History of Soběšice

The Czechoslovak Automobile Club for Moravia and Silesia was founded on February 4, 1923, with Tomáš Baťa as its first chairman.

The beginnings of the young club were not easy, however, thanks to dedicated work, conditions continued to improve and in 1924 the club already had a significantly larger base. This year, the young club also underwent its baptism of fire when it organized two events that were very successful for the time.

It had long been considered that an automobile race could be organized in the immediate vicinity of Brno, but, as the fashion of the time demanded, uphill. A suitable track was searched for a long time, until finally the district road from Kr. Pole to Soběšice was chosen, which was also chosen as the official track for the 1st international Brno–Soběšice race.

Through diligent campaigning, we managed to gather 54 competitors at the start and also arouse the interest of the audience. Unfortunately, the weather was very unfavorable, not only during the premiere of the race, but also in subsequent years, so it soon became a habit to go to the Brno–Soběšice race with an umbrella in hand, even though the sun was shining in the morning.

The first winner in the motorcycles was the Swiss After on a Motosacoche with a time of 3:01.9. In the cars, the first was Wetzka on an Austro-Daimler with a time of 3:01.1.

A little later, in cooperation with BVT, ČAMS managed to organize the 1st international automobile exhibition in Brno, precisely during the Brno Exhibition Markets. The exhibition was well attended and fulfilled its promotional purpose beyond expectations.

Friendly relations were established with the surrounding clubs, which were reflected in a trip to the second international race Brno–Soběšice (1925). This year was very successful and elevated ČAMS in the eyes of the Moravian public. The winner in motorcycles was Captain Kučka on a Brough Superior with a time of 2:44.9 and in cars Čeněk Junek on a Bugatti with a time of 2:24.1.

III. Brno–Soběšice in 1926 was run with great participation of both riders and spectators. 80 competitors entered and 11 records were improved. In the motorcycles, Kučka and Turek won in a dead heat race in a time of 2:26.0. In the cars, Mrs. Junková won in a time of 2:29.6.

The highlight of the 1927 season was the IV. Soběšice, which gathered 55 riders at the start. The Belgian Flintermann won the motorcycles on the FN with a time of 2:38.9, and in the cars it was again Mrs. Junková with a time of 2:38.3.

The Brno–Soběšice race in 1928 was also very satisfactory, although the weather was as usual unstable. In the motorcycles, Hugo Tichý won on a Terrot 350 in a time of 2:39.3, and in the cars, Miloš Bondy won on a Bugatti 37A in a time of 2:28.8.

That same year, we can already observe a trend towards circuit racing in motor sports. Short hillclimbs had already fulfilled their mission and the public demanded a more thorough spectacle of a race that would place much more difficult conditions on the vehicle construction and the drivers' agility than had been the case with hillclimbs up to now.

The sports committee decided that the Brno–Soběšice race would be held for the last time in 1929, as it had already been decided at that moment to organize a major race on the Masaryk Circuit.

This 6th and last race on the historic track was held exceptionally in sunny weather, and was therefore marked by many records. The best time, 2:22.1, was set by Liška on a Premier motorcycle, while in cars M. Bondy again drove a Bugatti in 2:01.1.

The year 1930 was marked by preparations for the premiere of the Masaryk Circuit. All the efforts of the sports committee had to be devoted to preparing a race of such a format that not only the club had never organized before, but which had never even been organized in our country. In the meantime, work was being done on the Masaryk Circuit track, and from the previously wretched roads, where it was scary to drive, a great circuit grew day by day, the likes of which were few in Europe. The Brno and our wider audience were rightly curious about how the race would be attended and how it would proceed, because nothing similar had ever been seen in our country before.

The elite of the Czech and foreign racing teams gathered at the start, of which von Morgen in the Bugatti reaped the success of the day. The attendance at the premiere of the Masaryk Circuit was huge and the race itself received great attention in the foreign press, immediately ensuring its continuation for the coming years. However, this is another story.

The Brno–Soběšice race was revived by the Brno Veteran Automoto Club in 1974 with a hillclimb in historic vehicles. This tradition was continued regularly until 1987, when it was no longer possible to provide accommodation for the ever-increasing number of participants (the traditional date was always during the International Engineering Fair).

In 1999, the Veteran Automoto Club Brno renewed the tradition with a one-day meeting. Within a short time, the ride regained its original popularity, as evidenced by the regularly increasing number of participants and spectators.