Overview
- A group of motorsport figures — Les Smith, Michael FitzGerald, Peter Washington and AASA CEO Stephen Whyte — have taken ownership of the Australian Auto‑Sport Alliance, with Whyte to remain as CEO and Marcos Ambrose to remain Motorsport Competition and Commercial Director.
- The new owners plan to relocate AASA headquarters out of the Winton Motor Raceway precinct and into the Melbourne CBD to improve travel, commercial engagement and national reach.
- The Benalla Auto Club has publicly rejected the transfer and says it did not approve the sale; the club is preparing legal action to protect its interests and to reassure members and Winton stakeholders that operations will continue.
- AASA leadership says the sale will let the sanctioning body expand into new disciplines such as speedway, off‑road and karting and that further staffing announcements will follow soon.
- The move ends the Benalla Auto Club’s ownership of AASA that began in 2003 and follows the organisation’s growth from grassroots events into national tarmac and dirt series including the Hi‑Tec Oils Super Series.