Latest / Rusty's Garage / The Motorsport Brief: A bonus episode with Australian GP CEO Travis Auld from Phillip Island

Transcript

The Motorsport Brief: A bonus episode with Australian GP CEO Travis Auld from Phillip Island · Rusty's Garage

• 0:02
  A listener production.
• 0:04
  Welcome to the Motorsport Brief.
• 0:06
  It's Friday, the 20th of October, 2023.
• 0:09
  The bikes are about to hit the track here at Phillip Island for the Guru by Griffin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
• 0:15
  And our guest today is overseeing the event and the team running it for the first time.
• 0:23
  G'day everybody, Greg Rust with you for this special bonus edition of the Rusty's Garage Shorty.
• 0:29
  MotoGP, the second and third tiers, Moto2 and Moto3 are on track for practice here today and some youngsters from our part of the world get to take centre stage as well as part of the Oceania Junior Cup.
• 0:43
  Hopefully there is another Casey Stoner or Jack Miller among them.
• 0:47
  Speaking of legendary Aussies, Gary McCoy stopped by to record a feature episode with me this morning.
• 0:53
  We will release that in the coming weeks.
• 0:56
  And don't forget Nick Harris, who they call the voice of MotoGP.
• 1:00
  That's out now.
• 1:01
  A two-parter for you over an hour of convo, plus a short cast with Christopher Mullen.
• 1:07
  He came back on the pod for a special Ireland preview.
• 1:11
  You'll enjoy that.
• 1:12
  had the pleasure of chatting with the new CEO of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, Travis Old, in the office here in the paddock.
• 1:21
  From his background in the AFL to gearing up for MotoGP this weekend and some thoughts on F1 at Albert Park too.
• 1:30
  First impressions are of an intelligent, an engaging and a consultative leader who is
• 1:36
  taking it all in but with a skill set to enhance these great Aussie sporting events.
• 1:42
  I hope you like getting to know him a little bit better.
• 1:45
  I certainly did.
• 1:48
  Travis, welcome.
• 1:48
  A little bit of time in the chair now.
• 1:51
  How are you finding it?
• 1:52
  Are you enjoying it?
• 1:53
  Thank you, Greg.
• 1:55
  I'm loving it.
• 1:56
  I'm a couple of months in.
• 1:58
  In some ways it feels like I'm a couple of years in and in other ways it feels like I'm a couple of minutes in.
• 2:01
  But it's...
• 2:03
  Look, I've spent 20 years, best part of 20 years in AFL.
• 2:08
  And so some of this stuff is familiar and quite a lot of it's actually quite new.
• 2:11
  And it's the new stuff that I'm loving, new people, learning new things.
• 2:16
  And it's been a lot of fun.
• 2:17
  Your chapter there with them is super impressive, your CV.
• 2:20
  What attracted you to this role?
• 2:22
  And are there things that you can bring across from what you learned in your time at the AFL that can be applied here?
• 2:30
  Look, hopefully.
• 2:31
  To answer your first part of your question, I love this weekend is the best example of what I love.
• 2:40
  I love big events.
• 2:42
  I love competitive sport.
• 2:44
  I love...
• 2:45
  working with a group of people to put something impressive on.
• 2:48
  And there's no doubt that the Australian Grand Prix Corporation does that and does it incredibly well.
• 2:53
  And so to be part of that and a proud Victorian and, you know, quite patriotic about what Victorians do in terms of events.
• 3:00
  So all that attracted me.
• 3:02
  What I think, to answer your direct question, I've been in the same –
• 3:08
  industry for a long time, to take something on that has, well, it's at the top of its game, but also that's got that sort of global element to it, was going to test me a bit and in some ways reinvigorate me.
• 3:21
  So loved every moment of my AFL experience.
• 3:24
  Don't have a bad word to say about AFL, but having been here for a couple of months now, I'm sure that I made the right decision.
• 3:30
  I'm loving it.
• 3:31
  Is there a little bit of petrol in the veins starting to creep through?
• 3:34
  Oh, well, I have to say there wasn't prior.
• 3:37
  But you had been to the Grand Prix before.
• 3:39
  You had been to Albert Park and taken the event in, hadn't you?
• 3:41
  Yeah, like most of Melbourne because it's a hell of an event.
• 3:45
  But what you find is like it's like anything.
• 3:48
  Once you're in it, you're all in.
• 3:50
  And so you think about like MotoGP is a good example where I'd really had a lot of exposure to MotoGP.
• 3:57
  But now, I mean, I'm...
• 3:59
  up watching every race and I'm looking at the results and, and MotoGP is a good example where it's easy to do because the championship, you know, it changed the leader changed twice in Indonesia last week.
• 4:09
  And, and so if you love sport and you love a close contest, then MotoGP is where you want to be right now.
• 4:16
  And so if you think about the weekend coming up, I'm looking forward to see what happens on track for someone who's only been involved for a couple of months.
• 4:22
  I'm really interested in watching that closely.
• 4:25
  But then our responsibility this weekend is to put an amazing event on off track.
• 4:28
  So, so,
• 4:28
  So I'm not sure that answers your question, but it's sort of all the above.
• 4:32
  We are talking on a magic day here at the island on the eve of the Australian Grand Prix, two-wheel weekend, as you rightly point out.
• 4:39
  Place looks so impressive.
• 4:42
  Is there a little wish list that you're starting to form on the two-wheel side that you might like to do in the years to come with this event as you get used to it?
• 4:51
  Well, I think the number one, if you start at a very macro level, is we want to keep the event here in Victoria.
• 4:59
  And so we've got a contract for the next few years and our aim is to extend that.
• 5:04
  And then if you talk about Phillip Island as a place, I think it's largely infrastructure, how do you improve the amenity for people coming along and...
• 5:14
  The fan experience.
• 5:14
  The fan experience.
• 5:15
  I mean, there's the on-track stuff and that will always continue and I think that never has a finish line.
• 5:19
  There's always stuff you need to do to keep up with the requirements on track and that's more than fair.
• 5:25
  But in terms of the fans, those that make an effort to get here deserve a really good experience.
• 5:30
  And so we want to make sure that that experience is firstly sort of A-grade but also then for people who...
• 5:37
  want to come with families or, you know, not necessarily here just for the racing, what are we putting on for them?
• 5:42
  And so we want to talk a lot about that.
• 5:44
  And we do that now and it's part of not just for MotoGP, for F1, is to cater for different demographics and make it the most inclusive as we can possibly be.
• 5:53
  before we get into the F1 side, we've had this habit of producing great Aussie riders over the years.
• 5:58
  There's a great photo of McDoin over your shoulder as we sit here.
• 6:01
  I mean, at the moment, you could look to Jack Miller, for example.
• 6:04
  This might sound like something that's a bit more geared to Motorcycling Australia or Dorna, but in a broad sense, are we doing enough to unearth the next kind of Jack Miller or McDoin?
• 6:15
  And like Formula One has done so well,
• 6:18
  with drive to survive to help tell their story to to our aussie audience so that we we put our arm around the loyal two-wheel fan but we also inspire or bring in the the younger generation fans as well
• 6:30
  It's a good question for someone who's been in the role for a couple of months because I'm not sure I've been around long enough to answer that properly other than to say a couple of things.
• 6:37
  One is like it is so much easier to promote an event when you've got locals competing in it.
• 6:43
  Like a Jack Miller.
• 6:43
  Like a Jack Miller.
• 6:44
  I see that.
• 6:45
  And Joel Kelso in –
• 6:48
  In Moto3.
• 6:49
  Yes.
• 6:49
  And so we want to see those pathways and kids come through those pathways.
• 6:55
  I went to an event at Crown last night with… Mick, Casey and Jack.
• 7:01
  Mick, Casey and Jack.
• 7:02
  And there was 800 people there.
• 7:04
  who did not move for an hour and listened to those guys be interviewed and were fascinated by every word they said.
• 7:13
  And they get the best of both worlds.
• 7:15
  They've got guys competing this weekend and they've got a guy who didn't lose very often, both ends of the spectrum.
• 7:21
  And we've had Wayne Gardner.
• 7:22
  involved in a couple of things over the weekend so we're blessed um in terms of past champions but also those coming through um i don't know the answer to the question about are we doing enough there's probably never enough is what we would say um but if we can do any more as an organization to help uh support that then i think um we'd certainly be prepared to do that
• 7:40
  I'm glad you brought up Mick there in the event last night and so on.
• 7:44
  I mean, he's on the board.
• 7:45
  Mark Webb is on the board.
• 7:47
  How have those guys been to deal with for you early on?
• 7:49
  I mean, they bring motor racing experience, which is great, but both of them either in terms of corporate connections or in business have been very good as well, haven't they?
• 7:57
  Yeah, they've been incredible is the short answer.
• 8:02
  Both of them sort of reached out.
• 8:06
  Mark made an offer for me to come to one of the events in Europe and he showed me through the paddock, which he did, and introduced me around.
• 8:13
  Incredibly humble guy.
• 8:15
  But also a really genuine contributor around the board table, not just in relation to F1.
• 8:20
  He has views about – he's got a much broader skill set than driving a car, I've got to tell you, and that probably won't surprise you because you've probably known him a lot longer than me.
• 8:28
  So there's that.
• 8:29
  And then Mick, likewise, with the two wheels, except that he's got his son racing F2, and so he's sort of got a bit of a foot in both camps as well.
• 8:37
  He knows the F1 guys really well.
• 8:39
  He knows the Dorner guys well.
• 8:41
  You can ask him a question about MotoGP and he'll have a view on it.
• 8:45
  Yeah.
• 8:46
  And he has a view, Mick.
• 8:47
  That's what you notice with Mick is he's prepared to have a view.
• 8:50
  So I think as an organisation, as a board, we're very fortunate to have them.
• 8:54
  These are voluntary roles.
• 8:56
  They wouldn't do too much voluntarily, those guys.
• 8:57
  They wouldn't need to.
• 8:59
  And so we're very, very lucky and I don't think we take that for granted, the contribution they make and the profile they give us as an organisation.
• 9:08
  They give us a voice that matters because you get people like me running around telling you how to run a race.
• 9:13
  Not too many people are going to listen.
• 9:15
  You hit the ground running, I think, didn't you?
• 9:17
  And join the dots here if I don't quite get this right.
• 9:19
  But, I mean, there were promoter meetings in Europe.
• 9:21
  I think you went to Monza as well.
• 9:22
  Is that right?
• 9:23
  How was all of that?
• 9:24
  And what were kind of the things, the takeaways for you from that?
• 9:27
  Yeah.
• 9:28
  So my – that's right.
• 9:29
  My initial sort of –
• 9:33
  few months in the role, the plan was always just to sit back and watch.
• 9:36
  We've got obviously Phillip Island this weekend.
• 9:38
  We've got Albert Park in March.
• 9:39
  It was a good opportunity for me to spend the first few months just getting to know people and so getting around and meeting as many people as I can, including our own staff and spending some time with them.
• 9:49
  And that included, I was very lucky that F1 guys had a promoter conference in London for a couple of days, sort of three or four weeks into the role.
• 9:59
  So I took the opportunity to, the weekend before, go to Monza just for the Friday.
• 10:03
  Excellent.
• 10:04
  Mark said, come on the Friday.
• 10:06
  It's the best day.
• 10:07
  I can show you around the paddock.
• 10:08
  Saturday, Sunday gets a bit hectic.
• 10:10
  And so I did that with Mark, which was brilliant.
• 10:14
  He sort of, he knows everyone.
• 10:16
  And so we did that.
• 10:18
  And then on the Saturday, Sunday, I went to Catalonia and met the Dorner guys.
• 10:25
  And I didn't know much about F1.
• 10:29
  I knew less about MotoGP.
• 10:30
  And so I know a whole lot more right now, but still not much.
• 10:33
  And seeing that event live is incredible.
• 10:37
  I was totally blown away by MotoGP live.
• 10:40
  I think it's one of those sports.
• 10:41
  And people who are listening have probably done this a lot of times, so I'm catching up.
• 10:44
  But it's such a good product live.
• 10:48
  And I think if you get someone there once, there's a good chance you're going to get them back again or you're certainly going to get them watching on television.
• 10:54
  And so I had within a period of – and then I went to London for five days, spent a couple of days just with the F1 guys before the conference.
• 11:00
  So in a period of sort of seven days, I got to do a bit of a lap of the –
• 11:07
  sort of MotoGP guys and the F1 guys, and come back and sort of had, you know, service level, but early relationships with people that might have normally taken a year or two to build in the first six weeks.
• 11:18
  And then we've got the event, Phillip Island.
• 11:21
  So now I've met, you know, the Erda guys and, you know, all those that sort of put on the event.
• 11:25
  So I feel like I'm doing a lot of cramming, but at least I can put a face to a name.
• 11:30
  We'll grab a quick break here.
• 11:31
  More with the Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO, Travis Old from Phillip Island in just a few moments.
• 11:39
  You're listening to a special bonus ep of Rusty's Garage, a short cast with the CEO of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, Travis Old, who has been appointed to the role or was appointed to the role in July this year.
• 11:52
  We are chatting to him on the eve of the Australian Grand Prix here at Phillip Island.
• 11:57
  Let's get back to the convo now.
• 12:01
  Ticket sales for next year's F1 race at Albert Park was snapped up insanely, insanely fast.
• 12:06
  And that's prompted, you know, probably I would imagine in your shoes, maybe some thoughts around capacity or what we can do in other ways for fans to enjoy the experience.
• 12:18
  Because they're going to be such a massive crowd.
• 12:19
  And we have had that over the last couple of years there, haven't we?
• 12:22
  Yeah, and I think the first conversation we have as a management team is that we don't take that for granted, that if you just rest on your laurels and think that's going to continue, I promise you it won't.
• 12:31
  And so our job is to give the people that are coming along now the best experience and a better experience than they expect.
• 12:37
  Mm-hmm.
• 12:38
  and we had over 35% of the people that attended last year's F1 event were first-timers, which is extraordinary numbers.
• 12:45
  It's a staggering percentage, yeah.
• 12:46
  It's amazing.
• 12:47
  You don't see, I don't imagine, in many sports.
• 12:50
  And so that's 444,000 people last year.
• 12:52
  35% of those, just over, were there for the first time.
• 12:55
  They're younger and more females.
• 12:57
  It is the dream of every sport.
• 13:00
  And most are sort of experiencing certainly at least an ageing supporter base.
• 13:06
  And so that's a wonderful opportunity for us if we're prepared to take it.
• 13:09
  Yes.
• 13:09
  And taking it means that we need to think differently about the experience we put on and that needs to be sort of segmented between those that are coming because I just want a good seat because I don't want to miss one second of what's on the track, right through to those that love the noise in the background.
• 13:23
  but want to bring their kids and have a bit of fun and their kids don't want to go home in a hurry and then they can watch it.
• 13:27
  And so, and everything in between, which is easy to say, hard to achieve, but that's our job.
• 13:32
  And that's the thing we're keen to set about doing.
• 13:36
  At a sporting level, I mean, they've had immense success off the back of Drive to Survive.
• 13:40
  We'll probably get a kick along from the Brad Pitt movie, which will be great as well.
• 13:43
  But...
• 13:44
  There's probably an argument for we've got to fence in these new people that have come on board with us because we don't want to lose them if for whatever reason, I don't know, domination of Max Verstappen changes the connection to the sport.
• 13:59
  Yeah, and so the initial view or the immediate reaction when you have a salad is to make the capacity larger.
• 14:07
  I'm less interested in that at the moment and more interested in making sure that we've, what did you say, put a fence around those that have come in?
• 14:12
  Put your arm around them.
• 14:13
  Yeah, put the arm around them and close the gates and make it hard for them to get out.
• 14:15
  So I want to make sure that the experience for those that are coming is so good that they want to come back.
• 14:24
  before we worry about increasing the capacity because numbers for numbers sake feels good but it needs to have some depth to it because Drive Survive and the like has played a role.
• 14:34
  There's no doubt about that.
• 14:35
  If that role tapers off, we've got to build a product that lives beyond that.
• 14:38
  Yes.
• 14:39
  And we've seen examples globally where organisations and codes have done that really well and others that haven't and we want to be the ones that's done it well.
• 14:48
  And probably the balance in that too is the experience that we give them.
• 14:51
  If they are first-timers, it can't just be about, you know, on my side, diehard motor racing stuff.
• 14:57
  It's got to be about music, entertainment, whatever it might be that we can capture those people, doesn't it?
• 15:05
  Absolutely it does, but not at the expense of those that love their racing.
• 15:08
  And so this is the challenge.
• 15:10
  The balance.
• 15:10
  That if you swing it too hard the other way,
• 15:13
  Those that have come along every race for the last 10 years... Can't lose them.
• 15:17
  ...they're going to say, hang on, mate, you forgot about me over here.
• 15:20
  So I still want my seat in Fangio and I'll make sure I've got the same seat and I'm loving it.
• 15:23
  And so don't let the guys who are going to come and go take my spot.
• 15:27
  And we care about them a lot.
• 15:28
  We care about them a lot because they're our core fan base.
• 15:32
  So we've got them...
• 15:33
  And what we do for others can't be at the expense of them and vice versa.
• 15:37
  So that's the challenge.
• 15:38
  But the opportunity you've got is you've got a track that's five kilometres long.
• 15:40
  You've got a lot of space.
• 15:43
  So it's not like a stadium where it's hard to combine the two experiences.
• 15:46
  So we've got enough space and assets to do it.
• 15:50
  And what I've been really pleased with so far is we've got a management team with the mindset to want to do it.
• 15:55
  So my job is to try and help provide the focus and the resources to make it happen.
• 16:00
  Been a bit of chat about supercars at Albert Park.
• 16:02
  I don't know what you can share.
• 16:04
  How's all that coming along?
• 16:05
  Um, really well.
• 16:07
  Um, I've been fortunate enough to know the guys who run supercars from a past life.
• 16:12
  And so I've got good relationships there.
• 16:14
  Um, if you talk about my experience of going to Monza, one of the things that, um, when you say that, sorry, when you, when you say that, you mean some of the race people, uh, Shane Howard, these guys that I've dealt with in, um, I was on the Gold Coast for five years with the AFL.
• 16:25
  And, and so I got to know those guys in a very social way and they're just good people.
• 16:30
  And so it's always easier to do, easier to do business with good people.
• 16:33
  Mm.
• 16:35
  But I'm jumping around.
• 16:36
  But one thing that blew me away was when I went to Monza and I talked to a couple of the team principals and I'd say to them, hey, what would – I talked to a James Vowles, for example.
• 16:45
  I said, James, what would – if you were me, what would you do differently?
• 16:49
  What would you keep?
• 16:50
  And one of the things that him and a couple of others is like, we love the supercars.
• 16:53
  Excellent.
• 16:54
  Excellent.
• 16:54
  And maybe you knew that idea, but I was surprised.
• 16:57
  It's like, yeah, okay, you're going to talk about a category different than yours.
• 17:00
  And they love the closeness of the racing.
• 17:03
  They love the noise.
• 17:04
  They love the aggression of the drivers.
• 17:08
  So it's clearly – we love it.
• 17:12
  As Australians, we love it.
• 17:12
  We know it's a big part of our event.
• 17:16
  But to see that on an international scale, they also love it, tells me they've got an important place or reminds me.
• 17:22
  I think we already knew that.
• 17:23
  And so things move around and we've got more content now with F2 and F3, but we're going to make sure that's not at the expense of the supercars.
• 17:32
  And so, again, the team have been very focused on that and I'm confident we're heading in the right direction.
• 17:39
  Excellent.
• 17:39
  I think you told my colleague, Cam Vandendungan, on his radio show too, that James Vowles was a big fan of the Melbourne Walk.
• 17:44
  And I love that because, you know, what fans get treated to as the drivers arrive there is another thing that makes our round at Albert Park unique in the 24 events that are offered globally.
• 17:57
  So that's cool to think that resonates so well with a team principal like that.
• 18:02
  Yeah, I mean, and everyone loves to own a good idea, but I know that even here at Phillip Island,
• 18:08
  With the Heroes Walk.
• 18:10
  That now has been copied at other circuits and they've renamed it and think they invented it, but we'll remember we invented it.
• 18:16
  But there's been a few of those things that you look around and you talk to others that our team here have been very inventive and innovative and thought about different ways to do things.
• 18:26
  And just, I suppose it might be the same everywhere, I'm assuming it is, but certainly in Australia, we like to get close to the athletes.
• 18:32
  We like to get up close to them and that does that.
• 18:37
  And so we want to make sure we continue to build it.
• 18:39
  And again, that's a great example of something we don't want to take for granted.
• 18:42
  We want to think about how we do it better next year and continue to grow it.
• 18:45
  Cool.
• 18:45
  A couple to finish because you've been great with your time here and I know it's a busy weekend at Phillip Island, so thank you.
• 18:51
  The track invasion at Albert Park incensed me, right?
• 18:55
  There was a huge amount of messaging all weekend around safety, about not doing that until the course car had come through at the end of the race.
• 19:01
  Deep down, I would like to think that true motorsport fans wouldn't do that, that they would respect the safety.
• 19:07
  And I'm not sure what you can or can't share.
• 19:10
  So again, I'll respect that because there's been lots of talk and an inquiry into it and so on.
• 19:15
  But I just hope that we can keep that wonderful celebration for fans where they get to take in the podium when it happens at the end there.
• 19:21
  Because that sea of people is something to behold for not just motor racing, but Australian sport.
• 19:29
  Yeah, and it'd be a shame to lose it.
• 19:30
  I mean, what's happened has happened, and there's a range of reasons for that in our view.
• 19:35
  But we're working closely with FIA on that.
• 19:40
  We're also working pretty tirelessly internally on just what additional measures could be put in place given that's happened to protect that part of the experience
• 19:50
  Where we get to, I don't know.
• 19:51
  It's too early and there's a bunch of conversations going on that we aren't ready to share just yet.
• 19:55
  But in short, I agree with you.
• 20:00
  I think it's an experience really well enjoyed by our fans and a big part of the event.
• 20:07
  It wraps up the weekend so nicely, I think, when it's done right.
• 20:09
  I mean, to put this back into the code that you've come from, and I have nephews who play AFL juniors for the Giants.
• 20:17
  I've had a buddy from school who played for the Swans at a junior level.
• 20:21
  When we've had the chance to go onto the Sydney Cricket Ground or the very rare chance to go onto the MCG, you respect that.
• 20:28
  It's not done often.
• 20:30
  You don't take that sort of stuff for granted.
• 20:32
  So that's, you know...
• 20:33
  Yeah, I was lucky enough to be part of Gil McLaughlin's farewell a few weeks ago.
• 20:41
  And one of the things that I reflected on chatting to him and with a bunch of others was you often get thought about as a CEO in terms of the big things, broadcast deals and whatever else.
• 20:51
  For me, one of the most powerful things he did was reintroduce kick to kick after the final siren.
• 20:56
  Excellent.
• 20:56
  And the insurers didn't love it and there was all these issues with the grass and whatever else.
• 21:00
  But if you can find your way through those things –
• 21:03
  to finish a game and see a bunch of kids sprint out towards that center square and uh and then enjoy running around where the heroes are just means a lot to them and so for me that they're the things that really matter um when you've got responsibility for putting on an event or running a code to get your fans closer to the action um and closer to the heroes um is a wonderful legacy if you can make it happen
• 21:25
  Definitely.
• 21:25
  You can still get tickets to the event this weekend.
• 21:27
  MotoGP.com.au is the place you can go to find out all the details.
• 21:31
  Travis, thank you for talking to us.
• 21:32
  Go well in the relatively new role.
• 21:36
  And as you rightly pointed out before, in two-wheel terms, we have one of the most competitive championships happening right now.
• 21:43
  This is whether you're a motor racing fan or a non-motor racing fan, you'll thoroughly enjoy the experience.
• 21:49
  So come on down and do that.
• 21:50
  Thank you.
• 21:50
  Thanks, Regan.
• 21:51
  I appreciate you having us.
• 21:52
  Cheers.
• 21:53
  That's it for this special bonus ep of the pod.
• 21:56
  On the four-wheel side, we're hoping to tackle the Ford parity issue for you in the coming weeks.
• 22:01
  I know that you've been asking about that on socials.
• 22:04
  And in the lead-up to the TCR World Tour coming down under for both Sydney Motorsport Park and Bathurst, those back-to-back events in early November, the Barguanas.
• 22:14
  are going to join us for a feature ep.
• 22:16
  Not one, but two.
• 22:18
  You get double the value.
• 22:19
  Jason and Ben Barguana, keep an eye out for notifications on that in the weeks ahead as well.
• 22:25
  Have a fantastic weekend, everybody.
• 22:26
  If you are riding down here, ride safely and come and say g'day.
• 22:30
  Bye for now.