Anderson, Motorsport Australia in war of words over Superlicence saga

A war of words has broken out between Motorsport Australia and Michael Anderson amid the latest Superlicence drama to hit the Repco Bathurst 1000.

Super3 Series team owner Anderson announced in May that he would be on the grid for the 2022 Great Race in a Dick Johnson Racing-built Ford Mustang.

However, Motorsport Australia confirmed earlier today that Anderson did not have the necessary Superlicence to race at Supercars Championship level.

That led to Anderson claiming his application for a dispensation had previously been approved, backed up by him possessing a hard-copy Superlicence.

Motorsport Australia in response has elaborated on the cause of its decision.

“Once it was discovered that incorrect information about his racing history was provided in the application, we withdrew the provision of a Superlicence,” said a Motorsport Australia spokesperson.

Quizzed on that front, Anderson denied any wrongdoing, and reiterated that he had officially been given the green light from Motorsport Australia for a Superlicence, and subsequently from Supercars to run a Bathurst 1000 wildcard.

“The application was straightforward,” he told Speedcafe.com.

“It was basically, do I meet the requirements of it? Do I have enough points?

“I have got all the points I needed, so I thought ‘oh well, I may as well put the application in’.

“I then got it approved and we announced the drive.”

Anderson added he’d outlaid funds to acquire the Mustang Supercar specifically on the basis of competing in the Bathurst 1000 – although that car will then also be eligible to compete in the 2023 Super2 Series.

“At the end of the day, I’ve been approved a Superlicence so I purchased a car on the basis of Motorsport Australia giving me that,” he said.

Anderson was runner-up to Nash Morris in Super3 last year, but is not driving in the second- or third-tier this season.

The matter follows a controversy earlier this year whereby Anderson Motorsport was fined and penalised for breaching testing rules with its Super3 car driven by Brad Vaughan.

Anderson is not the first to have his Bathurst 1000 dreams affected by a Superlicence rejection, Nathan Herne having been at the centre of a high-profile case in 2020.