3 / 32
3
From the President
What a great year 2016 is turning out to be for the VSCC. Following
on from the success of the Northam Flying 50 we have conducted the
most successful Albany Classic in the modern era of historic motor
sport. When the 2015 event broke attendance records we thought it
couldn’t be bettered but the spectator numbers this year were 15%
higher. It was also noticeable that the spectators arrived earlier and
stayed much longer: there were large numbers watching right up until
the last event of the day. The public’s enthusiasm was further
demonstrated at the Mount Clarence Hill Climb when significant
numbers of enthusiasts braved the drizzling rain and cold to watch the
cars compete and Dick Ward break the 30 seconds hill climb record.
The weekend started with a “Meet and Greet” Cocktail party in the town hall, hosted by a
jovial Tom Benson who was in good form. A number of guest speakers re-told the history of
round the houses racing in Albany and reminded us the events to follow were designed to
keep that history alive. The finale was a dinner at the Le Grande on Sunday night giving us
an opportunity to award trophies and thank the participants, organizers and volunteers.
The 2016 Classic was significant because it was 80 years ago, in 1936 the first motor race
around the streets of Albany was conducted. This came about when, in 1935, the City
Fathers decided to have a back-to-Albany weekend. A number of car enthusiasts thought a
car race would make the weekend far more interesting and the rest is history. We were also
celebrating the 25th anniversary of the modern form of the event which started in 1991 and
has continued to this day.
The organizers, participants and volunteers came away from the weekend with a sense of
achievement brought about by a job well done.
The Management Committee and its sub-committees continue to work on behalf of the
members to ensure you enjoy our wonderful Club. Two major issues we are currently
dealing with are the modernizing of the Club’s data base and its management and financial
procedures and negotiating a memorandum of understanding with the Albany Council and
Mayor to secure the future of the Albany Classic.
Paul Bartlett, the chairperson of the Competition Committee, has agreed to write a monthly
report for the Vintage Metal, the first of which can be found in this edition.
The 30th Anniversary Committee, chaired by Ed Farrar, has a number of events planned for
the rest of the year. Advanced planning is in place for a cocktail party, a formal dinner and a
rally.
It’s a great time to be your President. We are signing up new members at the rate of 6 per
month, indicating the good health of the VSCC.
Rob Ozanne
DISCLAIMER:
The Vintage Sports Car Club of WA (Inc.) accepts no responsibility for any
problems resulting from any products, services or procedures advertised or written about in
this journal. Advertisers or their representatives, outlets or agents must ensure at all times
that products and/or services represented are suitable for the advertised purpose and
intended use. Opinions or comments from contributors and members do not necessarily
reflect those of the Club, its committee, its membership as a whole, or the Editor.