Halswell 100 Threatened By Club’s Action

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30822, 6 August 1965, Page 13

Halswell 100 Threatened By Club’s Action

(By Our Motor-Cycling Reporter.)

A proposal to restrict the use of the title “moto-cross” is one of several contentious remits which will be introduced at the fortyseventh annual conference of the New Zealand Auto Cycle Union in Wellington this week-end.

Others include suggestions for the abolition of registration fees on competition machinery, the grading of riders and the selection of a national 250 c.c. scramble team to compete on the European circuit. The possibility of obtaining ' annual import licences to the i value: of £5OOO for competition machinery and parts will also be discussed. The Manawatu-Orion Motor Cycle Club’s remit seeking to restrict the use of the term “moto-cross” to events with an advertising budget of £5O, prize money of at least £l5O. a circuit of at least a mile long and an average lap speed of not more than 30 miles an hour, could have a serious affect on New Zealand’s first 3nd longest moto-cross—the Halswell 100 Grand National. -

While it is one of the few meetings in the country with prize money to the value of more than £l5O (last season riders won £239 as well as valuable trophies at the meeting), it certainly does not have an advertising budget of £5O. The Findlay’s Farm circuit would not be a mile in circumference and the average lap speed would be almost 40 miles an hour. It would probably be possible to extend the circuit to a mile but this would mean a reduction in the number of laps, which has traditionally been 30 since the anauguaration of the meetings. Much of its character would be lost if it was reduced to 20 laps. The large crowds which annually flock to the meeting indicate that an increase in its

present advertising budget would be wasteful. AH 10 motor-cycle clubs in Canterbury will be represented at the conference and most will be going with instructions to vote against the remit in its present form. However, the need to keep the. title “moto-cross” sacred, to use it only to indicate an event of classic status, is recognised. If the remit is moderated, it migh have a better chance of success. It is perhaps worth noting that last season’s international series, organised by the Mana-watu-Orion club, was, with one or two exceptions, conducted on circuits of less than a mile. N.Z. Scramble Team

The remit seeking the selection of a New Zealand team each year to compete in the international six-day trial, the 250 c.c. Trophee des Nations Moto-Cross and Moto-Cross des Nations, also comes from the Manawatu-Orion club. Although the club sponsoring the remit has the most to gain from such a move, having several of the country's top scramble riders in its ranks, the idea is sound. However, the New Zealand A.C.U.

is affiliated with the A.C.U. of Great Britain and not directly with the world controlling body, the F.1.M., and this presents a considerable barrier. Under the present arrangement, New Zealand riders have to compete against top English riders for a place in the English team. All Commonwealth riders are graded as juniors on arrival in the United Kingdom, whether champion of their own country or not, and have to qualify for up-grading with English novices. In order to overcome this, the Manawatu-Orion club will be presenting a further remit, divided into two parts. The first part asks for scramble riders to be graded into two and eventually three categories as is done in England and other countries.

If this is approved, the club will then propose that the union approach the A.C.U. of Great Britain with a view to having New Zealand senior riders accepted in the senior class at scrambles when they visit the United Kingdom. But if New Zealand hopes to enter the international circuit, it would seem that the logical move would be to seek direct affiliation to the F.I.M.