First motor sport events cancelled as campaign grows to
overturn new DEFRA regulations
The Motor Sports Association (MSA) has received notification
of the first cancellations of motor sport events as a direct
result of legislation imposed by the Department of Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
DEFRA's decision to stop subsidies to farmers who allow part
of their land to be used, even temporarily, for any form of
motor sport has threatened to destroy more than 40% of 4-wheeled
grassroots motor sport in the UK as well as 4,000 off-road
motor cycle meetings.
The first events to fall victim to the legislation include
sporting trials, autograss racing and 4x4 events that had
been due to take place on rural farm land, but there are fears
that these are just the tip of the iceberg.
The media campaign to overturn the legislation is gathering
momentum and reflects the serious nature of the threat posed
by DEFRA's actions.
Auto Express magazine estimates that nearly 50,000 competitors
and officials will be directly hit by the new ruling, with
as many as 250,000 spectators, families and service crews
also affected. "There will be a knock-on effect on garages,
local B&Bs and other rural businesses," 4x4 event
organiser Chris Tomley told the magazine.
Motorsport News has started its own campaign to save Britain's
grassroots motor sport. It urges everyone to sign up to its
petition at www.petitiononline.com/som, and quotes trials
multi-champion Julian Fack: "As we see it, this could
be the death of sporting trials. This is devastating news."
Elsewhere in the paper, MSA Chief Executive Colin Hilton
has written: "This is a fundamental threat to motor sport
and we need everyone to join the campaign. The time for taking
it on the chin is over; we now have to fight for our sport."
The full text of his article can be found on the MSA website,
www.msauk.org, in the News section, as can previous press
releases.
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