Motorsport Australia names new president

The governing body confirmed yesterday that long-serving president Papadopoulos will retire from the role at the end of 2020, a year out from the end of his current term.

The Motorsport Australia board has now named Fraser as his replacement from January 1 until the next scheduled elections makes place in October 2021.

Fraser has been a Motorsport Australia board member since 2019 and is a former deputy premier and treasurer of Queensland.

His sporting background includes a commissioner role with the Australian Sports Commission and executive and governance roles in rugby league both in Australia and New Zealand.

“I’m honoured to have the unanimous support of Motorsport Australia to serve as president and chair,” Fraser said.

“Firstly, I want to acknowledge Andrew Papadopoulos’ extraordinary contribution to motorsport and I look forward to working with him during the transition period as I complete his term.

“I want to thank him for facilitating the succession in the best interests of Motorsport Australia, an organisation I know he loves and will continue to support upon his retirement from the board.

“Like many organisations, and many sporting bodies, Motorsport Australia is facing a range of challenges as we deal with the consequences of the ongoing pandemic. What won’t change, however, is our focus on growing our sport and focusing on safety for all our participants, officials and fans.

“I am committed to growing our grassroots events. Now is the time to focus on our own backyard to ensure we have the fundamentals in place for the future.”