AASA Faces Legal Battle, Tries to Reassure Customers

Tension in the Australian paddock is rising. AASA is now facing legal proceedings in the Victorian Supreme Court, while several major racing categories have chosen to leave. In the midst of this storm, AASA is trying to convince its customers that operations remain normal.

A series of controversies have led to several categories jumping ship, including the TA2 Muscle Car Series and Australian Formula Ford Championship. This follows Hi-Tec Oils withdrawing its support from the AASA-sanctioned Super Series, which was rebranded to the AASA Race Series.

Broadcast agreements and a lack of communication were cited among the reasons why some categories elected to abandon AASA. In a letter to its members, AASA said it was no longer interested in promoting events and instead wanted to focus on its core business model.

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With almost every high-profile AASA-affiliated category jumping ship, the future of the AASA Race Series is in serious doubt. The AASA Race Series website has been taken down and redirects to the AASA website. The Hi-Tec Oils Super Series has since been revived via a partnership with the Benalla Auto Club.

“The entire team here at AASA want to reassure our customers, event promoters, competitors and partners that AASA continues to operate as normal,” AASA said in the letter. “AASA has identified that promoting and conducting events, particularly in circuit racing, is not the core of our business and not where our attention should be, we have stepped away from this extension of our core business to concentrate on servicing you the customer.”

They also added, “AASA has renewed its insurance program through to 2028, providing $50 million in cover and ongoing certainty for our customers and event promoters.” This week, legal proceedings between the incumbent AASA owners and its former custodians began in the Victorian Supreme Court. AASA is currently under the stewardship of Stephen Whyte, Michael Fitzgerald, Peter Washington and Les Smith.

“We also want to reassure our customers that any legal matters are being appropriately managed by AASA and do not affect our day-to-day operations or the services we provide,” the email continued. “Our team remains focused on supporting motorsport across Australia and New Zealand, working with event organisers and participants across karting, circuit racing, tarmac and gravel rally, off-road, speedway, drifting and many other forms of motorsport.”

The legal battle will focus on the sale process and how it unfolded amid claims of being misled. Contract misunderstanding is at the root of the AASA sale dispute.