Friday December 16, 2011 at 10:41am
It was with deep regret on Tuesday evening that the ACU learned in a press release that Future West had decided to cancel another round of the FW ACU British Supercross Championship. Furthermore, the ACU are concerned about the inaccuracies which Future West has stated as its reason for cancelling the Wembley event. With Mr Hellam having chosen to put out a public press release containing many incorrect details, after taking time to consider its position, the ACU feel that it is essential to clarify the whole position.
In recent weeks Mr Hellam has tried to sell his part of the Series to the ACU and the ACU holds various e-mails direct from him to back this up. It is our firm belief that if the ACU did not point out the fact, that in reality, he had nothing to sell and ANYONE could start their own Series if they wished, it is likely that this whole scenario would not have happened, but neither event would have taken place.
The uninsured incident Mr Hellam refers to goes back to the O2 Arena event in February 2008 when a rider was injured in a pre-event Press Call. ACU insurance was in place for the event. The main reasons that insurers refused to accept the claim were that the activity during which the accident took place was not during the event, was not authorised by the ACU, the rider did not have a licence, the rider was not signed on and the track was not completed or licensed at the time.
The ACU prides itself on providing our organisers with comprehensive insurance for events authorised under its rules. Future West has enjoyed the benefits of this insurance on several occasions at authorised events since the above incident and these claims have been accepted, with the insurance company providing prompt settlement of the claims. The ACU is committed to continuing to provide insurance to organisers and licence holders and if any ACU Licence Holder or Organising Club wishes to discuss any aspects of the insurance coverage provided, the ACU will be pleased to clarify this with them.
Looking to the future, the ACU is currently investigating various avenues and the possibility of taking over the organisation of the Wembley event on the scheduled date. At the present time, the ACU is waiting for a decision from the Arena Managers. Riders who have already entered may request an immediate refund but the ACU have set a deadline of 20th December to make a decision whether or not the event can go ahead, at which time all Riders will be given the chance to transfer their entry or receive a full refund.
The ACU is also concerned that Mr Hellam has agreed an overall prize fund for the pro riders which amounts to £12,500 for the full five round series but that no contribution to this prize fund has been set aside from the profit generated from the first two events. It also has concern over the ticket allocation for parents and families who support the series, which has always been outside of the ACU's control.
The "ACU British Champion Title" can only be awarded where a Championship takes place over a minimum of three rounds. So that Riders who have entered the Championship in good faith are not prejudiced, the ACU is currently looking at all aspects of this and the possibility that the ACU can make this award, notwithstanding the cancellation of events by Mr Hellam and the moving of the Championship to a rival Federation. It will remain for Mr Hellam to honour his original financial commitment to the riders.
The ACU will continue to keep Riders and fans updated with developments whilst trying to ensure that Riders’ best interests are not prejudiced by Future West’s actions. It is not the policy of the ACU to be engaged in open correspondence so it is unlikely any further news will be released apart from details on proposed future Supercross events. However, the ACU will be pleased to answer any specific concerns that you may have. Please contact us on 01788 566404 and a member of the Motocross Committee or a senior member of staff will be pleased to speak to you or call you back.