The Chic Henry International Motorsport & Driver Training Facility is the number one priority of the Belco Party in its bid to win seats at the ACT Legislative Assembly in October this year.

Leading the charge is former police sergeant and street machiner, Jason Taylor, who joined the party to run for the seat of Yerrabi with the hope of fulfilling the late, great Chic Henry’s dream.

“It’s what Chic wanted when he first ran for parliament before he passed away [in 2022],” Jason said. “So, to build not just a motorsport facility, but a driver training centre as well, would honour the legacy of a man who gave so much to the car enthusiast community.”

With an estimated price tag of up to $100 million, building such a complex might sound like a lofty ambition, and Jason said he is realistic. “We know we’re pushing shit uphill and we have to fight [to get elected], but the party wants to get back to the grassroots, and we reckon we can get seats,” he said.

The complex is earmarked for either the old Canberra drag strip at Fairbairn or a location at Majura Valley, both near the airport, and Jason said the funding for it could be channelled away from a proposed light-rail project for Canberra. “We need driver training, not a Labor vanity project, and this complex can be providing that 365 days a year,” he said.

“As a former police officer, I’ve been to more than my fair share of accidents. A lot of those accidents are the result of drivers not knowing the limit of their capability, which is where driver training is so important. But primarily, Canberra doesn’t have a dedicated race track, and with motorsport being a billion-dollar industry, we are missing out. There’s no reason why we couldn’t be hosting V8 racing here with the right facility.”

Jason’s background with the Australian Federal Police Association was what caught the attention of Belco Party founder and former Liberal Party opposition leader Bill Stefaniak, who urged him to run. Jason started with the party in 2022, alongside Alan Tutt, who is running for the seat of Belconnen.

The Belco name is a grassroots variation of Belconnen, and the orange and purple logo was said to be chosen by Chic’s daughter, Georgia, so the ties with street machining are clear.

“Absolutely we’d host Summernats, and as the proposed sites are out by the airport, there’d be no issue with noise,” Jason said, adding that he is confident of success in the election.

“Since we launched this election commitment, we’ve done print, TV, social media – I’ve even been on the ABC! So, the interest and the support are there,” he said. “If I didn’t think I could win, I wouldn’t be running.”

If you’re interested in supporting Jason, Alan and the Belco Party, visit ‘Jason Taylor – Belco Party for Yerrabi’ on Facebook or the website belcoparty.org.