HISTORY OF THE M.S.C.T

tHE bEGINNING: THE ROOTES GROUP & THE SOCIAL MOTOR CLUB OF NORTHERN TAS.

The Motor Sports Club of Tasmania Inc as we know it today, was formed in 1958. The club started life as the Rootes Group Car Club Northern Division and successfully existed until 1966 when it changed it name to The Social Motor Club of Northern Tasmania. The reason for this change was to boost numbers and to cater for the family motorsport enthusiast. It ran social and economy runs, gymkhanas, treasure hunts and cryptic trials. This was a successful format, but numbers eventually dwindled and no new members could be encouraged to join.

In the late 1960’s, the club saw a rejuvenation with young members joining and revving up the “old” members and this saw the club become very competitive and successful. Yet another name change was in the pipeline and this took effect in late 1969.

The Motor Sports Club of Tasmania INC.

In 1969 the name was changed to The Motor Sports Club of Tasmania, and was designed to encourage new membership to keep interest going. The Inc was added in 1975. This name change has weathered the test of time and does not look like changing.

RALLY HERITAGE

The club in the 1970’s was very strong in gymkhanas (as they were known then) and trials. The first open trial was organised in April 1970 and was very well received by members. It was sponsored by TNT9. Club days at Symmons Plains were also a hotly contested event.

In 1970, the club was granted its first Championship Trial. This event and others like it formed the basis for the club going from strength to strength in the rally events in the North of the state. This followed on into the 1980’s with the Northern Clubs Rally Series and further into State Championship level rallying. This area of the club is still very strong with the club continuing to hold the annual Mountain Stages Rally, with the 30th anniversary scheduled to be held in 2018.

GRASSROOTS MOTORSPORT : MOTORKHANA AND KHANACROSS

The MSCT has also been a strong supporter and provider of grassroots motorsport. Mainly through organising Motorkhana and Khanacross events for competitors in Northern Tasmania. There are club level series for both disciplines, and State Motorkhana Cup rounds are also hosted by the club.

The club conducts its motorkhanas at Symmons Plains Raceway, and recently started to use the newly installed concrete pad. In 2020 the MSCT was forced to relocate it's khanacross activities from it's much celebrated Powranna track. The club found a fantastic new home close by at the Symmons Plains Raceway, where it built new permanent gravel tracks just in time to host the 2021 Australian Khanacross Championship.

The MSCT has also provided many other disciplines in the past including: supersprints, track days, gravel hillclimbs, rallysprints, trials, treasure hunts and tarmac khanacross.