Milestone Homes Top of the South Speedway organisers have announced this Saturday’s Challenge Cup involving the Palmerston North Panthers has been postponed due to the Kaikoura Earthquakes.
Nelson Speedway president Wayne Martin made the announcement on Facebook, saying the reduced Cook Strait ferry crossings made it challenging for the team to guarantee they’d make it to Nelson for the event against the Nelson Tigers.
“Nelson Speedway Association president Wayne Martin took a call from the Palmerston North Panthers management at lunchtime today, telling him the Panthers would be unable to get to Nelson for this weekend’s Challenge Cup teams race against the Nelson Tigers,” the post says.
“The quake disruption from Monday morning has seen ferry sailings reduced and compromised, meaning there was no longer any certainty the Panthers could get to Nelson for Saturday’s meeting – or be able to get home.
“Regretfully, they were forced to pull out.”
The Challenge Cup has been postponed not cancelled and will happen at a future date.
“The Nelson committee is disappointed to have to run without the teams race, although there will still be racing this Saturday involving the six programmed classes,” Wayne says.
“It’s disappointing for us but we have to remember that there are people around who have had their homes and livelihoods wrecked and our thoughts are with them right now.
“We will get the Panthers down here later in the season, until then, keep an eye on this page and on the website for anything that we might be able to do after we have had a committee meeting.”
