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Ms Moss boosting SA motorsport

Growing up in a motorsport world could only mean Christine Moss' destiny would lead her to shake up South African motorsport.

Port Elizabeth - Having grown up in the male-dominated world of motorsport, the daughter of racing legend Terry Moss is shaking things up with initiatives to grow the sport in disadvantaged communities and taking bold steps to make South Africa an international racing hub.

Christine Moss, through her Port Elizabeth-based company Rampant, has taken the reins of grassroots motorsport development at Terry Moss Racing by heading the karting division.

BIG PLANS FOR SA

Moss, along with brother Simon – now racing at a National level in the VW Polo Cup – was involved in kart racing while her dad graced South African and international racing circuits.

Moss' plans plans include making South Africa an international racing hub, transforming racing into a viable profession and creating a strong racing economy, complete with infrastructure investment from leading international companies and creating thousands of much-needed jobs in the process.

She has launched a new racing platform, ZA2F1, which "aims to create international careers for drivers and bring in international drivers and events to South Africa”. ZA2F1 begins with developing kart racing – starting with children as young as four - but also spans the motorsport spectrum through to premier racing.

Moss has been actively building a network of renowned racing names to shine the international spotlight on South Africa. She is finalising a deal with an international racing brand, while earlier in 2013 she met with Formula 1 divisions in the UK.

FOCUS ON CHILDREN

She wants to focus on growing the sport among children from disadvantaged backgrounds, training them in the sport and helping them to reach international platforms.

Moss said: “Motorsport in South Africa is potentially a multimillion rand industry, and South Africa has an opportunity to benefit economically. It’s an ideal development avenue with your lowest LSM (living standards measure) working alongside your highest. They work together with the common aim of winning and it's a process where they learn from one another,” said Moss.

“There are over 26 different job genres within the motorsport industry. The majority of people involved enter as unskilled workers and leave with an understanding of mechanics and the skills to use tools, read data and communicate.”

Terry Moss Racing’s focus on up skilling racers from disadvantaged backgrounds started in the early 1990’s with Tschops Sipuka, from Qumbu in the former Transkei. Sipuka now races on the national circuit for the team alongside team mate Michael Stephen, of Port Elizabeth.

WORLD KARTING CHAMPS

Moss said: “This year has been so busy. I’ve been meeting with various business and government officials about my plan to grow motorsport into a viable industry which will benefit more than just the elite. Motorsport isn’t just about racing, it can uplift entire communities and, by extension, the whole of SA. It can bring in foreign investment and tourists.”

In October, Moss is taking a karting team to the Karting World championships in Italy, where she hopes to shine more of a spotlight on SA motorsport.

Terry said his daughter was more than qualified to bring an international focus on SA motorsport, “having grown up in the industry”.

Terry said: “She is going to take up where I left off. Her fresh ideas are certainly going to go a long way. I’m set in my ways and hail from an old era. Christine is bringing in new ideas and will develop motorsport at grassroots level.

“Any sport in this country should be available to all races. Christine is busy doing things which I could never have accomplished.”
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