Solo fans are in disbelief now the news is released that the solo track would not be reinstated.

This is despite a generous offer from Lionel Green and his business contacts to uncover and prepare the infield track for relaying. Instead, the solo section (which only had 12 minutes of track time last year), have been offered three meetings with a track groomed and termed “more suited for solo racing”. They are free to front at any meeting but must accept the conditions set for the car classes on the day. The solo class has been told it is not financially viable to put the track back in but will be offered a discount on their licence fee.

I do not envy the position the CSA finds itself in but questions are left unanswered regarding the ability of the Christchurch Speedway Association to provide for all licensed classes it holds under the Speedway New Zealand charter and banner. It also raises issues about appointing promoters and then enforcing decisions agreed to. The small track was covered despite protests and representation from rider’s representatives, Ronnie Moore, (the CSA Patron) and Ivan Mauger.

Objectors were told that if the one for all service was deemed unsuitable, it would be reinstated forthwith or put back in at the end of the promoter’s tenure ship. While this was announced at meetings where concerns were raised, it is now being brushed off as a verbal discussion only. The solo track has been put in twice now basically organised and funded by the solo class. Why should they finance it again when apparently no security appears to be available for its survival?

The solo section has also now lost two one of the best reps they have had in recent times. Green has become utterly frustrated and disillusioned with the CSA and decided that his position as solo rep has become untenable and therefore has resigned. He will concentrate on his own side car racing and that of his son, Anthony Knowles in the junior solo class. Green has worked hard to co ordinate solo racing ensuring that where possible no major meetings clashed to enabling good sized fields. He was badly let down last season by the outcome of the Speedworx “one for all track”.

He has also been actively involved in training and sponsoring juniors to help them enter the sport. He has reactivated the Speedway Riders Club which origins began inside the CSA facility to assit solo riders. Along with Warrick Aldridge, a vice president for the CSA and Beck Rodgers, the Canterbury Sidecar rep, they have all done their best for the motorcycle speedway classes leading up to this forthcoming season. Supported by other enthusiasts, they have tried to keep a lid on the more militant section that have created problems in the past, and worked jointly for the benefit of both Ruapuna and Moore Park.

The belief was that with goodwill and co operation, both the CSA and Canterbury Motorcycle Speedway Club at Moore Park could work together and share the responsibility for the promoting and fostering of solo racing. Warrick Aldridge has also resigned from the CSA as he feels he can offer little more under the current circumstances and his valuable time is best utilised in other areas.

The bike classes still wish to be part of the Ruapuna scene, and are not abandoning the main Christchurch track, but the future for them is very much in the hands of the CSA. It ultimately will be their call as to what will transpire in the future. Green has never denied the fact that part of the problems has been with the riders themselves in the past. Has this finally caught up with the class?

These two resignations signify the end to the discussions surrounding the solo track issue for this year. Not wanting it I am sure, but the legacy after one season’s promotion by Speedworx may well remembered as the season that effectively led to the demise of the solo class. None of all the emotive time consuming discussions and meetings surrounding this issue would have occurred had the solo track been left uncovered.

At the end of his international career, (some 20 odd years ago), Larry Ross marked out the infield solo track at Ruapuna. Exhaustive measures over many seasons had failed to procure a track surface to suit all classes. Small solo tracks inside other facilities are plentiful all round world. The advancement in engine technology, chassis design and race car set up has made major steps forward compared to the home made machinery which use to share the track with the solos in the past. The surface has changed too.

The ability to transfer the power down onto the track has increased more than two fold. The solo bike on the other hand has also advanced with increased power and improved chassis design. They however still work on the same principle of breaking traction with the rear wheel and sliding through the turns. Any surface that starts out suitable for a bike race at the start of the evening in today’s world, is quickly brushed and ripped aside by the latest technological designed speedway cars in their first outing. This turns the track into a variable surface that seriously affects the riding and race ability, and raises some safety issues.

The car classes don’t enjoy a slick dry track either and the public don’t want to be covered in clay dust. We have been there in the past. The compromise was in place, so why are the CSA trying to reinvent the wheel?

Solo racing is still on the world stage with the World Team Cup and the Speedway Grand Prix being as relevant to the sport here as Scott Dixon and his friends in the A1GP, Indy Car series or Formula 1 are to any bidding competitors in the appropriate classes in NZ. They all want, for a little while at least, to be able to follow their dreams and have a go at emulating some of the leaders in their chosen sport.

Unfortunately over time, the CSA has gone from having a world recognised international track down to a basic NZ circuit, as the competitor numbers in the solo section have dwindled.  It does have regular contact with American, Australian and some of the best NZ drivers around for TQ, midget and sprint car racing, but relies on a regional class, modified sprints for support.  The bike classes have struck an all time low but are in a process of rebuilding. All classes go through this from time to time but time may be running out for the solos at Ruapuna, even though they still have world wide recognition.

The CSA celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Ruapuna track this year. It has many memorable seasons of racing behind it. The solo section as one of the founding classes had a true international flavour which the records clearly demonstrate. Templeton Speedway was known all over the world as being Christchurch’s premier speedway track after the demise of Aranui. Everyone was accommodated through good times and bad and there has been some excellent car and side chair racing witnessed as well. While the future is something for the club to look forward too, it appears the solo section at this stage may only have memories to reflect back on.

During the 50 years, the CSA has experienced some tough times. They have somehow always survived. They have always catered for the most renowned classes in NZ speedway. (Solo, Sidecar, TQ, Midget and Sprint cars.) This has ensured a variety in racing provided and there was a lot of camaraderie between all sections. They started on bikes and often because of the healthy speedway family environment, ended up in a car class.

Past records show meetings of 20 to 28 events in what used to a reasonably rapid fire program. Last year, in the absence of the bikes, we saw the car classes achieve what they had been looking for. A real clay track and longer races. So time consuming in fact that the program contained only 13 to 15 races per night. In my opinion, this was long enough as the result was on more than one occasion, long legated yellow light impregnated Indian file restarts. Incidents happen but after the second yellow, half the interest went. By the third and fourth, well the damage was often done to a promising race and the sooner the pit gates are open, the better.

The contrast between the bike racing and car racing is striking. Jump the start in a bike race or fall, you are shown the infield. This is for competitors who race machines with no brakes and rely on balance and skill to stay up right. Car racing on the other hand, for whom the drivers have much more protection, efficient braking systems and four wheels on the track, feature in all restarts if the front two don’t keep it right, and endless restarts for spin ups. This considerably slows the program and breaks the race interest cycle.

I really enjoy good speedway racing of all types and occasionally you did get an excellent car race, one out of the box, you could say, but the wait between drinks sometimes gets too long. The variety in racing classes was a more entertaining feature that Ruapuna has or has had over a lot of other tracks. 

Unfortunately you cannot hide behind the fact that two very impressionable promoters who provided some of the best high calibre fields ever seen for some of their events, have been and gone. They threw some good money at advertising and managing the operation.

One could ask why they departed? I think we have realised financial considerations come into play, but apart from the obvious increase in the competitor numbers in some car classes, has it left the club in a better position?  Why are the public not supporting the events that have included some of the best competitors in the world?

In this 50th anniversary year of the Christchurch Speedway Association, it may well be prudent to finish with a true fact we can look back on. The last time the CSA closed the door on classes that wished to run, it saw the birth of Woodford Glen. Many speedway fans and competitors inside the Ruapuna complex still believe even today, that Christchurch is not a big enough city for two speedway tracks to run in opposition each weekend.

Will the CSA with its current low key commitment to a class which is slowly rebuilding, be able to hold onto the SNZ solo licence? Are three meetings per season sufficient to foster and develop solo racing? The worry is that if they loose it and a more aggressive type committee end up running the CMSC, there could be more to loose for the CSA in the long term than just a few solo competitors.

Rapid fire solo meetings at Moore Park are gaining popularity even amongst some of the car supporters. Communication and co operation is the key here as all three organisations, (Moore Park, Woodford Glen and Ruapuna) compete in the same speedway field for public and sponsorship support. Unfortunately, unless there is a change of attitude in some areas, they could well feel the pressure as they strive for speedway patrons. 

Personal view of Warrick Korstanje.