News 12 Jul 2013

Motorcycling Australia aiming to fast-track national calendar release

Motorcycling Australia is actively seeking to increase urgency in the organisation and release of national calendars, according to Motocross Commission (MXC) meeting minutes recently uploaded to MA's website.

The 2013 Australian Supercross calendar was released just last month. Image: Simon Makker/Makkreative.com.

The 2013 Australian Supercross calendar was released just last month. Image: Simon Makker/Makkreative.com.

Motorcycling Australia is actively seeking to increase urgency in the organisation and release of national calendars, according to Motocross Commission (MXC) meeting minutes recently uploaded to MA’s website.

The MXC has urged promoters to submit their proposed dates by 1 September of the preceding year, with a vision of finalising calendars for a November release.

This year’s MX Nationals, Australian Motocross Championship, calendar was unveiled in November last year, around five months before the season’s commencement.

However the Australian Supercross Championship calendar was released just last month in June, three months before September’s opening round in Darwin and well after budgets had been finalised for the 2013 season.

CDR Yamaha team owner Craig Dack yesterday spoke out regarding the matter as his team scrambles to budget for the upcoming SX season, which has since sparked mass debate throughout the industry regarding the organisation of series schedules. Click here for the complete story on Dack.

MA MXC chairman Mark Luksich today confirmed with MotoOnline.com.au that the release of series calendars sooner is high on the commission’s agenda for a variety of vital reasons.

“For various reasons, not only for some of the reasons that standout today to help teams better prepare their arrangements and budget requirements, but also to help the State Controlling Bodies,” Luksich explained.

“We like to set the national dates, then let the states have a go and then the clubs after that. It’s the right order to do things so everybody can be better organised in the sport.

“Regrettably, once we lost [Supercross Masters promoter] Phil Christensen then we probably didn’t have as much control as we should have. It has been very hard to get promoters since then to commit to dates within a reasonable time frame. I do understand though that venues aren’t that easy to lock down at preferred pricing.

“Now we have [International Entertainment Group’s] Yarrive [Konsky] on board at the moment, I think we have a better chance hopefully of having some influence and cooperation. He’s already given us our 2014 dates, which I’ve exposed to the teams, and it is a positive move.”

Williams Event Management managing director Kevin Williams also confirmed today that WEM is in the latter stages of organising dates for the 2014 Australian Motocross season.

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