Getting young people into motorsport can often feel overwhelming.
For parents looking in from the outside, the sport can appear expensive, complicated and difficult to access. But over the weekend in Perth, a new initiative showed there are practical and welcoming pathways into motorsport — and they don’t always start behind the wheel of a race car.
The first Motorsport Australia First Gear event to be held in Western Australia took place over the weekend, with the travelling team from Queensland’s Norwell Motorplex bringing its youth-focused motorsport development program west.
Led by former Supercars driver Paul Morris and supported by Kade Davey, the program introduced young participants to a broad range of motorsport experiences through a combination of driving activities, practical mechanical sessions and hands-on learning.
Rather than focusing solely on driving, First Gear takes a wider approach to motorsport education, giving participants exposure to the many roles that make the sport function.
Across two participant groups, young attendees had the chance to build confidence in controlled driving activities, learn basic mechanical concepts and gain practical insight into how motorsport events operate behind the scenes.
What stood out throughout the day was the level of engagement with every participant.
Travelling youth workshops can sometimes feel rushed or overly structured, but the First Gear program kept the focus firmly on making sure every young person had an opportunity to be involved, ask questions and take something away from the experience.
Whether it was encouragement during driving exercises or handing over a team radio to an aspiring race director to call flags during hot laps, the team consistently found ways to make participants feel included.
The involvement of local motorsport organisations also added genuine value to the experience.
Representatives from the WA Sporting Car Club, WA Excel Cup and Motorsport Australia were on hand throughout the day, helping connect participants with what the next steps into motorsport in Western Australia could actually look like.
For some, that pathway may lead to grassroots racing through categories such as Excel Cup. For others, it may mean volunteering trackside, becoming an official or exploring the many behind-the-scenes roles that are critical to motorsport events.
That visibility matters.
One of the biggest barriers for newcomers to motorsport is simply understanding how to get started. Programs like First Gear help remove some of that uncertainty by showing there are multiple entry points into the sport, regardless of experience or budget.
For a first outing in Western Australia, the program left a strong impression.
If there’s a young person in your life showing an interest in motorsport, First Gear is worth keeping an eye on if it comes to your area. And even if the travelling program is not nearby, local clubs across Western Australia continue to offer pathways into the sport for drivers, volunteers and officials alike.
Sometimes, all it takes is a first step.
