Junior Development Program (JDP)

This is a very popular program which is regularly oversubscribed. Just 30 positions are available in 2024.

UPDATE (2nd Feb, 2024) - The program has been expanded to 36 students, all positions have been filled from our reserves list

2024 Dates

Day 1 - Saturday May 4

Day 2 - Saturday June 1

Day 3 - Saturday June 29

Day 4 - Saturday July 27

Young people with motorcars generally demonstrate a desire to experience the limits of both their ability and their machine. To enable this in a controlled and safe environment is surely the responsible thing for any community to do.

Motorsport Australia in conjunction with the Southern Districts Car Club have enabled this project to happen. The SDCC Motorsport Australia Junior Development Program is aimed at enabling young people between the ages of 12-17 years to participate in activities that take place in well organised, highly disciplined and controlled environments.

The SDCC Junior Development Program supported by Motorsport Australia is more than just assisting young people with the development of good motoring skills.  Yes, Motorsport Australia and SDCC does believe that letting young drivers develop an ability to cope with a motor car, prior to the official civil driving licence minimum age does make them better and safer public road users. However just as importantly and perhaps even more so, the SDCC Junior Development Program is about helping young people with their general personal development. This is achieved by introducing them into the extended family environment that exists in the Southern Districts Car Club.

The Southern Districts Car Club offers great opportunities for the young to improve their confidence and ability to cope with life, by assisting them to develop positive vital day to day social and personal skills.

These skills include self-discipline, self-promotion, networking, teamwork and leadership. The associated activities also involve the meaningful and constructive use of leisure time.

SDCC has many families who compete against each other in the same car.  Motorsport can be a remover of the generation gap where parents and children can be involved with the same interest and grow and evolve together.

This course presented by the Southern Districts Car Club is not designed to teach children the specific road rules. It is a course that will introduce families to the Motorsport Australia way of life in Motorsport.  This course will enable students to acquire driving skills for future use, and develop an understanding of vehicle safety and maintenance.

The Southern District Car Club Junior Development Program appreciates the support of Motor Trade Association Automotive Training and Women For Wheels for providing activities to the JDP students.

About Southern Districts Car Club

Southern Districts Car Club was formed in 1966 and has established itself as one of the premier dirt Motorsport clubs in South Australia.

In the early 1980’s we identified and instigated an opportunity for juniors between 12 and 16 years of age to compete in motorsport.

From that initiative, in 2005 we developed in conjunction with Motorsport Australia the model of the Southern Districts Car Club Junior Development Program. Since the first SDCC JDP over 400 students have graduated from the program.

Graduates from the program have won the South Australian Rally Championship three times as well as the Australian Khanacross Championship and the last 4 South Australian Khanacross Championships.  We have also received many testimonials from parents about the value the program provided to their children’s development.

In 2013 we purchased the property which has become known as Mid Murray Motorplex and commenced development of it to enable motorsport to be conducted on it. This has enabled us to provide an expanded Junior Development program and additional motorsport competitions.

We run the SDCC Khanacross Series at our club track at Mid Murray Motorplex which is a low cost level of motorsport at which many of the SDCC JDP students are able to compete.

We also offer the chance for our members to compete at Motorkhana, Khanacross and Hillclimb events as well as rallies at all levels of competition from club to International level.

Juniors who display adequate skills to compete in a Khanacross will be given the opportunity to hire a JDP vehicle up to 2 times to allow them to enter Khanacross events.  The hiring fee for the JDP vehicle is $65.00 per student and will be limited to a maximum of 4 entries in JDP vehicles per event.

All JDP students intending to enter Khanacross events will require approval from the JDP Co-ordinator as to their ability to successfully compete.

Clothing

Drivers will need to wear enclosed footwear and neck to wrist to ankle clothing.  This is an event safety requirement.

Equipment

Southern District Car Club will supply helmets as well as the cars for use on all Junior Development days. 

Own helmets may be used but for ease of communication we recommend an open face helmet, these will need to be submitted for scrutinisation prior to being used on each day.

Own cars may also be used by arrangement only.

Both helmets and cars must be passed by SDCC event Scrutineer.

Session Times

Upon registration, we would ask you to select a session time that best suits you. The morning sessions will start at 9.30am with the afternoon session starting at 12.30pm.  There will be a maximum of 18 students per session, as they will be split up into 3 smaller groups of 6. Session will run for two and half-hours.

There are up to 3 activities per session with at least one activity being One on One driver tuition.

Other activities within the program will include

• Basic car maintenance and tyre changing
• Fire extinguisher types and use presented by Women For Wheels
• Roles of Officials at motorsport events
• Safety requirements at motorsport
• Practice motorkhana
• Practice Khanacross
• Know the Road activity presented by MTA Automotive Training

How to Get To Mid Murray Motorplex

The SDCC Motorsport Australia JDP is conducted at Mid Murray Motorplex, the property owned by Southern Districts Car Club

It is situated approx. 1 hour 30 minutes NE of Adelaide on the Angas Valley Road at

40 Starick Road, Cambrai

Please note - GPS may have Starick spelt as Starics

Club Contacts

Junior Development Program Coordinator

Graham VanderHoek

Email:-   jdp@sdcc.asn.au

PROGRAM DISCLAIMER

While the SDCC Junior Development Program is proudly supported by Motorsport Australia, Southern Districts Car Club is responsible for its content, delivery and overall organisation.