Halswell Moto-Cross Future Now Assured

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30826, 11 August 1965, Page 15

Halswell Moto-Cross Future Now Assured

The future of New Zealand’s first and longest moto-cross—the Halswell 100 Grand National—is assured. A remit to the forty-seventh annual conference of the New Zealand Auto Cycle Union in Wellington seeking to restrict the use of the title “moto-cross” was heavily defeated.

It is now unlikely that the organising body, the Tai Tapu Motor Club, will see fit to make any changes to the basic set-up of the motocross. which has traditionally consisted of three 30-lap races on the course at Findlay's Farm. !

■ The remit, brought before i the conference by the Mana- • watu-Orion club, sought to re- • strict the use of the title • “moto-cross” to events with 1 an advertising budget of at > least £5O. prize money of at • least £l5O. a circuit of at least la mile and an average lap

speed of not more than 30; miles an hour. Another contentious remit • from the same club, seeking; the grading of scramble riders into two and eventually three categories, was also defeated. Because this did not find favour, the suggestion that the A.C.U. of Great Britain be approached to obtain permission for senior graded New Zealand riders visiting the United Kingdom to compete in British senior class scrambles automatically lapsed. No N.Z. Team New Zealand will not be [entering a team in the international six-day trial, 250 c.c. Trophee des Nations Moto-

Cross or the Moto-Cross desi Nations as was suggested in j a further remit to the con- : ference. Owing to the wording of the F.I.M. regulations covering these events, and the fact that the Auto Cycle Union of New Zealand is affiliated to the A.C.U. of Great Britain and not directly with the F.1.M., New Zealand riders would have to compete against British riders for a place in the British team. The conference agreed to protest to the Minister of Transport regarding the registration of racing motorcycles and ask him for a full explanation of the 98 per cent increase in passenger 1 risk premiums.