SPEEDWAY LOOKS TO THE NEXT GENERATION WITH FRESH BOARD APPOINTMENT
SPEEDWAY LOOKS TO THE NEXT GENERATION WITH FRESH BOARD APPOINTMENT
Respected Darwin based Speedway administrator Jacalin Ekins has been appointed to the Speedway Australia Board of Directors as Promoter Representative, signalling a new era for the sport’s direction into the future.
Ms Ekins will fill the position left vacant by Warrnambool’s David Mills who relinquished his board role after stepping down as Premier Speedway Manager in 2022, creating the opportunity for the board to consider a number of strong candidates.
Ms Ekins is currently the Vice President of Northline Speedway and has been highly instrumental in building the Chariots of Thunder Sprintcar series over the last five years to become one of the highest profiled speedway events in the nation while creating an $11.4m financial boost for the Darwin economy.
The daughter of four time Australian Speedcar Champion, Warrenne Ekins, Jacalin has grown up in the sport, and was humbled and amazed by the invitation.
“Despite my family’s history with the sport, we proved early in my life that I was never going to extend the Ekins legacy behind the wheel,” she laughed, “so to have the opportunity to help steer the sport in to the future as part of the Speedway Australia board is amazing, and the ideal use of my skill-set to give back to a sporting community that has given so much to me and my family.”
Jacalin brings an impressive resume to the table, with nine years at the Northern Territory Major Events Corporation where she is currently the Commercial Manager.
“My career has given me a range of insights in what appeals to governments, how to build great relationships that genuinely benefit communities and how to use strategic planning to form a blueprint for growth and development. We’ve been able to transfer those skills with our team at Northline to build the Chariots of Thunder series to where it is today, so hopefully I can pass on some of that experience of successes and failures and explore how we can employ similar principles at a Board level to help grow the sport across the nation.”
Despite her enthusiasm, Jacalin is well aware of the nature of the sport and is unphased by the potential for conflict that comes with working in a pivotal position.
“I’ve been in the sport in various roles my whole life dealing with all sorts of personalities, so I’m under no illusions that this will be challenging. But they breed us pretty tough in the NT and I’ve got some great people around me, so I’m confident that I’m up for the challenge.”
“I think my point of difference is that I will come to the board with a slightly different lens, particularly from an event perspective, and so the first priority is to get a feel for the role for a while, assess where I fit in to the speedway puzzle and then gauge how I can best contribute to the team.”
CEO Darren Tindal was excited by the appointment, labelling Jacalin as a massive asset to the sport and a leader of her generation.
“I believe Jacalin’s motivation, skills and knowledge will complement the existing board, while bringing a diversity to the team that will expand the way we think and strategize for the future. I’m really excited by her appointment and what it will mean for the sport going forward.”
Speedway Australia Board Chairman Guy Thompson was also excited by the appointment, that aims to establish a confidence in the next generation to lead the sport into the future.
“Jacalin’s appointment is a clear statement to the next generation that we’re inviting them on the journey of taking the reins of the sport. She is a respected leader in the industry, and we look forward to seeing how she brings her skills to the Board to help guide us into the future.”
Release ends.
For media enquiries, Bennie Bishop – communications@speedwayaustralia.net.au – 0433 112 959