Motor Sport Categories
Although a small club, the MUCCi is able to offer members access to a wide range of motor sport activity, either as competitors or part of event organization.
Members can participate in motor sport events such as:
- Rallies
- Motorkhanas
- Autocrosses
- Circuit Sprints
- Circuit Races
- Social Motor Sport
So what are each of these types?
Rallying
You can see this branch of the sport displayed on Channel 10 and on many a Sunday. They cover the Australian Rally Championship, and the World Rally Championship.
MUCC members are involved in State Championship, Club Championship, Historic and Novice areas of the sport. MUCC even organises two of the rounds of the Victorian Rally Championship!
Effectively, rallying involves driving on forest roads, generally at night, trying to follow a prescribed route as quickly as you feel safe to do. Some people take this sport VERY seriously and spend tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Others are in it for the enjoyment, but you still need a car, licence, safety equipment etc. Many spectators go into the forest and watch the competitors, or even camp out at night to watch the cars go past..
Motorkhanas
A motorkhana is the cheapest from of motor sport available. It is also a great way to learn to drive, with the minimum age of competitors only 12. Many families are involved as a group. The competition involves negotiating a course around some flags in a paddock or shopping centre car park. Once again, there are those who go along to watch and learn rather than take part, and others who build specialised vehicles. At motorkhanas, members have been known to borrow someone else’s car, to see what it is like.
Auto-cross – Circuit Sprints
These events involve driving around an established race track as fast as you can, but competing against the clock rather than driving side by side with other cars [that is called car racing!] For autocross, the road surface is gravel – for Circuit Sprints the surface is bitumen – perhaps Sandown or Phillip Island. Our members also travel interstate to try other racetracks such as Bathurst!
Circuit Racing
This is traditional Car racing. Once again, can be very expensive. Our members have even managed to win the state championship in circuit racing, with help from fellow club members.
Spectating at circuit racing can also be expensive for some events. BUT MUCC can offer a zero cost alternative. Members of MUCC provide a timing service at many of the circuits around Victoria. Our timing engagements include the V8 Super Cars at Sandown and Phillip Island. We get to see the cars from trackside but accommodated out of any rain and we are the first to know who really did win the race, and who was the fastest car during the race. We even get free meals courtesy of the race organisers! A very civilised way to go to the races.
Social Motorsport
There are regular ‘dine-out’ nights, and members can help you with your own car, if it is causing you trouble.
There are regular “navigational exercises” held which members can join in as well. These basically involve navigating your way around 21st Century Victoria [usually close to Melbourne] using only a map printed in 1950 – or earlier. You are trying to find all roads as printed on that map, despite the overlay of freeways and main roads that have been built since the map was printed!!