Former TD Racer Robin Judd To Exit ANDRA Board
Former Top Doorslammer racer Robin Judd IS leaving the ANDRA board afterall, with the sanctioning body looking to fill two full term positions on its seven-member board.
Yesterday, JustDragRacing.com reported Judd had already left after ANDRA informed JDR his term had expired and "the Board are currently considering options to fill the vacancy."
His name was also removed from the list of board members on its website following our enquiry about his status. LIST OF BOARD MEMBERS. (Update 13 April: Since this link was originally published, Judd's name has been readded to ANDRA's list of board members - Editor.)
But Judd challenged the story on social media last night, citing; "How could I have attended a board meeting by teleconference last Friday if I wasn't still a director?"
JustDragRacing.com sought clarification from both ANDRA and Judd, who today confirmed his term expired and he has not re-nominated for the position, which comes with a fixed two-year tenure. We are yet to receive a reply from ANDRA.
"I have other business commitments that require my time and felt also, after four years on the board, it was appropriate to allow a new independent director to be appointed," Judd told JustDragRacing.com.
"I offered to stay on until a suitable replacement could be found or until the time was right for me to step down."
Judd remains a director, albeit on a what he states is a "temporary" basis.
In announcing the addition of Top Doorslammer racer Peter Kapiris and NSW Division Director Geoff Crisp to the board following its Annual General Meeting on 30 November last year, ANDRA did not mention Judd's decision not to re-nominate.
ANDRA Media Release - Peter Kapiris and Geoff Crisp Join ANDRA Board
Judd's impending departure, which could come before a replacement is found, leaves the board with just five current term members.
It has seen quite an exodus over the past 18 months, including ex-Victorian DD Phil Parker (November 2015), ex-Sth Queensland Division Director Shane Holmes (March 2016), and former chairman Michael Fotheringham (August 2016).
Parker and Holmes chose not to seek re-election as DDs, while Fotheringham announced his resignation in July last year, like Judd citing business reasons for his exit.
The board has seven positions available; two for the Australian Drag Racing Promoters' Association (ADRPA), three for ANDRA Divisional Directors, and two for independents elected by the ADRPA and DD board members.
Promoter representatives have not filled the available positions since 2014.
Since it began with ANDRA's change from an association to company structure in 2011, the board has seen a constant turnover of members, perhaps reflecting the instability and turmoil within drag racing.
The only original board member remaining is WA Divisional Director Terry Jongen, who has now also assumed the role of acting Chairman.
It was asked by the big three tracks at a crisis meeting in June 2105 with Fotheringham and Holmes that Jongen, a strong supporter of controversial former ANDRA CEO Mal Bulley, and Parker step aside from their roles.
Jongen was reappointed to the board at the AGM and according to the ANDRA press release his term is fixed for a further three years.
Those to have departed also include respected promoters Kevin Prendergast and Steve Bettes, former Divisional Directors Rick Gauci (NSW), Christine Steffens and Shayne Holmes (Sth Qld), Jay Jukes (NT), and independents Simon Pinnock, Greg Griffith, and Liam Waldron.
In the same period, ANDRA has also had six CEOs - the highly respected Tony Thornton, who was unceremoniously walked from the building in July 2011 after a 22-year tenure, Greg Humphreys (August 2011 - April 2012), Rob Sharp (interim), Bulley (August 2012 - September 2015), Rob Curkpatrick (interim), and Grant Goodall (Jan 16-present).
Since switching to the company structure, ANDRA's financial performance is considered poor, with last year's operating loss of over $400,000 bringing its total deficit since 2011 to $1.2m.
The past three year's losses total almost $750,000 according to its financial reports.
CLICK HERE - ANDRA Records Yet Another Significant Loss
The current ANDRA Board is comprised of:
Terry Jongen - WA Divisional Director & Acting Chairman
Nathan Peirano - NTH QLD Divisional Director
Grant Wilson - Independent
Peter Kapiris - Independent
Geoff Crisp - NSW Divisional Director
Robin Judd - Independent (temporary)
Edited verison published in Auto Action magazine, 23 March 2017
