It is with a heavy heart and deep frustration that Allan ‘Flea’ Willacy and his crew have been forced to announce they cannot run the Suzuki International Series at all this season.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic forcing so many governments worldwide to instigate drastic measures in a bid to curb the virus, Willacy had courageously believed it might still be possible to run a scaled back version of December’s popular annual stand-alone road-racing series.
And so, back in November he advised the motorcycling community and other stakeholders that rounds one and two of the 2021 Suzuki International Series – set for Taupo and Manfeild respectively – would be canned, but he said that fingers were crossed that the third and final round, the Boxing Day racing around Whanganui’s fabulous and world-famous Cemetery Circuit, might still go ahead as planned.
Sadly, this has is not possible and there would now be no Suzuki International Series running at all this year.
“We have had to make this call due to the uncertainty and restrictions surrounding COVID alert levels and how events might possibly be able to run under these circumstances.
“Another major issue we faced was our inability to secure and provide firm plans to our many marshals and volunteers, who, without their invaluable help, we cannot run.”
He said planning for the third and final round, Cemetery Circuit, was still going ahead until late November, but then Willacy was forced to concede on December 1 that even that dream was now but a forlorn hope.
“We know this is disappointing news and we are sure everyone understands why we have had to make this hugely difficult decision,” said Willacy.
The new traffic light system was imposed at the start of December and the Whanganui region was one of those placed in the red traffic light zone, possibly as a result of lower vaccination rates in the region.
“This decision that we have had to make hurts to our hearts and souls, but we cannot go on with constantly moving goal posts that we have been doing everything we can to align with for the past few months. We have tried everything we possibly could to run these events,” said Willacy.
“To all our long term sponsors including Suzuki New Zealand and all our other supporters and businesses who every year offer their support and assistance, to the volunteers, the riders and spectators, we are truly sorry and deeply disappointed.”
He said he hoped that the Suzuki International Series would be able to run again in 2022 – at Taupo, Manfeild and finally on Whanganui’s world-famous street circuit.
The Suzuki International Series would have celebrated its 14th season this year and the Cemetery Circuit phase of the series would have marked its 71st anniversary this coming Boxing Day.
The Whanganui street races were first staged in 1951 and have only skipped beat twice in 70 years – they weren’t run in 1964 (instead run that year as a motocross around nearby Moutoa Gardens) and the Cemetery Circuit races were rained out in 2012 (the 60th annual event).
Find Cemetery Circuit HERE
© Words and photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ
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