History Of BARC
The British Automobile Racing Club - Ontario Centre (BARC-OC) was founded in 1959 by a group of motorsports enthusiasts in the Toronto area. The mission of the club is to be the club of choice for competitors, volunteers, fans and sponsors of motorsports in Ontario. BARC-OC is the only chapter of BARC outside the UK.
BARC-OC organizes races in southern Ontario in the summer race season, primarily at Mosport International Raceway, and at Shannonville Motorsport Park. Spectators can enjoy a variety of thrilling racing in both open-wheel and closed-wheel classes.
Many drivers and their crew-members have chosen to join BARC-OC, and over the years, several famous names have hailed from this club – among them, Scott Goodyear, Paul Tracy, Ron Fellows, David Empringham, Scott Maxwell and most recently, Kyle Marcelli and Robert Wickens.
In the winter, BARC-OC hosts one of six ice race weekends held in Minden, Ontario. In collaboration with the Minden Kinsmen, the town’s Fairground is turned into a race-track made of ice, with 10-feet tall snowbanks from which spectators can watch as drivers skilfully race on slippery surfaces that change with each lap.
Each year, BARC-OC volunteers are involved in the organizing and running of the Toronto Indy race event, and in 2011, was proud to have celebrated 25 years of involvement in the exciting days of Indy cars racing on the streets of Toronto. All region races are organized and run under strict safety regulations and rules which are provided by the governing/sanctioning body for motorsport racing in Ontario – the CASC, OR (Canadian Automobile Sports Clubs, Ontario Region). The club also organizes a variety of club social events which are motorsports oriented, such as Go Kart Nights.
BRITISH AUTOMOBILE RACING CLUB - UK Formed in 1912 as The Cyclecar Club, today the British Automobile Racing Club organises races at almost every venue in England, including meetings at Brands Hatch, Cadwell Park, Croft, Donington Park, Lydden Hill, Mallory Park, Oulton Park, Pembrey (Wales), Silverstone, Snetterton and of course the BARC's home circuit, Thruxton. In 1919, following World War One, with cyclecars on the decline, the name was changed to The Junior car Club, this being for light cars defined as four seater weighing less than 15cwt or a two seater weighing less than 13cwt with an engine capacity of less than 1500cc (four stroke) or 1100cc (two stroke). Membership grew quickly, a Secretary and Staff being appointed in 1921, and centres being formed in the North, South West, Yorkshire and North Wales.Others were to follow. After the Second World War, the Junior Car Club was amalgamated with the Brooklands Automobile Racing Club - Brooklands as a racing venue was gone forever. In conjunction with The Jersey Motorcycle & Light Car Club, the Jersey International Road Race was organised in 1947 and repeated in 1949,1950 and 1952. The home of the Club, it's title now changed to The British Automobile Racing Club, was now the newly opened Goodwood Circuit at Chichester in West Sussex. The British Automobile Racing Club Group of companies now includes Thruxton (BARC) Ltd which maintains and operates Thruxton Circuit, whilst BARC (Pembrey) Ltd does the same for Pembrey Circuit, at Llanelli in South Wales, which was acquired by the Club in 1989. The BARC-UK also owns the Croft and Mallory Park Racing Circuits and the Gurston and Harewood Hillclimb properties. In addition, the BARC-UK own and operate the British Touring Car Championship and a Driving Experience business at Thruxton that uses exotic cars at speed.