Preamble

Motorsports having taken its place as a major form of sporting competition and public entertainment in the United States, this Association recognizes it as a subject of major public interest. Being comprised of persons so engaged in the dissemination of information, this Association further recognizes the need to promote and maintain high standards in that endeavor.

ARTICLE I — Name

The name of the association shall be the National Motorsports Press Association.

ARTICLE II — Purpose

The purposes of this organization will be to promote quality motorsports coverage, including in-person and virtual motorsports coverage; to serve as a medium of exchange for ideas; to promote a better understanding of motorsports among participants, officials and fans; to recognize and honor those whose achievements are outstanding in motorsports and motorsports news coverage; and to address issues affecting the organization and its members with the varying motorsports sanctioning bodies and facilities.

ARTICLE III — Members

Membership will be limited to persons connected with motorsports primarily competing in the United States but can be authorized on a case-by-case basis by the board.

Section 1: Press membership

Press membership is open to individuals who regularly cover motorsports for daily or weekly newspapers; for television stations or networks; for radio stations or networks; for electronic medias including websites, as well as, video, audio and social media platforms; or for weekly, bi-monthly or monthly publications that specialize in motorsports.

Any person issued a media annual credential (commonly known as a “hard card”) or other media, photo or broadcast authorized credential by NASCAR, the International Motorsports Association (IMSA), the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA),  IndyCar, the World of Outlaws, the Auto Racing Club of America (ARCA), the U.S. Auto Club, the National Hot Rod Association, the International Hot Rod Association, United Speed Alliance Racing (USAR), Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship, American Motorcycle Association (AMA) Motocross or any other national or international touring motorsports series will be considered eligible for membership.

Any other individual seeking membership may be asked to provide examples of their motorsports coverage before being accepted as a member. The Membership-Elections Committee will consider all such applications. Press membership also may be authorized in special cases upon recommendation by the board of directors and approval by majority vote at a regular press members’ meeting. Based on his/her primary duties in covering motorsports, each press member will be considered a print journalist (i.e., newspaper, magazine and Internet writers), photojournalist (i.e., photographer or videographer) or electronic journalist (i.e., television, radio, or internet platform). Each designation will hold identical membership rights in the Association and have identical voting rights.

Press membership may be challenged in writing to the Membership-Elections Committee by any press member in good standing. The committee may deny the challenge or submit it to the press membership for a vote. Press membership can be rescinded only by a majority vote of those voting at a regular press members’ meeting.

A press member may resign at any time and become an associate member.

Section 2: Associate membership

Associate membership will be open to anyone interested in the goals of the National Motorsports Press Association. In all cases of dispute, associate memberships will be approved or denied by the board of directors.

Section 3: Corporate membership

Corporate memberships will be open to persons, companies or corporations with a financial interest in motorsports. A corporate membership entitles a company or corporation to three Associate memberships. In all cases of dispute, associate memberships will be approved or denied by the board of directors.

Section 4: Membership rights

Only press members will have voting rights and may hold elective office in the Association. Associate members may serve on committees appointed by the president provided there is no objection from the board of directors.

ARTICLE IV — Meetings

Section 1: Regular meetings

Regular meetings of the association will be held at least twice annually and at such other times as called by the president. The president will direct the executive secretary to notify the press membership of the date and time of such meetings. It will be at the president’s discretion if the meeting will be held in person or virtually. 

Section 2: Board of directors meetings

The president may call a meeting of the board at any time, directing the executive secretary to notify board members of the time and place of the meeting. At least five members of the board must be present or connected electronically for business to be conducted.

Section 3: Quorum

A call for quorum shall not be necessary at the two scheduled annual membership meetings. A quorum for special meetings shall be constituted by 30 percent of the active press members, whether in person or by joining by electronic video conferencing, i.e. Zoom, Facebook Live, YouTube, etc. If a quorum is not present at a special meeting, any proposed action at that meeting must be submitted to the press membership in writing for vote by mail or electronic mail. At least 30 percent of press members must vote in such an election before any such action is considered valid.

Section 4: Record of meetings

The secretary/treasurer shall keep a record of all proceedings at regular or called meetings of the membership or board of directors. If the secretary-treasurer is not present, the officiating member of the meeting will designate someone to keep such a record. Summaries of the record of a meeting will be prepared and submitted to the executive secretary by no later than the next regular meeting. The executive secretary will provide a copy of such records to members upon request.

Section 5: Parliamentary authority

The rules contained within the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern this Association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these by-laws and any special rules of order adopted by the Association.

ARTICLE V — Officers and elections

Section 1: Officers

Officers of this association will be a president, a vice president, a secretary/treasurer and a social media/outreach officer. These officers will also be voting members of the board of directors. The president and vice president will serve one-year terms.

The secretary/treasurer will serve three-year terms.

The social media/outreach officer will serve two-year terms.

Additionally, six members will serve as elected board of directors members. Three board members will be elected each year to two-year terms. One board member will be elected from among the print journalist members. Another will be elected from among photojournalists. The third elected each year will be from among the electronic journalists. In the event that a board member is unable to complete his term, the president will appoint an interim director to serve the remainder of his/her term from within the same group of the membership as the one being replaced.

All board members serving at the time this constitution is adopted will serve the remainder of their elected terms.

Section 2: Terms of office

No press member may serve more than two consecutive terms as president, vice president, secretary/treasurer or social media/outreach officer. No press member may serve more than three consecutive terms on the board of directors. No press member may serve in any elected capacity for a period of more than six consecutive years. (For example, a press member elected to consecutive one-year terms as president, then in successive years to two two-year terms on the board of directors would not be eligible to serve in elected capacity in the following year.)

Section 3: Elections

The Membership-Elections Committee will solicit press members interested in serving as officers and, at the first regular meeting held after Aug. 1 of each calendar year, submit a slate of nominees for each open office. Press members may suggest candidates to this committee at any time. Any press member may also nominate additional candidates at the first meeting after Aug. 1.

The executive secretary will mail ballots to press members within 30 days after nominations are made. The ballots must be returned to the executive secretary within 60 days of the nominations. The executive secretary will assemble the ballots and present them to the Membership-Elections committee, which will count the ballots and notify the membership of the results with all possible dispatch.

No member shall be allowed to run for more than one of the three highest offices at one time.

Any press member may ask to see the ballots cast within 30 days of the close of voting to verify the count. Any disputes stemming from a challenge of the results will be settled by the board of directors as constituted before the election in question.

Section 4: Unfilled terms

If an NMPA president does not serve his/her full term, the vice president will assume that office and will then appoint, subject to approval by the board of directors, a new vice president. If the vice president, secretary/treasurer or member of the board of directors does not serve his/her full term, the president will fill that vacancy by appointment, subject to approval by the board of directors.

Any press member may challenge any such appointment in writing to the executive secretary. The member submitting the challenge may nominate himself/herself or another eligible member to fill the vacancy in question, and the executive secretary will within 30 days conduct a special election by mail, electronic format or email, allowing the full membership to vote for either the appointed officer or the challenger’s nominee or to write-in another eligible member. Disputes over special elections will be adjudicated in the same manner as those in a regular election.

All elected representatives will begin their terms on February 1, following the formal vote tally. The exception would be appointed members fulfilling a vacated office, at which point, they will take office upon appointment by the president and serve out the unexpired term.

Section 5: Executive secretary

The board of directors will be empowered to retain the services of a qualified person to serve as executive secretary and to compensate that person at a salary to be determined by the board. The executive secretary will maintain records of the membership and meetings, to conduct correspondence and to perform other duties as directed by the president and board of directors. The executive secretary may be an elected officer of the association.

ARTICLE VI — Committees

Section 1: Hall of Fame Committee

The National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame has been established to honor individuals who distinguish themselves in the world of motorsports. Eligibility for election to the Hall of Fame is established as follows:

1. A person who has been retired from or has otherwise departed the position for which he or she is being honored at least two years as of June 1 of the voting year. (For example, a driver who retires but remains in racing as a team owner would be eligible two years after retirement from driving).

2. A person who reaches the age of 65 during the year prior to June 1 of the voting year, regardless of whether he or she remains active in the sport.

3. A person who has been deceased at least one year prior to June 1 of the voting year.

4. A person who is considered an “extraordinary” candidate by the hall nomination committee. Extraordinary candidates would be those individuals whose accomplishments are unusually and overwhelmingly significant. These candidates would become eligible for hall election despite the fact they are not necessarily qualified under rules 1, 2 or 3.

The vice president will serve as chairperson of the Hall of Fame Committee each year. The NMPA president will appoint four additional members to this committee. At least four members of this committee must be NMPA members. The fifth member will be an at-large selection – it could be an NMPA member, a NASCAR official, a current hall of fame member, a speedway official or anyone else with a strong knowledge of and interest in motorsports. The committee will consider all candidates eligible under the hall guidelines.

The Hall of Fame Committee chairperson shall designate one committee member to serve as a liaison between the committee and current hall of fame members to determine if any “old-timers” (defined for eligibility purposes as anyone who was involved in the sport 25 or more years ago) should be included on the ballot.

The Hall of Fame Committee shall be in charge of determining if any “extraordinary” candidates are eligible for the ballot. The Hall of Fame Committee members must agree unanimously before an extraordinary candidate’s name is placed on the ballot.

The committee will nominate at least two and no more than five individuals for hall induction and submit that list to the president and executive secretary for each year’s voting. Press members may vote for none, some or all of the nominees. The ballot also will include space for write-in candidates. Any candidate who receives votes on at least 65 percent of the ballots cast will be elected. In the event that no nominee receives votes on 65 percent of the ballots, the leading candidate (or candidates, in the event of a tie) will be elected.

Ballots will be distributed to the membership, with the deadline for returning ballots set for 30 days after ballots are distributed. With the assistance of the president, the executive secretary will announce the ballot results within 30 days of that deadline. The news release will include the percentage of ballots (not actual count) each candidate receives.

Section 2: Membership-Elections Committee

The Membership-Elections Committee each year will be comprised of the three members of the board of directors serving the first year of their two-year terms. This committee will nominate a slate of officers for the next election, count the ballots from all regular and special elections and publish the results to the membership and rule on all membership applications.

Section 3: Finance-Audit Committee

The Finance-Audit Committee each year will be comprised of the three members of the board of directors serving the second year of their two-year terms. The Finance-Audit Committee will oversee the financial operations of the NMPA and will be consulted by the president and the executive secretary on all expenditures over $500, aside from those regularly incurred (such as convention and Hall of Fame banquet costs paid each year). The Finance-Audit Committee will meet each September, at which time its members will review with the executive secretary and the secretary/treasurer the organization’s finances from the previous fiscal year, which ends each Aug. 31. Issues and/or concerns raised by this audit will be discussed with the membership at the next regular meeting.

Section 4: Other committees

Committees on any other matter, standing or special, may be appointed by the president provided there is no objection from the board of directors.

ARTICLE VII — Finances

Section 1: Dues

Annual dues will be set by the board of directors, with the approval of the membership. Membership fees will be due on January 1 each year for the upcoming year and will be collected upon invoice from the executive secretary. There will also be a link for payment on the website to remit membership fees via PayPal. The executive secretary will turn over all funds to the elected secretary/treasurer for deposit in a recognized banking institution.

Section 2: Disbursements

The secretary/treasurer will make all disbursements by check, or electronic payment services, with the exception of incidental expenses for items such as postage and stationery.

Section 3: Contributions

All contributions to the NMPA will become part of the general treasury. The Association membership reserves the right to decline any contributions.

ARTICLE VIII — Contest

The annual NMPA awards contest will be open to all NMPA press members, which will be conducted under rules approved by the board of directors and supplied to press members as part of the call for contest entries mailed or emailed to each press-member. Judging will be done by qualified judges as approved by the board of directors.

No monetary awards from the NMPA will be given as part of this contest.

Donations to charities may be made in an award winner’s name upon approval by the board of directors.

ARTICLE IX — Dissolution of corporation

In event of dissolution or final liquidation, whether voluntary or otherwise, the assets of the corporation shall be used to retire all outstanding debts of the corporation.

Any remaining assets would then be turned over to one or more organizations organized or operated for similar purposes that are themselves exempt organizations as described in Section 501 (C3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954; or the corresponding provisions of any prior or future Internal Revenue Code.

ARTICLE X — Changes, revisions or additions to this Constitution

Upon approval, this Constitution replaces any and all previous versions and/or revisions of the Constitution of the Association. No policies, rules or procedures set forth in this Constitution knowingly violate any stipulations under which the Association is established or operated according to federal, state or local laws governing its existence.

Any press member in good standing may propose changes, revisions or additions to this Constitution. Such proposals must be made in writing to the president or the executive secretary no later than 10 days before a scheduled regular meeting in order to be considered at that meeting. Proposed changes or additions must be presented and discussed at a regular or special-called meeting by the president and may be voted upon at that same meeting. A two-thirds majority vote of those in attendance, whether in person or joining by electronic video conferencing, i.e. Zoom, Facebook Live, YouTube, etc. will be required to approve changes or additions to this Constitution.