Madras Motor Sports Club
26 °C

Powered By   google-img

Our History

LAYING A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR INDIAN MOTORSPORTS

Brief History Of [ MMSC ]

In the year 1952, while a 1948 G.T.F was being cleared from the Madras Harbour, discussions between the owner and Mr. R De Souza on motor racing, rallying etc., gave birth to the gem of an idea of a Motor Sports Club. This idea took a hazy shape in the summer of 1953 when two MG’s chased each other from Chesney Hall to the parking lot of the Catholic Centre.

An unusually tall Englishman (Rex Strong) and a comparatively short Indian (K Varugis) got out from their respective cars, stared and then probably grinned at each other and decided that racing would be more fun if organized off the roads. Thus, figuratively, one could read the words Madras Motor Sports Club in the spiralling fumes of the twin exhausts.

Rex Strong had been a member of the Calcutta Motor Sports Club and the MG Club and naturally both he and K. Varugis looked around for more Motor Racing enthusiasts with a view to form a Club. Sometime later, a small gathering of motorists arranged a Motor Gymkhana Club, in order to get together and pass a formal resolution for the formation of the Madras Motor Sports Club.

In the meanwhile, with the guidance and assistance of the Chairman, Mr. M A Chidambaram and Mr. S V B Row, the legal advisor of the AASI, a constitution of the Club was drafted and then registered under the Societies Act.

The first officials of the Club were:
  1. President           : Mr. M G Donner
  2. Hon. Treasurer : Mr. K V Srinivasan
  3. Hon. Secretary : Mr. K Varugis

These, together with the Rajkumar of Pithapuram, Raja D V Appa Rao and Messrs. J H Dye, P Mathen, K A. Sillick and R A Strong were the first members of the Committee.

The first regular Motor Sports event was held at the Sholavaram Airstrip in Aug / Sept 1953. There were only two classes of cars, the MG’s (of which there were almost six) and other stock cars. The events were standing starts, flying starts over a distance of a mile and some parking tests. Mr. G M Donner in his Mark 7 Jaguar averaged 84 miles per hour over the measured mile

The first race meeting was held on October 25th 1953 at the Sholavaram Airstrip when we had a 5 lap race for Motor Cycles (handicap), a 5 lap race for Sports cars, a 3 lap relay for Motor cycle teams and lap handicap relay for cars, finishing with a driving test with the usual hard, soft reverse into marked space, zigzag, garage stop and restart engine etc., The fastest man at the race was Mr. John Dye, who clocked something like 72 miles per hour for a lap on a Triumph Twin. The course was then ‘L’ shaped with one leg, approximately 3/4 mile left hand turn short leg, 1/5 mile hairpin bend, another short leg, 1/5 mile and right hand turn to complete the lap.

At the end of the day, a dinner was held at the Madras Club. In the early stages, the Club was fortunate in having a number of enthusiasts. Starting from the President, Mr. G M Donner, there were Messrs.

K Varugis, Rex Strong who had been a member of the Calcutta Motor Sports Club and the M G Club, P Mathen, J D Jones and DJ Hopley, Srihari, the late Rajkumar of Pithapuram, the late Ravi Sharma, Ven Sellick, the late R De Souza, Philli Clubwala and K.P. Ranganatha Rao (Babbagaya) who took a lot of interest in this club.

Mr. N Jones was formerly a TT Star and was at that time with the Rootis Group. Mr. Mathen was General Manager of South India Automotive Corporation Ltd., and he not only took part in all the activities but provided servicing facilities to members at 24, Whites Road.

He also built the first special, the “S.I.A,C.” Mr D J Hopley, who was then Managing Director of Oldham (India) Ltd., helped the Club with handicapping and laying the original course.

Mr. K V Srinivasan held the finances of the Club in order and later provided office facilities at Union Motors.

In 1971, the Madras Motor Sports Club, Coimbatore Auto Sports Club, Karnataka Motor Sports Club along with Calcutta Motor Sports Club and Mumbai's Indian Automotive Racing Club, united to form the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), headquartered in Chennai, to ensure common regulations and orderly conduct of events. Race meets were held on airstrips at Sholavaram in Chennai, Sulur in Coimbatore and Agram in Bangalore.

In 1990, after the close down of Sholavaram, the Irungattukottai track was built to provide a permanent structure for racing.

This track was named as Madras Motors Racing Track and has been hosting the Indian Racing National Championships for both bikes and cars, and the Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championships and many notable National Championships.

Madras Motorsports Club is one of the most active motorsports club in India and hosts Asia Pacific Rally Championship and has been promoting motorsports in India since 1953