Latest / Rusty's Garage / The Motorsport Brief - Josh Blanksby the new CEO of Motorsport Australia

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The Motorsport Brief - Josh Blanksby the new CEO of Motorsport Australia · Rusty's Garage

• 0:02
  A listener production.
• 0:04
  Welcome to the Motorsport Brief with a new name in the driver's seat of the governing body on the four-wheel side here in Australia.
• 0:12
  Hi, everybody.
• 0:12
  Rusty with you in the garage at Listener in Melbourne with another GP Week Motorsport Brief shortly to Josh Blanksby from Motorsport Australia.
• 0:20
  Quick reminder to check out some of the other shortcasts that we've recorded this week.
• 0:24
  One with Aussie F3 driver James Wharton on his Formula One MVX.
• 0:28
  plus the chance to meet the new commentators who will share that play-by-play role for supercars in 2026.
• 0:34
  Chad Nalon, Richard Crowell and Matt Nolte all drop by.
• 0:37
  Great convo, that one.
• 0:39
  And I think you'll come to appreciate what they all bring to the table.
• 0:42
  We get them in from time to time, but not often here on the Garage.
• 0:46
  Administrators, those on the gamekeeping side, if you will.
• 0:50
  There is a relatively new CEO at Motorsport Australia.
• 0:53
  It's nice to chat with you today.
• 0:54
  Josh, g'day.
• 0:55
  G'day, Rusty.
• 0:55
  Thanks so much for having me.
• 0:56
  Welcome.
• 0:57
  Share with people your background, if I pardon the pun.
• 1:00
  There is another kind of horsepower involved here, isn't there?
• 1:03
  Yeah, absolutely.
• 1:04
  I think my ongoing gag is that I've upgraded in the horsepower area.
• 1:07
  But yeah, no, so previously I was the CEO of the Melbourne Racing Club.
• 1:11
  which is a horse racing club that operates three tracks across Caulfield, Mornington and, ironically, Sandown, where we also ran the motorsport side of things.
• 1:19
  So, yeah, I was there for 10 years and a member-based organisation, so very similar to the Motorsport Australia aspect, but more on the venue side than where I've stepped now on the regulator side.
• 1:28
  Have you spent the past, I don't know how many weeks, months it is now, mate?
• 1:31
  I mean, invariably when you come into these things, you open eyes, take stuff in, talk with constituents.
• 1:37
  Just give us a sense of what the entree has been like to our side.
• 1:41
  Yeah, well, it's been five weeks and fair to say I'm drinking out of a fire hydrant.
• 1:45
  So, look, it's been fantastic.
• 1:47
  A very warm and welcoming community, the motorsport family is, and people do use that word family quite deliberately.
• 1:52
  And, look, it's been great.
• 1:53
  The team's had me on the road, so I've been at grassroots and club-level events.
• 1:57
  I was lucky enough to attend the first weekend of the supercars.
• 2:00
  And, obviously, now right on our doorstep is the biggest event we do in the Grand Prix.
• 2:04
  So, although it's been busy, it's been a really good time to start because I've been able to meet a lot of people.
• 2:08
  What's GP Week look like for you?
• 2:11
  Well, it'll be a lot of observing for me, to be honest, Rusty, because it'll all be a whirlwind.
• 2:14
  But look, something we're very proud of, I mean, a thousand officials that we provide to that event, which is just unbelievable.
• 2:21
  And someone from outside the sport, I was sort of blown away by that commitment and the skill level those people bring, and they're all doing it on a volunteer basis.
• 2:28
  So we'll be very much, you know...
• 2:30
  assisting those people as they go about their roles.
• 2:32
  Obviously, our team, you know, are sitting there in the stewards and the race control, making sure the event is safe, obviously dealing with FIA and the F1 powers that be during the week to make sure the event goes.
• 2:44
  But very much there as a service provider to ensure this event occurs and working with the Australian Grand Prix Corporation.
• 2:49
  In peeling back a bit more of your story, your history, your CV, if you will, you've got a long career in the sporting world, which you've given us a snapshot of, but in particular around kind of non-profit member organisations, don't you?
• 3:02
  Yeah, I do.
• 3:03
  And, you know, it's an interesting world, the non-profit.
• 3:05
  I mean, you know, there are people who are very passionate, you know, and the analogies between horse racing and motorsport are very real in that it's very deep passion.
• 3:12
  It's a generational people who support both of those types of sports and they've become very deep into it.
• 3:18
  Yeah, look, those roles as a non-for-profit are important.
• 3:21
  You know, I think the word non-for-profit's a bit of a misnomer.
• 3:23
  I think you're more non-for-loss because any money that you make, you reinvest into the sport, whether that's facilities, services to our members.
• 3:30
  So I'm very keen to sort of really understand our membership base.
• 3:34
  You know, we have 550 affiliated clubs.
• 3:37
  We also have close to 40,000 members, either competitors or through our volunteers and officials.
• 3:41
  So we've got a big job to do to service those people and make sure that they can continue to enjoy their motorsport when and where they want.
• 3:48
  That's great that you bring that up just around the whole kind of, let's call it misconception that people have sometimes around non-profit organisations.
• 3:54
  Are there other things like that as well?
• 3:56
  Yeah, look, I think it's really important that we are, as well as being the regulator, which is a very, very important role, and obviously risk and safety is a non-negotiable and we need to ensure that the motorsport events are safe.
• 4:07
  We are a service.
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  We need to be customer-centric and we need to provide those services because people have a choice.
• 4:11
  And I think member-based organisations need to always remember that.
• 4:15
  And it's important that people see a value in their membership and the service that we're providing and that also that we can find other ways to service those people so that they can enjoy the motorsport, whether it's at a local level, at their club level, which they're doing very for social reasons, right up to the high level competitors that we'll see this weekend.
• 4:32
  What about transferable skills, things along the way that you bring to the table from your history and does it apply?
• 4:39
  Yeah, look, something that I'm sort of proud of and something that I really want to bring is the stakeholder engagement.
• 4:44
  You know, that I think it's very important that we represent our members both at a government level, but also, you know, with the FIA at an international level and then, you know, with our promoters that we utilise.
• 4:54
  So I think that's very, very important.
• 4:56
  I'm very keen, you know, the more revenues that we can generate through the activities we do means the more we can invest back into the sport.
• 5:04
  I'm keen to examine our business.
• 5:06
  Opportunity.
• 5:06
  Yeah, opportunity in our businesses.
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  And you have to earn the right to seek those adjacent revenues.
• 5:12
  And I think we have to make sure that the current service we're providing is in absolute top shape.
• 5:16
  And we're excitingly going through a bit of a data project at the moment, which is really focused on understanding those 40,000 members we have, what their likes are.
• 5:25
  how many times they compete, what their preferences are to ensure that we can sort of, one, service them, but then also provide, you know, different, you know, members' benefits to those people.
• 5:35
  So we need to get our own backyard in order as an organisation, and then we need people to sort of start reaching out to us to see us as a support, maybe rather than have they have in the past as a bit of a regulator that might get in the way.
• 5:47
  Yeah, got you.
• 5:48
  That makes it a little bit of a tightrope in some respects because maybe a bit like you were talking about with horse racing, with the generational aspect, the history of the game.
• 5:58
  So you've got people that are deeply rooted in it in one sense.
• 6:01
  And we need to be very mindful of that, their deep connection to the game.
• 6:05
  But in the same breath, you clearly want to make it something that has longevity, that will grow from a youth perspective.
• 6:11
  And that's a balance, isn't it?
• 6:13
  Yeah, I think you've really summed that up well, Rusty, and it's something that we grappled with a lot in my previous role in horse racing.
• 6:18
  You have the enthusiasts or the, you know, pardon the pun, the rusted on people who will always be there and support it, and we have to make sure we're servicing those people because they are putting their time, their money committed to the sport
• 6:29
  But equally, what are the pathways we can find for people to connect to the sport?
• 6:33
  And as someone who doesn't come from that generational family, you know, I've got two kids, my son, 12, who's extremely interested in the sport.
• 6:41
  And it's interesting.
• 6:42
  He's more interested in it from the technical side of things.
• 6:44
  Yeah, he really, you know, and obviously Drive to Survive has driven a lot of that, but he's interested in that.
• 6:49
  So the opportunity through engineering and mechanical and technology that people can connect to the sport is really good.
• 6:56
  Whereas my daughter, who's 10...
• 6:57
  She's more interested in the media side and that sort of aspect and the marketing thing.
• 7:01
  So there are a lot of avenues you can get into this sport rather than just only being a driver.
• 7:06
  So I'm really keen to examine that.
• 7:09
  And obviously, programs that we have, such as Girls on Track and First Gear and these likes, are pathways.
• 7:14
  But how can we invest more into those programs so people feel they can have a connection?
• 7:19
  Because we'll be lucky enough here.
• 7:20
  We'll have more than 500,000 people who will attend this event this weekend.
• 7:24
  Mm-hmm.
• 7:25
  Now we want them to find another way to connect to motorsport for the other 364 days that they haven't been here.
• 7:31
  So how do we do that?
• 7:32
  How do we work with organisations such as Australian Grand Prix Corporation and supercars?
• 7:37
  You know, great news that KO have really invested into the sport.
• 7:41
  And we want to be a facilitator that actually allows those people to find a pathway into the sport.
• 7:46
  Yeah, beyond just being a driver, being a licence holder and so on.
• 7:50
  That sort of naturally extends then to the most probably, I think you could,
• 7:54
  share this across lots of sports organisations, and that is ensuring that we have a healthy volunteer base that continue to contribute around all of the aspects that we need to keep, pardon the pun, the wheels turning.
• 8:07
  Completely rusty.
• 8:09
  I mean, so 13,000 people are currently on our books as volunteers and officials, and I'm continually blown away by that number because it's people who are...
• 8:17
  are dedicated.
• 8:17
  They're committing a lot of time to that.
• 8:20
  So not only do we have to ensure we retain those people and provide them clear pathways, but also recruit new people so they see that.
• 8:28
  I mean, I'm amazed at this sport and I find it unique that the amateur side of it really meets the professional side pretty seamlessly.
• 8:35
  Not many sports do that.
• 8:36
  So you could start at a club level volunteering as a flaggy and have a pathway to be an F1 steward.
• 8:42
  That's remarkable.
• 8:43
  And so we have to ensure those pathways are clearly defined and people feel like, yes, if I commit to this in time, I will get educated and I'll develop and I can progress if I choose to right up the pathway.
• 8:53
  It's quite a unique selling point.
• 8:55
  To give them that engine room, the skills, the tools, if you will, to aspire in that regard.
• 9:01
  Yeah.
• 9:01
  Absolutely.
• 9:02
  We probably don't talk about those type of people, but we've got Matt Selle, highly regarded steward, and he'll be a steward this weekend at the F1s.
• 9:10
  It's remarkable.
• 9:11
  We've got David Morrie, who's a clerk of the course here at the Grand Prix.
• 9:14
  So these people, I mean, those pathways are there, as well as having Oscar Piastri.
• 9:19
  So I think it's another demonstration of the different ways you can connect to this sport and have a fantastic experience.
• 9:24
  career in it.
• 9:25
  Will you stick around just for a little bit longer?
• 9:27
  We're going to take a quick commercial break on this edition of the Motorsport Brief.
• 9:31
  We're with Josh Blanksby, the new CEO of Motorsport Australia.
• 9:34
  More in a moment.
• 9:38
  You're listening, watching the Motorsport Brief.
• 9:40
  Hope you're enjoying it.
• 9:41
  And we've got an administrator in the studio with us today, a new face at Motorsport Australia.
• 9:46
  Big reins that he's taking over, but he's coming in with a fresh set of eyes and taking an open-minded approach, I guess you could say, to this new phase.
• 9:55
  Josh Blanksby is with us.
• 9:56
  You were talking just prior to the break there, just around the officials today.
• 10:00
  What things in the five or so weeks where you've been in the chair, where you've naturally consulted with different people, are there things that you're hearing from them around, you know, stuff you'd like to do in the future and so on?
• 10:12
  Yeah, look, I think so.
• 10:13
  I think what's loud and clear is people want a seamless relationship with us.
• 10:17
  You know, they're there to, especially those at the grassroots club level, they're there to enjoy their pastime.
• 10:22
  So we have to make that as easy as possible.
• 10:24
  So I'm really keen to, you know, there's no reason why we can't use data and technology to provide solutions.
• 10:30
  And I think that's an absolute non-negotiable that we need to provide solutions.
• 10:34
  I'm very interested in the infrastructure side of things.
• 10:36
  I think it's an interesting model in motorsport.
• 10:38
  You have some privately owned racetracks, you have some government sort of controlled.
• 10:42
  So access is a key component and making it as frictionless as possible, especially at an entry point level.
• 10:49
  I think it's well known that motorsport is an expensive sport to enjoy.
• 10:53
  And how do we make that a little bit easier for those people trying?
• 10:57
  So
• 10:57
  We've introduced track day licences, which is a one track day licence where you can just get that licence for a pretty affordable price and enjoy the sport as an entry point.
• 11:07
  I think more and more of those track days and sort of trying to get into the schools, I think, is a really sort of strong option.
• 11:14
  Make it experiential so that we entice them to stay longer or further and so on.
• 11:18
  Yeah, exactly.
• 11:19
  Just different ways that people would connect.
• 11:21
  I think motorsport, you know, with the defensive driving aspect and these type of things, I think it's a really good opportunity to sort of...
• 11:27
  attack that sort of 15 to 19 year old who's going through that sort of the path that we all go through to learn how to drive a car and sort of providing them a different sort of opportunity to connect with motorsport.
• 11:37
  So I'm very interested in, you know, understanding the network of the infrastructure and how that works and hearing from our clubs.
• 11:44
  One of their issues is the cost of those track hires and the things like that, which I understand they're very expensive, much like horse racing tracks, very expensive to maintain and things like that.
• 11:52
  So you have to use them, you know, you have to utilise them and...
• 11:55
  I had that experience at Sandown.
• 11:57
  You know, it was an expensive track to upkeep and upgrade, and we wanted to utilise it as much as we could.
• 12:02
  So how can I, how can Motorsport Australia help facilitate that between the track owners and the possible upgrades they might need, but allowing our grassroots club levels to have access?
• 12:12
  I talked before about balance, right?
• 12:14
  How complicated is that balance between ensuring, you mentioned grassroots there a moment ago, and...
• 12:19
  Very important that we look after that.
• 12:20
  And then on the flip side, the commercial, the big end of town success stories, finding that balance as an organisation and what you offer.
• 12:28
  Yeah, we have to wear many hats.
• 12:30
  And, you know, we are dedicating a lot of our resources to this weekend.
• 12:34
  You know, I think everybody in our staff will be on track with a duty, with a role.
• 12:38
  And as I mentioned, there are a thousand officials.
• 12:40
  But we don't apologise for that because this is our time to shine as a sport.
• 12:44
  This is when we'll be in the limelight.
• 12:46
  not only the 500,000 people attending, but, you know, the global audience and those watching.
• 12:50
  So we need to then utilise that, though, to ensure that then we can support our clubs actually to grow from these points.
• 12:57
  So it is a balance.
• 12:59
  And, you know, I think like all sports, you need to use the top end as the front door of the stall, you know, to sort of advertise yourselves.
• 13:06
  And then you have to ensure that those ones who are all at a volunteer participation level are getting the support they need.
• 13:11
  You covered the practicality before, right, making motorsport more accessible and then what that perhaps might lead to.
• 13:18
  That's opportunity, potentially.
• 13:20
  What about threats?
• 13:20
  What things are you sort of feeling already like that you need to be perhaps across, maybe tackle and so on?
• 13:27
  Yeah, look, I think we have to ensure the risk and safety aspect is always upheld because of the social licence that we currently have as a sport.
• 13:34
  So, you know, at the moment, we, you know, at times, some of our participants, you know, get a little bit frustrated with us because they feel that we are going a little bit over the top on those requirements.
• 13:43
  But we have to do that because, and I witnessed this firsthand in horse racing, you know, when there are issues on the track with the participant, then you are going to have a social licence issue as things change.
• 13:55
  you know, we have to really focus on that.
• 13:57
  I think it's important.
• 13:58
  We need to tell our story a bit better, I think, as a sport.
• 14:01
  Governments want to support those sports that can demonstrate the benefit they are providing to the wider community.
• 14:07
  And, you know, motorsport undersells itself, in my opinion.
• 14:10
  I think it's the nature of people within it.
• 14:12
  I think they're quite understated.
• 14:14
  We all know the numbers from the Grand Prix and the supercars are excellent at promoting themselves, but I'm talking about that next level's down, you know, some of the metrics and the economic impact that we're having as a sport.
• 14:23
  Yeah.
• 14:24
  And I think we need to tell our stories at all levels of government because motorsport takes up a lot of land.
• 14:29
  It's noisy.
• 14:30
  It's a sport that takes up a lot of time.
• 14:33
  So we need governments to actually lean in.
• 14:35
  And there are plenty do, and you can see that.
• 14:37
  But, you know, if I take it as an example, the community of Phillip Island and, you know, the recent news around the MotoGP, it's important that, you know, although that's a huge disappointment to that community, from a motorsport perspective, it's an opportunity.
• 14:49
  Because that is renowned as a motorsport community.
• 14:52
  So how can we lean in and demonstrate to government that they should be looking to invest in that area, whether it's events or through infrastructure upgrades to allow that sport to continue to thrive?
• 15:02
  You've been meeting constituents, no doubt drivers, all sorts, the full gamut.
• 15:07
  What about internally the staff that you've got and getting to know them, not just at an office in Melbourne here, but even around the country, I guess?
• 15:14
  Yeah, it's the beauty of stepping into a new role, Rusty, and I feel like I'm a people person, so I quite enjoy meeting the new people.
• 15:23
  Look, we've got a dedicated, loyal workforce who really do put in weekend work and everything
• 15:29
  everywhere around the country.
• 15:30
  So, look, it's been great to do that, and people are very warm and welcoming.
• 15:34
  And, you know, all I can say to people listening is that, you know, as an organisation, we want to be better.
• 15:39
  And there's been no pushback when I've asked questions around, well, why aren't we doing this?
• 15:43
  It doesn't have this...
• 15:45
  oh, we've always done it that way type of attitude, which is really refreshing.
• 15:48
  And, you know, we've got a board who are very, very committed, you know, all volunteers that want to see Motorsport Australia be there and really help the wider motorsport family.
• 15:57
  So I think we're pushing against an open door towards some change.
• 16:01
  And I think it's in a positive way.
• 16:02
  Cool.
• 16:03
  What does good leadership in your mind look like in a sporting organisation?
• 16:06
  And maybe how has that evolved in your time in these sorts of positions?
• 16:09
  Yeah.
• 16:10
  Yeah, look, I think, you know, it's been very visible, you know, and I really want, you know, I don't want people to ever sort of say that I don't front up, you know, whether it's good or bad, you know, this weekend will be, you know, be good.
• 16:19
  You know, it's a great event to be at, something very proud to be at.
• 16:22
  But also, if things go wrong, you also need to front up.
• 16:25
  And I think that's really, really important from a leadership perspective.
• 16:28
  I think leading by example.
• 16:30
  So I think that's a really sort of key part and sort of, I'm very keen to have a culture within Motorsport Australia that's sort of embracing, but very honest about where we need to improve.
• 16:40
  Open door.
• 16:40
  Yeah.
• 16:41
  And then equally, as you know, as I sort of have met people and, you know, it's been at events and things like that, I've been, I'm very open to say people need to reach out to me because otherwise I'm just making assumptions or we're making assumptions as an organisation of what the issues are.
• 16:53
  So yeah.
• 16:54
  Look, I might be setting myself up here, but I'd rather hear from people to understand the concerns and then try to find a way to work through it.
• 17:00
  But, you know, like all sports, plenty of opinions.
• 17:04
  And, you know, it's what makes the sports tick.
• 17:06
  So tell me in, say, three to five years time, it's very early days for you right now, I know.
• 17:11
  But what does, in your mind, success look like five years down the track?
• 17:15
  Yeah.
• 17:16
  Yeah, I think we need to be really transparent with our numbers and things like participation.
• 17:20
  You know, I think that is key because, you know, that shows a healthy growth sport.
• 17:24
  Now, participation can be unique, participators, but people participating more in our sport.
• 17:29
  At the moment, you can get a license, a track license, and just race once.
• 17:32
  That's not true engagement.
• 17:34
  You know, how do we get that person to race three or four times a year?
• 17:38
  And so they've become more engaged.
• 17:39
  And then how do we get them to make the next step to then join a club, you know, and then become a volunteer?
• 17:44
  So these are the different pathways that we really need to look at.
• 17:47
  You know, we're unashamedly, we want to grow as a business.
• 17:51
  Again, for the reasons I mentioned before, any extra revenue we can find, we will reinvest back into the sport and into the services we can provide our members.
• 17:59
  So...
• 17:59
  I think in three to five years, you know, we'd like to see some growth in that category.
• 18:03
  And then equally, I think around three to five years, success will be a pretty clear infrastructure venue sort of plan across all states that actually is very, very clear.
• 18:13
  And then is providing those access because we'll always have our top end tracks that provide that service.
• 18:18
  But then how do we have a sort of levels down, which may not cost as much to operate, but allows people then to have a much more accessible entry point?
• 18:26
  Fantastic.
• 18:27
  This has been fabulous today.
• 18:28
  Just to get to meet you, have a fantastic week at the Grand Prix.
• 18:32
  I know it's going to be absolutely huge, and you'll be taking in a massive amount as a result of that.
• 18:36
  But I hope you enjoy it and go well in the new role.
• 18:39
  Good on you, Rusty.
• 18:39
  Thanks for your time.
• 18:40
  Great stuff.
• 18:41
  Josh Blanksby there.
• 18:41
  That is it for today.
• 18:42
  Just a reminder, too, about a brand-new feature ep that's going to drop in the days ahead with the Blanchard Racing teams, James Golding and Aaron Cameron.
• 18:50
  Keep an eye out for notifications on that.
• 18:52
  That's it for today.
• 18:53
  Bye for now.