Update on progress of closed roads in Scotland

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) and Scottish Motors Sports (SMS) have attended the second meeting of the motorsports on public roads advisory group in advance of a public consultation on developing new legislation facilitating closed-road motorsport in Scotland.

The findings of any consultation will assist and inform the development of future regulations allowing motorsport to take place on closed roads. It is part of an ongoing process, however all parties are optimistic that the initial public consultation will be published in the coming weeks.

MSA to optimise cost of safety equipment for competitors

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) has committed to an in-depth review of competitor safety equipment over the next two years. This will explore a raft of initiatives, including strategies to reduce the burden on competitors of the unnecessary replacement of seats and harnesses, while ensuring suitably high standards of safety are maintained in the sport.

A cornerstone of this new initiative will be to provide greater education for competitors in respect of their own safety and to place more responsibility on the competitor to maintain a level of safety equipment, above a defined MSA minimum standard.

MSA announces Hugh Chambers as new CEO

The UK Motor Sports Association (MSA) today announced the appointment of Hugh Chambers to the role of Chief Executive Officer.

Chambers will assume the position of CEO from 1 November 2018, taking on the leadership of the UK’s governing body for motorsport. His appointment follows an extensive and independent process conducted by a leading professional search firm, in conjunction with a panel comprising Non-Executive Directors of the MSA.

Transport Scotland commits to closed roads consultation

Scottish Motor Sports (SMS) and the Motor Sports Association (MSA) are pleased to reveal that Transport Scotland will launch a public consultation on developing new legislation facilitating closed-road motorsport.

New legislation empowering local authorities to suspend the Road Traffic Act for authorised motorsport events commenced last year in England and earlier this year in Wales, following a long campaign by the MSA and the wider motorsport community.

Motorsport celebrates FIA Volunteers Weekend

The world of motorsport is celebrating its dedicated volunteer marshals and officials during FIA Volunteers Weekend (19-20 May), with the entire community encouraged to show its appreciation on social media.

Volunteers are the power behind motorsport; whether marshals or scrutineers, clerks or stewards, timekeepers or rescue crews, the sport could not happen without them. In the UK there are currently 9,539 registered marshals, meaning the MSA is on course to register more marshals than ever before this year. There are also 3,200 highly trained officials, ensuring that events are run safely and fairly.

MSA seeks Specialist Committee applications

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) is seeking applications from individuals to join several of the rule-making Specialist Committees representing the various types of UK motorsport.

The Specialist Committees meet two or three times a year, normally at Motor Sports House, to discuss new regulations and other issues. They recommend regulation changes to the Motor Sports Council, which then approves them for ratification by the MSA Board.

MSA relaxes position on seeding

In a move designed to support two-wheel-drive and historic competitors, the Motor Sports Association (MSA) has relaxed its position to allow for split fields and more flexible seeding in stage rallying.

In 2015, the MSA reinforced the principle of running a single field, seeded in performance order. However, three years’ progress with rally safety has allowed the governing body to issue new guidelines for running two fields, including a provision to run the first field in reverse seeded order and also to seed by class.

Rob Jones announces retirement as MSA Chief Executive

After twelve years at the MSA including the last four and a half years as Chief Executive, Rob Jones has announced that he is taking early retirement, effective from 31 May 2018.

Jones explained his decision: “It’s the end of a very significant era for the MSA. First, we have seen the publication of the Fatal Accident Inquiry report three years after the tragic deaths of four spectators, which recognises the MSA’s on-going commitment to improving rally safety to ensure the sport’s future. Secondly, we have achieved landmark legislation securing closed roads for motor sport in England and Wales.

Wales gives green light to closed-road motor sport

In a landmark development for Welsh motor sport, new laws facilitating closed-road events came into force today (2 February), following a long campaign by the MSA and the motor sport community.

The MSA spent several years campaigning for a change in the law to allow local authorities to suspend the Road Traffic Act for authorised motor sport events, without requiring individual Acts of Parliament. New enabling legislation commenced in England on 10 April 2017.

Following a further consultation, the Welsh Government has now published its own statutory instrument facilitating closed-road motor sport in Wales. As in England, it names the MSA and its sister governing body for two-wheel UK motor sport, the Auto-Cycle Union (ACU), as the authorising bodies for closed-road motor sport events.

Richards outlines vision for MSA and UK motorsport

New MSA Chairman, David Richards CBE, outlined his vision for the future of UK motorsport during the Motorsport Safety Fund Watkins Lecture at Autosport International today (12 January).

During a wide-ranging speech to an audience of 500 members of the motor sport community, Richards reflected on both the challenges and opportunities facing the sport over the next five years.