Rajeev Menon at 05:51, 23 September 2025

2025-09-23T05:51:12Z

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{{Short description|Indian motorsport club}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2025}}

'''Karnataka Motor Sports Club,''' popularly known as '''KMSC,''' is a state association for promoting and conducting motorsports in the Indian state of [[Karnataka]]. The club is based in Bengaluru. It is a founder member<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=History – FMSCI |url=https://www.fmsci.co.in/history/ |access-date=2023-12-13 |language=en |archive-date=13 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231213162738/https://www.fmsci.co.in/history/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> of the [[Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India|Federation of Motor Sports Club of India]] (FMSCI), the governing body for [[motor sports]] in [[India]]. It is one of the oldest ‘active’ motorsports clubs in India.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-01-07 |title=Aboutus {{!}} Karnataka Motor Sports Club[KMSC]-Bangalore |url=http://www.kmsc.org/aboutus |access-date=2023-12-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107220944/http://www.kmsc.org/aboutus |archive-date=2018-01-07 }}</ref> It holds the record of organising the Karnataka 1000 rally ([[K1000 rally]]) continuously for the last 48 years since 1975, except for two years and is the oldest rally in India.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aprameya |date=2017-08-24 |title=Historic 40th K-1000 Rally begins November 21 |url=https://www.mykhel.com/more-sports/historic-40th-k-1000-rally-begins-november-21-bengaluru-gubbi-065186.html |access-date=2025-02-03 |website=MyKhel |language=en}}</ref>

KMSC was started by a group of petrol heads, under the stewardship of Fred Webb, in 1954 under the initial name, Bangalore Motor Sports Club. After a meeting with like-minded people including Cyril Doveton and John Webb (Fred's son) in the same year, the club was started and Fred Webb became its first president.<ref name=":3" /> Both Webb and Junior Webb took great interest in the club motorsports activities and conducted regular drag races at [[Yelahanka Air Force Station|Yelahanka]] and [[Jakkur Aerodrome|Jakkur]] air strips.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thyagarajan, DHNS |first=Roshan |title=More revs in Bengaluru's motor sports |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/other-sports/more-revs-in-bengalurus-motor-sports-1170497.html |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}</ref> They also took part in other parts of the country, specially [[Sholavaram]]. Then the club played a great role in starting the Federation, FMSCI and later changed its ''nomen clature''<ref name=":0" /> from Bangalore Motor Sports Club to KMSC. Over the years, the Karnataka 1000 rally, which was started in 1975, became one of the flagship events of the club. It is one of the oldest rallies conducted regularly in the world. It had a break for a couple of years due to reasons beyond the club's control.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Bodapati |first=David |date=2018-01-16 |title=Fredd Webb & how Bangalore Motor Sports Club (currently KMSC) started: Buildup to MRF 43rd K1000 rally |url=https://indiainf1.com/fredd-webb-and-how-bangalore-motor-sports-club-started/ |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=INDIA in F1 |language=en-GB}}</ref> Other similar clubs in [[Karnataka]] are Chikmagalur Motor Sports Club,<ref>{{Cite web |title=INRC 2018: 48 entries registered for Coffee Day Rally of Chikmagalur |url=https://www.overdrive.in/news-cars-auto/inrc-2018-48-entries-registered-for-coffee-day-rally-of-chikmagalur/ |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=Overdrive |language=en}}</ref> Motorsports Association of Vijayanagar,<ref>{{Cite web |title=2021 Indian National Rally Championship to kick off in April |url=https://www.autocarindia.com/motor-sports-news/2021-indian-national-rally-championship-to-kick-off-in-april-420284 |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=Autocar India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Achal |first=Ashwin |date=2021-10-01 |title=TSD rally set for comeback in Bengaluru |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/motorsport/fmsci-jk-tyre-national-regularity-run-championship-tsd-rally-motorsports-bengaluru/article36781338.ece |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref> and Motorsports Inc<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bodapati |first=David |date=2021-09-17 |title=Big-time Motorsport returns to Kolkata with 2w Sprint Rally Nationals |url=https://indiainf1.com/big-time-motorsport-returns-to-kolkata-with-2w-sprint-rally-nationals/ |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=INDIA in F1 |language=en-GB}}</ref> which have also conducted National championship rounds.

== K1000 rally ==
The Karnataka 1000 Rally, an annual rally run on Time, Speed, Distance, the TSD format over two to three days, was started in 1975. In the early years, the K1000 ran over 1000 miles covering dirt tracks of three states, [[Karnataka]], [[Tamil Nadu]] and [[Andhra Pradesh]]. Over the years it became a popular destination for the top motorsports rally drivers in the country.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-07-01 |title=7 best off-road car rally drivers in India |url=https://www.redbull.com/in-en/best-indian-rally-drivers |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=Red Bull |language=en}}</ref> In 1988, it joined the National calendar as it was included as a round in the [[Indian National Rally Championship]]. In 1996, the rally shifted to European Special Stage format in line with all other INRC rounds under the aegis of FMSCI.

The first rally run in 1975 over 1850 km of mixed roads including gravel, kutcha, tarmac, was won by a Bangalore team Sivaram, D. Vinod Sivappa, Feroze Asgar Ali and Shivprasad, Bangalore in an ambassador. Those days, there used to be four drivers as the route is long with night driving. For the last few years, the rally is being held on the dirt tracks, near Gubbi in [[Tumakuru district]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-10-09 |title=K1000 Rally: Gaurav Gill And Musa Sheriff Clinch The INRC Title - Overdrive |url=http://overdrive.in/news/k1000-rally-gaurav-gill-and-musa-sheriff-clinch-the-inrc-title/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009012801/http://overdrive.in/news/k1000-rally-gaurav-gill-and-musa-sheriff-clinch-the-inrc-title/ |archive-date=2015-10-09 |access-date=2023-12-13}}</ref> The 2022 K1000 rally was won by [[Karna Kadur]] and co-driver [[Nikhil Pai]]. It was Kadur's maiden K1000 title.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Karna Kadur wins 2022 INRC, K-1000 rally as Gaurav Gill retires |url=https://www.autocarindia.com/motor-sports-news/karna-kadur-wins-k1000-rally-gaurav-gill-retires-426565 |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=Autocar India}}</ref> The 47th and 48th editions were also held in [[Tumakuru district|Tumakuru]]. The 47th edition was held from 21 to 23 December 2023.[https://www.fmsci.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/calendar.of_.events.2023-UD-09.12.23.pdf]

== Office-bearers ==
KMSC is headed by Gautam Shantappa, who is also the vice-president of [[FMSCI]],<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=2022-09-29 |title=Akbar Ebrahim re-elected FMSCI president |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/motorsport/akbar-ebrahim-re-elected-fmsci-president/article65951236.ece |access-date=2023-12-13 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Council & Sub Committee – FMSCI |url=https://www.fmsci.co.in/council-sub-committee/ |access-date=2023-12-13 |language=en |archive-date=30 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231130034347/https://www.fmsci.co.in/council-sub-committee/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> with Bhaskar Gupta as vice-president. The office-bearers of the club were elected on 12 November 2020 and the president and vice-president were reelected for a second term. In 2020, former K1000 champion in his class, Sanjeev Shah, is elected as the new general secretary. BS Prakash became the joint secretary while MD Sathyavratha is the treasurer. Former secretary, Praneet Perumal, Janardan Babu and Shanmuga were the members of the managing committee. Advocate VS Harish is co-opted as legal adviser.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bodapati |first=David |date=2020-11-16 |title=Gautam and Sanjeev take over KMSC reins, promise more activities |url=https://indiainf1.com/gautam-sanjeev-shah-take-over-kmsc-reins-promise-more-activities/ |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=INDIA in F1 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In the earlier years, BMSC's AD Jayaram was the FMSCI president in the year 1974–75.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Roll of Honour |url=https://www.fmsci.co.in/roll-of-honour/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923175817/https://www.fmsci.co.in/roll-of-honour/ |archive-date=2023-09-23 |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=FMSCI |language=en}}</ref> Other FMSCI presidents from KMSC include Ravi Gupta in 1980–81, Shramik Masturlal from 1996 to 99.and R Bharat Raj in 2014–15.<ref name=":1" /> Goutham Shanthappa was the vice-president for 2022–24.<ref name=":2" /> Earlier, Shivu Shivappa, the then president of KMSC served as vice-president for a term of two years from 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sportstar |first=Team |date=2018-11-27 |title=Prithiviraj elected FMSCI president |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/motorsport/fmsci-elections-agm-2018-prithviraj-president-shivu-shivappa-vice-president-akbar-ebrahim/article25607166.ece |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Madras Motor Sports Club]]
* [[Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India]]
* [[Indian National Rally Championship]]
* [[Motorsport in India|Motorsports in India]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Motorsports clubs in India]]
[[Category:Motorsport governing bodies in India]]
[[Category:Sports organizations established in 1954]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Bengaluru]]

Karnataka Motor Sports Club - Revision history

Rajeev Menon at 05:51, 23 September 2025