Tasmania's avid speedway racers and spectators will need to wait a few months longer with the state's three racing venues still on hold.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Carrick Speedway, which sits alongside Latrobe and Hobart as the state's venues, announced the postponement of its season through social media, citing social distancing guidelines as the cause.
Race director Steve Jessup explained that the venue's limit sits at 500 people, which is the number of people usually in the pits alone - therefore allowing no crowd.
"I know it is up for review, but until it is reviewed, no-one can really do anything better so the three speedway tracks are all on hold for the minute until we get some more clarifications as to when the limits will be lifted," he said.
ELSEWHERE IN SPORT
"We would have to have at least 1500-2000 in the spectator area to make it worthwhile, otherwise the cost of opening the gates and the prizemoney that we'd have to pay out - you can't afford to open."
The Northern speedway venue felt the effects of COVID-19 earlier than most, rescheduling the SSA modified sedan nationals from March to November.
That event has now been officially cancelled but Jessup is still hopeful his track can play host to the ACMA nationals Australian championship in March, though it - like almost everything - is completely out of his control.
"That's the frustrating part - waiting for it to happen.
"You can't even proceed to organise the season in terms of a lot of stuff because we don't know what season we are going to end up with.
"But it's no fault of anyone, it's a once-in-100-year deal and we've just got to suck it up and see what happens."
Jessup feels as though there could be some light at the end of the tunnel though, as his crew are looking at running several scrutineering days or private sessions, where participants' movements can be monitored.
He also believes Saturday's increase in crowds to 1250 for State League football could be a step in the right direction.
"I assume if they get through that without any dramas, they may look at something else."