It’s been a big 12 months for former Tickford boss Tim Edwards, with a number of key changes made as the General Manager of Motorsport for Supercars.
In the latest and returning issue of Auto Action Premium out now, Andrew Clarke sat down with him after Sydney to run through his second lease on (motorsport) life …
AA: So it’s been a year in the role now for you. How have you found it overall?
Tim Edwards: Yeah, look, I’ve enjoyed it. I think I came in with my eyes open because I had a bit to do on the sporting side of the business – not just the team side, but with all the roles that is in the Board and the Commission over the last two decades really.
So I kind of had an idea on how the business operated – being on the adminstrative side as opposed to being on the sporting side – but I really enjoy it. In my previous role, I probably spent 5% of my time thinking about motorsport and 95% of my time running a business and making sure the bills got paid and staff got paid – it’s just running a business– whereas in my new role it’s all Supercars. I get to spend 95% of my time thinking about motorsport and maybe 5% on other stuff.
I think if you ask most people who work in motorsport, they’re in it for the sport. So, it’s been a nice transition into this role.
AA: Yeah. And did you find any resistance – like when you started wandering into Triple Eight and those kind of things?
Tim Edwards: I remember the first time I walked into the Triple Eight Garage, I stood there … I felt awkward. I was looking at Jamie; he looked at me, he felt awkward looking at me and … anyway after five minutes we kind of went “yeah, okay, this is all right …”
So yeah, it does feel weird, after 35 years being in Team Land and you never once step foot in anyone else’s garage, to just walk freely and look at whatever you want.
And I joked with Perry when he started – I said “you’re going to find it quite different to start with.”
You can literally go and look and do whatever you want looking at your competitors or what were previously competitors.
AA: So with the championship and the Finals, I’m not sure whether it was like ‘the mischievous kid’ or the ‘mad scientist’ to sit down and work it all out … but you obviously had a lot of fun doing that.
Tim Edwards: I think it was a bit of both really. I think it comes from working for Eddie Jordan for many years; working with Tony Cochrane when I was on the Board. I think it’s been ingrained in me that we’re in show business and we need to put on the best spectacle we can and, of course, we’re a sport – but not everybody puts it forward that we’re in show business as much as I do.
And that’s why when we did the first Track to Town, at Taupo, we started to discuss it internally and I think everybody was ready for me to say, “no, we’re not doing that.”
In fact, I said “we are absolutely doing that.” And so, yeah, we’ve got to make the show the best we can, and the Finals was part of it.
But also as part of the Finals, I didn’t want to just ignore what people had achieved up until that point. So that’s why we’ve tried to have some recognition in there with the sliding bonus scale in the different legs of it.
Auto Action Premium on sale wherever you buy your magazines
array (
0 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 11,
'name' => 'Latest News',
'slug' => 'latest-news',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 11,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => '',
'parent' => 0,
'count' => 15564,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 11,
'category_count' => 15564,
'category_description' => '',
'cat_name' => 'Latest News',
'category_nicename' => 'latest-news',
'category_parent' => 0,
)),
1 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 38,
'name' => 'Supercars',
'slug' => 'supercars',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 38,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => 'The Supercars Championship, currently known as the Repco Supercars Championship, is the premier motorsport category in Australasia and one of Australia\'s biggest sports. It originated from the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC), which held its first race in 1960 at Gnoo-Blas in Orange, New South Wales. The ATCC evolved over the years, and in 1997, it was rebranded as the V8 Supercars Championship, eventually becoming the Supercars Championship we know today.
Some of the leading drivers in the history of the Supercars Championship include Peter Brock, who is often referred to as the "King of the Mountain" for his nine victories at the Bathurst 1000, a race that is considered one of the biggest in the series. Other notable drivers include Dick Johnson, Marcos Ambrose, Craig Lowndes, Shane van Gisbergen, Jamie Whincup, who holds the record for the most championship titles, and Mark Skaife, who has also been a dominant force in the series.
The Bathurst 1000, held at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, is arguably the most famous race in the Supercars calendar. Other significant races include the Sandown 500 and the Adelaide 500, which are known for their challenging circuits and thrilling competitions.
The Supercars Championship has grown to become a globally recognized series, known for its competitive racing and passionate fan base. It continues to be a major part of Australia\'s motorsport culture, attracting top drivers and teams from around the world.',
'parent' => 0,
'count' => 5251,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 38,
'category_count' => 5251,
'category_description' => 'The Supercars Championship, currently known as the Repco Supercars Championship, is the premier motorsport category in Australasia and one of Australia\'s biggest sports. It originated from the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC), which held its first race in 1960 at Gnoo-Blas in Orange, New South Wales. The ATCC evolved over the years, and in 1997, it was rebranded as the V8 Supercars Championship, eventually becoming the Supercars Championship we know today.
Some of the leading drivers in the history of the Supercars Championship include Peter Brock, who is often referred to as the "King of the Mountain" for his nine victories at the Bathurst 1000, a race that is considered one of the biggest in the series. Other notable drivers include Dick Johnson, Marcos Ambrose, Craig Lowndes, Shane van Gisbergen, Jamie Whincup, who holds the record for the most championship titles, and Mark Skaife, who has also been a dominant force in the series.
The Bathurst 1000, held at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, is arguably the most famous race in the Supercars calendar. Other significant races include the Sandown 500 and the Adelaide 500, which are known for their challenging circuits and thrilling competitions.
The Supercars Championship has grown to become a globally recognized series, known for its competitive racing and passionate fan base. It continues to be a major part of Australia\'s motorsport culture, attracting top drivers and teams from around the world.',
'cat_name' => 'Supercars',
'category_nicename' => 'supercars',
'category_parent' => 0,
)),
2 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 2029,
'name' => 'ZZZ-Email',
'slug' => 'email',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 2029,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => '',
'parent' => 2031,
'count' => 6147,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 2029,
'category_count' => 6147,
'category_description' => '',
'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-Email',
'category_nicename' => 'email',
'category_parent' => 2031,
)),
3 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 2031,
'name' => 'ZZZ-RSSFeeds',
'slug' => 'zzz-rssfeeds',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 2031,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => '',
'parent' => 0,
'count' => 5516,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 2031,
'category_count' => 5516,
'category_description' => '',
'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-RSSFeeds',
'category_nicename' => 'zzz-rssfeeds',
'category_parent' => 0,
)),
)
