Based in the sunshine state of Australia, the Holden Sporting Car Club of Queensland has spent the last 50 years dedicating itself to novice drivers and giving them chance to experience motorsport in a fun and friendly environment.

Focused on grassroots motorsport, the club has gone through a few different identities but has always kept its vision the same.

Motorsport.org caught up with the club’s Keith Butcher.

When and why was the club established?
Keith Butcher: Holden Sporting Car Club of Queensland inc. or as it’s commonly known HSCCQ was formed in 1967 as the Brisbane Viva Car Club. It became the Holden Torana Car Club of Queensland in 1972 before transforming into the Holden Sporting Car Club of Qld in 1992.

Where is the club at now with member base?
KB: HSCCQ operates with around 100 members with a variety of different genders, nationalities, age and interests. The club has a significant number of family memberships too and has great competition class for all the junior, women and men drivers.

What is the club’s biggest focus?
KB: The club’s main focuses are motorkhanas and khanacrosses, which are designed to highlight car control, while maintaining high levels of safety and only moderate speed. HSCCQ strive to achieve a low pressure and welcoming environment for all members. The club offers the opportunity for competitors to get started in grassroots motorsport without the pressure or judgment that can discourage new competitors from getting started.

What has been a major highlight for the club over the past 12 months?
KB: Every year our members step out of their comfort zone to participate in a wide range of motorsport disciplines and events. We take pride in seeing our members performing well in various track, street, state and national events. Last year, some of our members represented the club at the Motorsport Australia Motorkhana Championship and performed quite well.

What is the club's biggest event every year and tell us about it?
KB: HSCCQ hosts rounds of the Queensland interclub challenge. The rounds are generally a motorkhana and a khanacross round. These events attract a number of competitors and vehicles from different clubs around the area. It’s a great opportunity for our members to test their cars and skills against a broader set of competitors.

What makes the club unique?
KB: There are no other clubs with the longevity of HSCCQ that focus on grassroots motorsport like motorkhanas and khanacrosses.

What does it mean for the club to be affiliated with Motorsport Australia?
KB: Affiliation with Motorsport Australia provides the governance necessary to operate motorsport events. It also enables HSCCQ members the ability to compete in other events run under the Motorsport Australia governance. The affiliation provides an avenue to maintain contact between like-minded clubs to coordinate the local motorsport event calendar.

Are there any particular memories about the club that stick out to you?
KB: With the longevity of HSCCQ comes a colourful history and there are too many stories to choose from. We have members that have been active with the club for more than 40 years, we have hosted and won multiple motorkhana championships and we have had the pleasure to host an incredible range of competitors and vehicles over the years, so it’s too hard to pick just one.

Is there anything else you would like to add or highlight about the club?
KB: Motorkhanas in particular provides an opportunity for budding engineers/designers to try their hand at building a competition vehicle. These homebuilt vehicles are unlike any vehicle you might have seen before.

HSCCQ has run the last four Australian Motorkhana Championship events in Queensland and is scheduled to run it again this year, COVID-19 permitting.