Let’s set the scene: It’s Saturday evening, Feb. 26, 1944, and seven automotive enthusiasts gather in a cozy Connecticut brownstone to discuss the creation of a new club. Unlike the car clubs at that time which existed solely to preserve “veteran motor cars,” this group’s objective was to foster the preservation of sports cars.

“Before going further, a definition of what the club considers a sports car is in order,” read the opening page of the very first issue of what would become SCCA’s SportsCar® magazine. “We can not apply the term in the way it is used in England, where many cars of this classification exist. Our definition, therefore, includes any duality car which was built primarily for sports motoring as opposed to mere transportation. In other words, any car which rates higher than average in construction and engineering, and which, preferably, has open body work.

“In view of the difficulty of formulating a closer definition, it will be the duty of the club officers to pass on the eligibility of any particular car.

“Incidentally, the club is primarily interested in the preservation of sports cars built subsequent to 1914, as older cars are not suitable for the events planned by the club, and are also amply cared for by the other car clubs.”

With that, Everett M. Dickinson, John F. Duby, Arnold H. Engborg, George F. Schulz, Robert E. Townsend, Chapin Wallour, and Theodore F. Robertson (the Club’s first president) formed the Sports Car Club of America®.

It wasn’t long before “preservation” of sports cars turned into motorsports, and from there, the SCCA has a long and storied history that involves altering the course of motorsports on a global scale. From the early days of racing on the streets, then street circuits, then dedicated road courses, members of the SCCA were responsible for much of what we take for granted today.

If you want to get a glimpse of where SCCA has come from, you should spend time reading through the profiles of the nearly 130 inductees of the SCCA Hall of Fame. From motorsport luminaries like Bobby Rahal, Carl Haas, and Mark Donohue to those who dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to the betterment of the Club like Sue Roethel, Costa and Wilma Dunias, and Charlie Clark, the list of those in SCCA’s Hall of Fame is striking.

Yet while we enjoy celebrating the Club’s past, it’s the present that builds SCCA’s future. To that end, we must thank YOU for continuing the longstanding tradition of fueling a safe, fun, and exciting motorsports experience for all auto enthusiasts. You are the ones carrying the Club forward, enjoying and expanding the growth of motorsports.

It’s no secret that future SCCA Hall of Famers walk among us. And it’s no secret that with your help, the Sports Car Club of America will continue to thrive, offering #funwithcars for generations to come.