A letter to members from the CAMS President

On the eve of one of the biggest motor sport events on our calendar, the Bathurst 1000, I write to you to share some significant news of our own.

As of 1 January 2020, the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) will change its trading name to Motorsport Australia.
 
This is a significant change and one that has been in planning for some time. You will see it officially announced on the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship Bathurst 1000 broadcast this weekend and also find out more on our website and social media channels.
 
We know CAMS has a long history within motorsport in Australia and that won’t change – we are not planning on pushing that history to one side, in fact we will embrace it as we embark upon our next chapter. It is also worth noting our structure remains the same, meaning clubs still have a voice through their State Councils and Panels.
 
Our new logo, which you can see in the branding on the top of this letter, pays tribute to CAMS with a familiar look for our new Motorsport Australia brand.
 
The CAMS brand is well known inside the sport, however we have a responsibility to grow and encourage more people to enjoy motor sport more often in a changing sporting landscape.
 
Motorsport in Australia is at record levels – we have more than 27,000 active licence holders, almost 11,000 licenced officials and close to 600 affiliated car clubs. This highlights that the sport is in good shape – but we know there is still plenty of room for more growth.
 
Our new name, Motorsport Australia, clearly and accurately projects our role as the peak body of four-wheeled motorsport, as well as highlighting that we are a modern, progressive organisation.
 
As many of you would know, we don’t just issue licences and organise officials – like all governing bodies in 2019, we have many varied roles across all disciplines and are responsible for running a number of events and Championships, like the Shannons Nationals, the Australian Rally Championship and the Australian Off Road Championship to name just three.

Below are a few of the key questions we anticipate you will have about this change:
 
What does this mean for me?
Your existing CAMS licence will remain current and when it is due for renewal, you will receive a new-look Motorsport Australia licence with all the existing benefits and entitlements.
 
Your logbook also remains current and does not need to be replaced. We have made a number of stickers available which you can utilise on your existing log book with our new branding.
 
Affiliated clubs have already been sent renewal information, there is nothing you need to do at this point. We will contact you with any changes required – such as new forms for your members and so on.
 
Any insurance cover you have in place through your work with CAMS remains current and you do not need to do anything when we officially become Motorsport Australia next year.
 
Will this change be costly?
The cost of the change of name has been kept to a minimum and our modelling suggests that the financial benefit of the change through advantages such as greater public support and sponsorship will more than exceed the cost in the short term.
 
We are also aware that there is a transition period for this change which was part of our planning to reduce any changeover costs – so, for example there will be no extra new licences issued, you will simply get your Motorsport Australia licence when you renew your licence.
 
Our name change has been a long time in the planning. We have been reducing inventories of old stock of merchandise. This phased approach to introducing our new name will minimise, if not eliminate any wastage.
 
Is the website address changing?
Yes, from 1 January 2020, www.motorsport.org.au will be our new home page – the existing www.cams.com.au address will automatically redirect to our new address.

We are also delighted to confirm that a new member portal will be available in early 2020 which will make life easier when dealing with Motorsport Australia and give you more options to complete tasks online.

If you have any further queries, please don’t hesitate to contact our membership hotline on 1300 883 959. Our passionate staff are happy to assist you with any motorsport query you may have.
 
We thank you for your ongoing support of motorsport in Australia and look forward to working with you as Motorsport Australia.

Regards,
Andrew Papadopoulos
CAMS President