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The Benalla Auto Club committee claims it had no knowledge that the club's vice president, Ross Wood, had signed a form transferring the club's shares in Australian Auto Sport Alliance (AASA) to a group of investors, including the former CEO Stephen Whyte and his partners.
AASA is a not-for-profit company owned by Benalla Auto Club, created in 2003 to help organisations that host motorsport events save money and avoid red tape. It operated on a not-for-profit basis, providing sanctioning and insurance services for events in Australia and New Zealand, ranging from small local speedway races to state and national meets.
Despite the club's claims, Whyte has maintained that negotiations between the investment group and Benalla commenced in March 2025, and the new investment group took ownership of AASA at the start of 2026. Whyte also claims he was Benalla's general manager from 2021 and CEO from 2023.
However, the club's spokesperson contradicts these claims, stating that Whyte was the club's group CEO until June 2026 and that the committee had no idea about the sale of AASA. They also claim that the paperwork presented for signing was not understood to be for a sale of AASA or ownership of AASA.
Benalla Auto Club is affiliated with Motorsport Australia, a governing body for motorsport in Australia. Motorsport Australia chief executive Josh Blanksby has acknowledged the 'uncertainty that has arisen' from the situation and has expressed support for the club.
The sale of AASA was announced by Whyte in June, via a video and media release. However, not long after the announcement, the club's committee claimed in a letter to members that it had not approved, supported, or endorsed the sale.
When contacted by this masthead, Whyte said he stepped back from his group CEO role in June 2024, but continued to assist the committee with executive matters. He denied he was acting as Benalla's group CEO during the negotiations for the AASA sale.
Benalla Auto Club vice president Wood signed an Australian Securities and Investments Commission 'change to company details' form on April 7 this year, removing shares from the club. He confirmed that he signed the documents but claimed he had not read them, as he trusted that he was authorising a three-year lease agreement to Les Smith, not a sale.
The club and Whyte also disagree on the timing of his departure as CEO. Benalla's spokesperson claims that Whyte was the club's group CEO until June 2026, while Whyte says he stepped back in June 2024.
AASA is now owned by a group of four directors – Whyte, Michael Fitzgerald, the club's former secretary, Smith and Peter Washington. The club and Whyte have also disagreed on the circumstances surrounding the sale of AASA.
In response to questions, Benalla Auto Club's spokesperson said the documents were not seen or approved by the club's committee. They also stated that the club's committee had no idea that there was any purported sale of shares in AASA, or who they were transferred to, and only discovered this in late June 2026.