Hornby gets a BMX track

Press, 28 October 1981, Page 30

Hornby gets a BMX track

Christchurch's latest BMX track has not been short of use, as the accompanying photograph shows. But the seal of approval for the Waterloo Road bowl, the old dump once known as Smart’s Pit and now Kyle Park, will only come this Sunday, when it is officially opened with an open meeting.

All the Canterbury clubs in the burgeoning sport of BMX — -bicycle motor-cross — racing are justifiably proud of their tracks, usually built with council support and encouragement.

But there is good reason to believe that the Hornby track will be the best of the lot. Certainly, it should be one of the fastest for the multitude of dumpings in the area have produced a very solid base and, consequently a very fast surface.

The “veterans" of the sport in Canterbury reckon it is the best track around, and they should know. Totalling 330 m in length, it is rated as good as any track in Australasia by experts who have

studied the Australian scene and with its capability for six to eight riders in any race, wider than most. The hectare of land was given by the Paparua County Council, and the project has been the work of the Hornby Rotary over the last 18 months. It was fortunate to have the expertise of a former reading engineer on which to call, and the track is accordingly well banked. The track is also likely to be well populated, with at least 45 competitors in the area — that many have already joined the club — and eight parents keen to help the new committee. Sunday’s meeting should bring all those wishes to fruition.

That meeting starts at noon, and for many it will be their first taste of competitive racing. Many, however, have raced regularly and two who will occupy a lot of attention are Dion Thomas and Vaughan Hampton. No doubt, some more potential champions wiil emerge on the new track.