The UBC Sports Car Club has a longstanding tradition stemming back to the 1950s and its members over the last five decades have become world-reknowned competitors.
The following captures some of its history...
Paraphrased from an Email from Joe Cheng, UBC SCC exec from 1974-?, and driver/builder of the fastest Autocross Car in North America three years running (The Phantom). See the SCCA for this years results under A-mod.
"UBCSCC was really strong in the '50s and '60s. Those were the days of MGs, Bugeyes and other British sports cars era. Sports cars were in and motorsport events were socially acceptable. When I first joined the club in '74, I saw 8mm movies of Thunderbird Rally that really impressed me. Shell Oil was sponsoring the event and some of the big name rally teams and drivers were competing for championship. Rallying was BIG in the '60s and it spilled into the early '70. I ran some TD (time/distance) events in '74 and they averaged 30 to 40 cars per event.
By late '70s, rallying was no longer the in thing to do. The 1977 Thunderbird Rally attracted 6 cars and other rally events were doing no better. UBCSCC ran into the red and had no money to pay CASC (sanctioning body before ASN) for their annual club dues. I remember sitting in a club meeting when one executive motioned that UBCSCC pull out from CASC to save the expense. I argued that once we leave CASC, we are cut off from the outside motorsport world. The club will die for sure if it has no association with a regional or national body. Income/expense statements have shown that rallying is no longer financially viable with the number of entries that we were getting.
In 1978, then UBCSCC club president Greg Soldering (later became BC Regional Solo Director) and myself decided to turn the club into an autocross club. We dropped Thunderbird and heavily promoted Lion & Lamb Slalom. That was back in the heydays of slaloming when Boundary Bay was available. The 1978 Lion & Lamb attracted 114 entries and saved UBCSCC from bankruptcy. The club then went on and promoted autocross to all its new members and for the next seven years attracted and produced many talented organizers and drivers ( Greg Soldering, Wes Shew, Peter Pistner, Jim Hargrove, Dave Mumford). Throughout those years, autocrossing was the main focus of the club.
In the mid/late '80s, lot availability became a problem for the sport. UBCSCC lost the use of B lot because the parking manager felt the deterioration of the pavement was accelerated by autocross usage. At that time, I felt UBCSCC did not make a serious effort in lobbying the university into repaving the lot (the UBC Dance Club was certainly accelerating the deterioration of the SUB Ballroon hardwood floor surface and they didn't have to stop dancing !!!)."
The club itself folded sometime in 1996-7. It was replaced at UBC by the Motorsports club, but this lacked ANY of the techincal knowledge or racing heritage of the old club. Many members were disappointed by the fact that there were virtually no real racing events being done.
Early in 1999, this current group of executives decided that there was a need to have a serious car club at UBC. The result is what you see here today. The club was reconstituted March 16, 1999. We are once again part of the Alma Mater Society of UBC and are now CACC/FiA affiliated.
The following captures some of its history...
Paraphrased from an Email from Joe Cheng, UBC SCC exec from 1974-?, and driver/builder of the fastest Autocross Car in North America three years running (The Phantom). See the SCCA for this years results under A-mod.
"UBCSCC was really strong in the '50s and '60s. Those were the days of MGs, Bugeyes and other British sports cars era. Sports cars were in and motorsport events were socially acceptable. When I first joined the club in '74, I saw 8mm movies of Thunderbird Rally that really impressed me. Shell Oil was sponsoring the event and some of the big name rally teams and drivers were competing for championship. Rallying was BIG in the '60s and it spilled into the early '70. I ran some TD (time/distance) events in '74 and they averaged 30 to 40 cars per event. By late '70s, rallying was no longer the in thing to do. The 1977 Thunderbird Rally attracted 6 cars and other rally events were doing no better. UBCSCC ran into the red and had no money to pay CASC (sanctioning body before ASN) for their annual club dues. I remember sitting in a club meeting when one executive motioned that UBCSCC pull out from CASC to save the expense. I argued that once we leave CASC, we are cut off from the outside motorsport world. The club will die for sure if it has no association with a regional or national body. Income/expense statements have shown that rallying is no longer financially viable with the number of entries that we were getting.
In 1978, then UBCSCC club president Greg Soldering (later became BC Regional Solo Director) and myself decided to turn the club into an autocross club. We dropped Thunderbird and heavily promoted Lion & Lamb Slalom. That was back in the heydays of slaloming when Boundary Bay was available. The 1978 Lion & Lamb attracted 114 entries and saved UBCSCC from bankruptcy. The club then went on and promoted autocross to all its new members and for the next seven years attracted and produced many talented organizers and drivers ( Greg Soldering, Wes Shew, Peter Pistner, Jim Hargrove, Dave Mumford). Throughout those years, autocrossing was the main focus of the club.
In the mid/late '80s, lot availability became a problem for the sport. UBCSCC lost the use of B lot because the parking manager felt the deterioration of the pavement was accelerated by autocross usage. At that time, I felt UBCSCC did not make a serious effort in lobbying the university into repaving the lot (the UBC Dance Club was certainly accelerating the deterioration of the SUB Ballroon hardwood floor surface and they didn't have to stop dancing !!!)."
The club itself folded sometime in 1996-7. It was replaced at UBC by the Motorsports club, but this lacked ANY of the techincal knowledge or racing heritage of the old club. Many members were disappointed by the fact that there were virtually no real racing events being done.
Early in 1999, this current group of executives decided that there was a need to have a serious car club at UBC. The result is what you see here today. The club was reconstituted March 16, 1999. We are once again part of the Alma Mater Society of UBC and are now CACC/FiA affiliated.