with a 51% majority, that would mean that nearly half of the division will be negatively affected and will therefore be unhappy with the result.