Based in northern New South Wales, the New England Sporting Car Club has spent more than half a century providing its loyal members with a range of grassroots motorsport.
Motorsport Australia caught up with the club’s President Matt Carey to discuss the club.
Tell us about the club’s history?
Matt Carey: The New England Sporting Car Club was formed in October 1966 and the first official meeting was held in the workshop of the Jubilee service station in Armidale with around 34 people in attendance.
During the early years, club events consisted mainly of motorkhanas, quarter-mile sprints, economy runs and navigation exercises using 1:250000 Survey maps. Several members also competed in drag racing at Surfers Paradise raceway.
In the mid 1970’s the club’s focus shifted to rallying where up to 10 crews competed in Northern NSW events from Newcastle all the way to the Queensland border. The club also organised numerous rallies in the New England area.
Where is the club at now with member base number and what is the range of members?
MC: We have been pretty consistent with our membership numbers for the past five years. We usually hover around the 35 to 40 mark and we are quite diverse with our members ranging between 12 and 78-years-old.
Is the club still focused on rally?
MC: We are still involved with rally, but the club’s main focus now is on enjoying the various forms of motorsport while encouraging junior participation. So while our members are still involved in rallying, we are involved in lap dashes, hill climbs, rallysprints, khanacrosses and motorkhanas.
What has been a major highlight for the club over the past 12 months?
MC: It’s been a tough year for our club as a result of last year’s bushfires that affected a lot of New South areas and the COVID-19 restrictions that been in place this year. So we don’t necessarily have any major highlights this year, but hopefully the next 12 months will be better for us.
What is the club's biggest event every year and tell us about it?
MC: Our biggest event is the Echidna Gully Rallysprint which we run bi-annually and for our past events, we have managed to attract competitors from Sydney, all the way up to southern Queensland.
Run over six kilometres of shire roads and used three times in each direction, the event has proved very popular with both competitors and spectators In recent years. Unfortunately, the event was cancelled this year because COVID-19 restrictions.
What makes the club unique?
MC: Other than access to a 20,000 square metre concrete skid pan, where we conduct our motorkhanas and khanacrosses, we are probably no different to any other small club.
What does it mean for the club to be affiliated with Motorsport Australia?
MC: The club has been affiliated with CAMS / Motorsport Australia since it was formed in 1966 and received a “Milestone Recognition” award in 2016.
Are there any particular standout stories for club individuals and what they are?
MC: The most successful members of our Club would be Paul Kennedy and Ken Behrend who formed PKB Rallysport in 1984. They won the 1986 NSW Clubman Series and the Group 6 rally Series in a LB Lancer.
They then went on to win the 1991 New South Wales Rally Championship in the ex-Wayne Bell Toyota Sprinter and then again in 1995 in a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO. In 1998 they contested the RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship, finishing fifth outright and second in Group N. Both are still active members of NESCC.