The future of motorcycle racing on the Island will be effectively decided at a special general meeting of the Bermuda Motorcycle Racing Club next Wednesday when president David Jones is expected to tender his resignation.

The club has had its activities stopped by the Ministry of Sport after holding the first race of the new season at Southside a fortnight ago, against the wishes of Government. Dennis Lister, the outgoing Minister, slammed the action as a "serious breach of mutally agreed conditions" in a letter addressed to the club, which prompted a meeting on Wednesday.

"A letter has been sent to Government expressing our apologies," Jones, who raced professionally for five years in the United States before returning to Bermuda in 1996, said yesterday. "I met with Mr. Lister and further explained the reasons for doing what I did."

Safety is at the heart of the matter and Jones is adamant that the site at Clearwater, which was offered by Government after the decision to close Southside to racing, does not meet the required standards.

"Two weeks before we made that decision to race at Southside I addressed various ministers on safety issues at Clearwater," he said. "We had Police barriers, which is totally unsatisfactory. When we asked to race in Hamilton, they told us no because of the same safety concerns that we have at Clearwater."

Jones recalled that the dangers in the present set-up were highlighted when he had an accident towards the end of last season, as the four-foot barrier proved ineffective and he crashed into parked cars.

"We had spectators asking when we were going to return to Southside because they know of the dangers," he said. "You know fans in Bermuda; they want to get right up close to the barriers, and it's too dangerous at Clearwater for that. These bikes are designed to go up to 140 miles per hour and the scooters can do up to speeds of 80mph. Those barrier fences are not going to hold back these bikes."

Nevertheless, it appears that a long-standing difference of opinion between Jones and Brenton Roberts, Director of Youth and Sport, will force the club to take the desperate measure of firing its founding member if it is to move forward with the blessing of the Government. "I've worked long and hard to accomplish this dream," Jones added. "But myself and Brenton Roberts, from day one, have clashed on issues. I'm the professional here and I'm trying to make him understand but he has his own mind and likes to think his own way.

"When I came to Mr. Roberts with my proposal to bring motorcycle racing to Bermuda, he asked why did I want to start motorcycling racing when we had motocross at Coney Island. I felt that he didn't have my best interests at heart from the start and we've been banging heads since.

"We've worked very hard to get to this point and for Mr. Roberts to say that in one day we've got to make up our mind (about a change in leadership), it is difficult to take."