A new Parliamentary Friends of Motorsport group has been established, to help facilitate opportunities and discussions with members of Federal Parliament.
The group was celebrated and officially announced at a breakfast at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday morning with a number of high-profile guests in attendance, including the Minister for Sport Anika Wells and Australian Sports Commission CEO Kieran Perkins OAM.
Co-founders and federal parliamentarians Luke Gosling OAM and Bert van Manen officially welcomed the formation of the group.
"Motorsports are a massive part of Australian life, and we've formed this group to promote and grow this exciting sector," Mr Gosling said.
"We want to raise awareness of how multidimensional and economy-boosting sport this is.
"We need more people to understand the economic impact in regional Australia, and it is massive. In the Territory it's over 8.6 billion every year.
"This year's Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix will again set a record for the highest attended event in Australia - a shining example of the popularity of the sport that we can build on and use to grow all disciplines and events, particularly at club and state level.
"This week also sees the Repco Supercars Championship begin an exciting new chapter in its history and another big crowd will be in Newcastle ready to cheer some of our best drivers going head-to-head.
"While those national events are important, every weekend there are thousands of competitors and volunteers taking part in motorsport. From a club hill climb to a state karting event, or perhaps it's bikes doing laps on one of the many circuits around the country or a bustling drag racing meet or a well-attended Speedway event - the sport is thriving in 2023.
"We're very grateful to all members of Federal Parliament for their ongoing support."
