Event axed after latest ACU ruling

North motor sport with ZOE BURN

OLIVER’S Mount has been forced to axe one of its four planned events this summer following the latest ruling from the ACU.

Last week, the sport’s governing body announced the earliest British club and road racing would resume would be in early July, although this was not a certainty.

As a result, chiefs at the Scarborough road race circuit have now cancelled the Oliver’s Mount Festival, which was originally scheduled to run in just over four weeks’ time.

Racing returned to the iconic venue last summer following more than 18 months of no action as the Barry Sheene Classic roared into North Yorkshire.

It was the first event put on by new organisers and former racers-turned-businessmen Eddie Roberts and Mick Grant.

Yorkshire favourite Dean Harrison dominated the Classic Superbike scraps on his Silicone Engineering Kawasaki, while Newton Aycliffe sidecar driver Lee Crawford and passenger Scott Hardie destroyed the opposition in the sidecar races.

Ingleby-based Joey Thompson swept the Supertwin races aboard the controversial Kramer single-cylinder machine, while Isle of Man TT race winner Lee Johnston doubled up in the Supersport category.

The Gold Cup rounded out action late last September as Johnston scored the blue riband trophy, but it wasn’t before the likes of Crawford and Hardie, as well as Durham’s David Bell, collected silverware of their own.

While the Spring Cup was set to ring in a new season last month with perhaps some of the busiest grids since the takeover, Covid-19 woes forced Roberts and Grant to shuffle dates.

With the 2020 opener now poised to become the August Summer Cup, the Barry Sheene Classic is now – as with 2019 – to be the first event of the year with a currently scheduled date of July 25 and 26.

This will be followed by the Summer Cup over the weekend August 15-16 and the season is expected to end as planned with the Gold Cup on September 12 and 13.

And while four events was what chiefs had their eyes on after heavy investment into the track, venue and facilities, Oliver’s Mount director Andy Hayes admitted it is now a waiting game as he and his fellow bosses look to salvage the season.

“After a successful 2019, when we brought Oliver’s Mount back to life the last thing we wanted to do was cancel races in 2020, but the decision has been taken out of our hands,” he said.

“It goes without saying the safety of our supporters, teams and riders must come before anything else.”

Meetings will be subject to any ACU regulations.