Oliver’s Mount racing under threat
Road racing at Scarborough hangs in the balance after the cancellation of the 2018 Spring Cup meeting. Racing was scheduled on the Oliver’s Mount circuit, where Geoff Duke, Barry Sheene and Guy Martin are amongst the famous winners, on April 21-22. But the organising Auto 66 club was forced to cancel the event after the sport’s governing body, the ACU, refused to provide a licence for the 2.43-mile parkland track. Scarborough’s future has been uncertain since 10 spectators were injured, some seriously, in two crashes during last September’s Gold Cup meeting. The incident sparked a major review of safety standards at the Yorkshire venue, with the ACU and local Council demanding upgrades. The ACU say deadlines for the work to be carried out were missed so were unable to issue a permit to allow the Spring Cup to take place.
The main problem remains the club’s inability to provide 35 new Recticel safety bales at a cost of £90,000. Leslie Moore, a spokesman for the Scarborough circuit, said. “The club doesn’t have the money to buy the Recticel bales, but we have resurfaced the track and paddock. “Eighteen trees have been removed and new fencing installed. Boards have been put on fences at the approach to corners. New helicopter landing pads for the air ambulance were built and the medical centre has been upgraded at considerable cost.”
The Auto 66 club says it is determined to resume racing at the circuit, which is now England’s only pure roads venue.
In a statement the club said: “We will not be ending the journey in this way. This is not the end but the start of a new, safer Oliver’s Mount road race venue.”
‘This is not the end but the start of a new, safer Oliver’s Mount’