The Softest Tread

SMSP Sustainability

ARDC

GEMA Catering Partner

· ·

SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK’S NEW MENU FOR SUCCESS WITH GEMA GROUP PARTNERSHIP.

The Australian Racing Drivers’ Club (ARDC) has partnered with leading hospitality and major event caterer (GEMA GROUP) on a new multi-year agreement covering all corporate hospitality and retail catering at Sydney Motorsport Park (SMSP).

The agreement, beginning July 2023, sees GEMA further expand their position as the premier provider of hospitality and catering across Australian motorsport, adding full-time SMSP operations to their coverage of the Formula 1, MotoGP, and Australia-wide Supercars Championships, as well as multiple services at national and international major events, other high-profile venues and leading sporting stadia across the country.

Together, GEMA and the ARDC, along with their other key stakeholders, aim to significantly raise the stakes on the range of foods available, as well as introducing some well-known brands to the circuit. Venue infrastructure will see a significant upgrade, and the integration with new technologies will help streamline the service offering from “plate to paddock”.

ABOUT GEMA

The Gema Group was founded in 1984 by the Valenti family and has grown into a sizable catering company with over 40 active catering contracts and sites. Gema Group has over 450 years of combined senior management catering experience and expertise at our fingertips. We pride ourselves on our committed and collaborative approach with our clients and partners in delivering some of Australia’s most memorable catering.

Gema Group began as a humble Australian owned family business back in 1984 and has grown into one of Australia’s leading event catering partners specialling in greenfield site sporting events and stadiums.   With dedication and strength at its core, Gema Group has been delivering amazing event experiences for almost 40 years.

Gema Group understands the importance of a quality catering partner who believes in a shared vision and are excited to bring their interpretation of a great food and beverage experience to SMSP.

Sustainability at the Park

For composting, most of their packaging is bio-degradable or compostable and managed by Closed Loop as part of their waste management services, while organic waste is collected for compost, and waste oil is collected weekly and turned into biofuel.

Where possible, they will also be transitioning our packaging products to recyclable and upcycled Closed Loop products.

Track Time for Charity and Community

· ·

The Australian Racing Drivers Club is committed to giving back to the community. As part of our mission to drive change, we regularly donate or provide contra track time to charities, tertiary institutions, start-ups, individuals and groups, allowing access our world-class facilities or to receive expert tuition from our experience partners and knowledge base.

We are also proud to have supported numerous tertiary institutions and start-ups in their quest to develop innovative new technologies. Our goal is to continue supporting worthy causes and helping to drive positive change in the community.

CURRENT PROJECTS

NIGHTDRIVE FOR LEARNERS

Annual track time donated: $67,732

NIGHTDRIVE is a driver safety initiative from the Australian Racing Drivers’ Club to provide Learner Drivers with a unique opportunity to increase their on-road experience – especially at night.
NIGHTDRIVE is a free monthly event suited to first-timers as well as L-Platers with some experience on the road.
Learner Drivers and their supervisors can gain much needed experience in a safe and less-stressed environment, getting an improved feel for the road and vehicle handling as the day turns to night.
Since 2016, the ARDC has seen over 2000 young drivers take to the track to experience driving at night in safety, with a donated track tome of approximately $340,000 in track time alone.
NIGHTDRIVE is made possible by the time and funding donated by the ARDC, Driving Solutions, the NSW Highway Command, and SEAA Events.

FORMULA SAE UNIVERSITIES CHALLENGE

Annual track time donated in 2022: $110,050
Annual track time donated since January 2023: $104,955

The ARDC proudly supports and facilitates the testing of vehicles designed by NSW university teams in the Formula SAE: an international student competition centred on the design, construction and racing of an internal combustion or electric race car up to 710cc/80kW.
The competition presents students with the opportunity to develop their skills in design, management, manufacturing, communication and business operations.

TRISH FOUNDATION SKIDPAN DAYS

Annual track time donated: $2690

The Trish Multiple Sclerosis Research Foundation was inspired by Trish Langsford who, having lost her battle with multiple sclerosis, passed away at the age of 30. The Foundation was established with the specific goal of finding a cure or preventive strategy for multiple sclerosis. Trish’s parents made a promise to her that they would not give up in the pursuit of the Trish Foundation’s goal.

SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY

Annual track time donated: $10,400

SMSP hosts five to six inter-school cross country carnivals each year to support our local schools with a safe and challenging running course. Thousands of school children from various schools in the Sydney and Greater Sydney region compete at these events.

ANZUP CHALLENGE – Below the Belt Pedalthon

Annual track time donated: $2690

The Below the Belt Pedalthon was founded in 2013 to increase awareness of below the belt (testicular, prostate, bladder, penile and kidney) cancers and raise vital funds to improve the lives of so many patients through clinical trials research.

Whether you are an avid cyclist, new to the sport or just looking for a challenge, we invite you to ride to help those living with cancer. The Pedalthon promises to provide a unique event to network with the community, promoting teamwork, healthy competition, plus some fun.

Every cent raised by the Pedalthon goes directly towards clinical trial research to improve the lives of over 27,500 Australian and New Zealand men and women affected by testicular, prostate, kidney, penile and bladder cancer every year.

SMSP provides a safe, traffic-free environment to help this worthy cause.

7 YEARS // 1,800 RIDERS // 32 RESEARCH FUNDED PROJECTS // $1.95m RAISED

PAST EVENTS AND INVOLVEMENT

SOAR AND ROAR

ARDC has been proud to support the Special Olympics Australia with its Soar & Roar Festival; a unique event providing people with an intellectual disability the opportunity to experience the thrill of a luxury car Dream Ride.
Luxury car brands and motorbikes from around NSW make their way to Sydney Motorsport Park to celebrate Special Olympics Australia athletes, their families, support networks and importantly to raise much needed funds for the not-for-profit organisation: 100% of the funds raised going towards Special Olympics Australia so that they can continue to create an arena for athletes to exercise, have fun and make life-long friends.

FREE WHEEL FESTIVAL

The ARDC opened up its gates at the start of the new year for the SMSP Free Wheel Festival, a free open day for the local community (and beyond) to discover and enjoy the park’s wonderful facilities and experiences.
The track is open to foot traffic, scooters and cycles, plus demonstrations on the skid circuits and tours of race control encourage people of all ages to get involved. Visits by by local fire, rescue, police and the PolAir helicopter are especially loved by the children, who also get free face painting, jumping castles and clowns, making it a great day for all ages.

VISION AUSTRALIA

First run in 2014, the annual Angus Suttor Memorial Driving Day held by not-for-profit organisation Vision Australia allows 50 people with blindness or low vision to get behind the wheel and take part in a drive around Sydney Motorsport Park at speeds up to 100km/h.
The free event commemorates a former Vision Australia client who was a keen motorsport fan, Angus Suttor, who died after battling a terminal illness.

Digital Signage

· ·

PMY Group, a leading provider of integrated technology and media solutions, has invested $4 million in LED digital screen technologies at Sydney Motorsport Park (SMSP) as part of a 10-year partnership with the ARDC.

The new screens, which were officially unveiled at the Supercars Championship round in October 2021, feature a large 45sqm welcome screen, four 12sqm double sided elevated cantilever LED boards, and 144m of pit straight LED screens facing the Brabham Main Straight.

Printed communications at the racetrack, such as scrim, flyers, posters and banners, have a significant environmental impact and are often single use only.

In addition to the materials, there is the ink, toner, and other chemicals used in the printing process. Then there is the energy required to power the printers and dispose of the waste. These factors contribute to the carbon footprint of printed communication, all of which has been significantly reduced on site at SMSP.

The LED screens are also state-of-the-art, so are energy efficient (and offset by our solar panels), and a recycle program for their end-of-life is included.

In addition to the LED screens, PMY Group’s Smart Operating Platform (Platform) will be deployed at SMSP to provide an operational and crowd intelligence solution. The Platform will enable SMSP to better understand crowd behaviour and optimise the fan experience through real-time analysis of data collected from a variety of sources. This has many advantages, such as helping traffic flow and congestion, lessen food production waste by examining wait times and demand, and more.

This is the first time that the platform has been used at a motorsport venue in Australia, and it is hoped that it will set a new standard for fan engagement at other racetracks and even other sporting events.

Local Community

· ·

The Australian Racing Drivers Club is proud to be able to support and celebrate our local community of Western Sydney.
While we host and help individuals and large groups alike on a daily basis, below are a few of the recent initiatives of which we are particularly proud:

SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK

Powering Sydney Motorsport Park since 1996, the ARDC is a for-purpose, not-for-profit club: all profits are put back into the track. In the past decade alone, the ARDC, alongside the NSW Government and key partner organisations has invested over $52.5M in track extensions, major facility upgrades, permanent night track lighting, camera networks, LED digital screens and smart technology. Of this investment, the ARDC has contributed over 40% of this significant funding, and continues to invest over $1m per annum back into the venue.

NIGHTDRIVE FOR LEARNERS

Our Learner Driver initiative NIGHTDRIVE, which has run since 2016, has seen over 2000 young drivers take to the track to experience driving at night in safety, with a donated track tome of approximately $340,000 in track time alone. Our partners Driving Solutions has invested thousands of hours to run the event, as has the NSW Highway Command, in making this event such a success for the community

FORMULA SAE UNIVERSITIES CHALLENGE

The ARDC proudly supports and facilitates the testing of vehicles designed by NSW university teams in the Formula SAE: an international student competition centred on the design, construction and racing of an internal combustion or electric race car up to 710cc/80kW.
The competition presents students with the opportunity to develop their skills in design, management, manufacturing, communication and business operations.

ENDURE FOR A CURE

Endure for a Cure is an annual 12-hour closed-circuit, endurance cycling challenge at SMSP, where individuals and teams register and fundraise through a 12 hour cycling enduro, putting much needed dollars towards research into childhood cancer.
SMSP provides a safe, traffic-free environment to help this worthy cause.

TRISH FOUNDATION SKIDPAN DAYS

The Trish Multiple Sclerosis Research Foundation was inspired by Trish Langsford who, having lost her battle with multiple sclerosis, passed away at the age of 30. The Foundation was established with the specific goal of finding a cure or preventive strategy for multiple sclerosis. Trish’s parents made a promise to her that they would not give up in the pursuit of the Trish Foundation’s goal.

SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY

SMSP hosts several inter-school cross country carnivals each year to support our local schools with a safe and challenging running course.

FREE WHEEL FESTIVAL

The ARDC opened up its gates at the start of the new year for the SMSP Free Wheel Festival, a free open day for the local community (and beyond) to discover and enjoy the park’s wonderful facilities and experiences.
The track is open to foot traffic, scooters and cycles, plus demonstrations on the skid circuits and tours of race control encourage people of all ages to get involved. Visits by by local fire, rescue, police and the PolAir helicopter are especially loved by the children, who also get free face painting, jumping castles and clowns, making it a great day for all ages.

COLEMAN GRIEG CHALLENGE

The ARDC is both a Platinum sponsor and a participant in the Coleman Greig Challenge, which raises funds for children with special needs and newborn care in the local area.
In 2017, almost 500 enthusiastic participants including 10 ARDC staff raised $213,000 for the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC), St Gabriel’s School and My Westmead, participating in the 2.5km walk, 5km run and 10km run.
ARDC Staff as a team of 10 have competed in the challenge every year since 2017.

ONE MEAL – IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

The not-for-profit community aid organisation One Meal – It Makes A Difference is driving change in Western Sydney for the homeless and people in need with the help of the Australian Racing Drivers’ Club (ARDC).
One Meal – It Makes A Difference is a 100% volunteer based community organisation that helps to feed, clothe and support the homeless and underprivileged across Sydney.
SMSP’s on-site fuel bowsers allowed us to provide the fuel for the One Meal van as a means of supporting this great initiative.

Harnessing Solar

· ·

Solar panels introduce a new means of making energy and offsetting our carbon footprint.

In 2016, the ARDC installed solar panels on the roof of each of the three large service blocks attached to the Druitt North pit building at Sydney Motorsport Park, both to reduce electricity costs and lessen our impact on the environment.

The ARDC is proud to be such an early adopter of solar at an Australian motorsport facility.

The softest tread.