The application was made to Speedway New Zealand months ago, the announcement was made to drivers some weeks ago and the decision came from the SNZ board late in September.

The US racing teams were granted a dispensation to run the 174 cubic inch Fontana Midget engine during the International Midget World Series taking place at Western Springs and Powerbuilt Speedways in January and February 2007.

The decision meant that a car would be able to run the larger, legal in the under USAC rules, 174 cubic inch non-crossflow head motor. An engine with an eight cubic inch “advantage” over the smaller, 166 ci Fontana, engine allowed under SNZ rules in New Zealand.

To some the dispensation seemed a logical step towards a closer and more beneficial competition relationship between the worlds two premier midget racing nations, New Zealand and the USA and their respective sanctioning bodies USAC and SNZ. To others the move seemed to sanction what appeared to be little more than an underhand move by the US teams to gain an advantage.

For promoters it has always been expensive and relatively difficult to convince US car owners and teams to ship cars and equipment down to NZ.

“It would have made the decision to travel to Western Springs easier for a team like Keith Kunz Motorsport if they didn’t have to change their US spec engines to a now obsolete configuration, said Springs Promotions manager Dave Stewart, we need to make the deal simple and attractive to get these teams down here.”

The point maybe moot now anyway with the Keith Kunz team focused on testing with new recruit Brady Bacon filling the seat left by an injured Bryan Clauson. The team is well into an end of season racing and testing programme that has become complicated by the loss of Clauson, the addition of Bacon and an injury to star driver Jay Drake.

“We have so much on our plate at present with the new test programme and plans for 2007 that the trip to New Zealand will be difficult to fit in, said a disappointed team manager Pete Willoughby, we need to ship cars in November and this is now not planned so it will be impossible to accomplish in reality”

“It is real disappointing not to be able to come down this winter but it looks like it will be a no-go at this stage.”

It may not be great news for the Kiwi race fans who were looking forward to seeing the Bullet cars on the gas this summer but some of the worried Auckland Midget drivers may now be able to breathe easier.

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