The all-new motorcycle road race event set to take place in the Brecon Beacons area of South Wales this summer has been put back until at least 2019.

The directors of the Welsh Road Race announced its postponement on Saturday, claiming it was because of recent changes to legislation regarding the Road Traffic Act in Wales.

A hearing with regards to the repeal of the Road Traffic Act to allow the use of closed public roads for motorsport events in Wales took place in January, and the repeal came into effect last Friday.

The three-day meeting, which had attracted a lot of interest from potential riders and spectators, was scheduled to take place between August 3-5 on a 5.25-mile upland moorland course utilising roads on the Army ranges at Epynt.

The Welsh Road Race release stated that it had previously gained permission, but the change in legislation had put the timescale of the event into jeopardy as there would be insufficient time to obtain the standards now required.

’We are working closely with the Auto-Cycle Union, Crown Properties and Powys County Council to organise the Welsh Road Race,’ said Derek Smith, who is chairman of the Aberdare Park road race organisation and general secretary of the East South Wales ACU, in addition to being managing director of the Welsh Road Race event in question.

’Under the new changes in legislation, the new deadlines that have been imposed will make it very difficult to carry out a safe and successful event,’ he added.

’The board of directors are absolutely devastated, for all the supporters and all concerned with the event.’

Paul King, chairman of the ACU road race committee said: ’Following concerns raised with the Auto-Cycle Union at the end of the year about the proposed Welsh Road Race in August 2018, members of the ACU road race committee recently met with the event organisers to understand what was being proposed and what was required for the event to progress.

’In order for the ACU road race committee to sanction the event, a list of requirements required from the organisers was agreed. It would appear that the timetable to achieve the event for 2018 cannot be achieved.

’The committee will endeavour to assist the organisers in progressing the event for 2019.’

A date for the 2019 event has already been requested and will be announced shortly.

Philip Morris, a well-known businessman and road race team manager, has been heavily involved with the promotion of the event. Shortly after it was announced at the Motorcycle Live Show in Birmingham’s NEC last November, he said : ’The interest from the road race competitors and spectators that attended the show was very encouraging, and we were delighted that more than 80 riders confirmed their intension to be on the grid next August,’

Race organisers also confirmed that some 2,000 ticket reservations had been made.

Since then, more than 200 riders have expressed an interest in taking part and the original two-day slot was extended to also include the Friday for initial practising.

Former TT winner and regular road racing pundit Steve Plater has also been helping with its promotion.

Plater is also a development rider for Norton, who confirmed yesterday that Josh Brookes will again ride for them at this year’s TT.

l For the full story on Brookes, see back page.