Sprint series' deciding race is timed out

Baypark Speedway's frustrating season finale last Saturday has led to a spat between promoter Willie Kay and Tauranga City councillor and speedway driver Murray Guy.
Mr Kay pulled the plug on the final race, the decider for the Bay of Plenty sprint car championships, because his consent prohibited him from racing past 10pm.
Racing fell behind schedule when Speedway New Zealand's chief steward ordered remedial work to be carried out on the track following a couple of big crashes in the meeting.
Mr Kay said the sprint cars were on the track getting ready for the final race of the evening when they were beaten by the clock.
He told the Bay of Plenty Times that he was disappointed at pulling the plug but there was nothing he could do about it.
However, Cr Guy said the sprint cars were brought out at about three minutes to 10, giving the impression that they were about to race.
"They were put out in the full knowledge that they could not race."
Speedway's resource consent says that the last race was not allowed to start after 9.50pm, he said.
By bringing the cars out a few minutes before 10pm, Mr Kay was then able to announce to the crowd that he was really sorry but his consent did not permit racing to continue past 10pm.
Cr Guy said the real reason for the failure to run the last race was that Mr Kay did not get his track preparation right. Drivers subsequently complained to the chief steward about the dangerous condition of the track.
Mr Kay did not deny it was a rough track, and that it took about 20 minutes with a grader to carry out remedial work.
However, when the racing resumed they were able to make up some of the time and, except for two big crashes later in the meeting, they would have squeezed in the sprint car final.
He denied that his consent said that the last race had to start by 9.50pm. He said the actual wording was that no race shall be programmed to start later than 9.50pm.
Mr Kay said the rule related to the published race programme, whereas the last race of a meeting could still start after 9.50pm and be finished well before 10pm. If necessary, they could cut a few laps to make it fit.
He quoted a council letter which said the last race could start after 9.50pm, provided it was completed at 10pm.
Mr Kay was "bitterly disappointed" by the turn of events on Saturday but he dared not exceed 10pm, even by the four-and-a-half minutes it would have taken if the final race had been cut to 15 laps.
He said that breaking the terms of the consent put speedway at risk and there were a couple of "recidivist complainants" who rang the council every time they thought racing went past 10pm.
"For the sake of four-and-a-half minutes, I disappointed a lot of people. That is what the consent says and they [the council] does not give me any leeway."
Cr Guy said a meeting was being arranged between the executive of the Bay of Plenty Speedway Association and the council as soon as practicable. A recent special general meeting of the club was held to "discuss and better understand issues of concern". In the meantime, he said Mayor Stuart Crosby had provided councillors with a link to the speedway enthusiasts' website, Macgor's.