Motorcycle enthusiasts are refusing to give up hope on resurrecting their racing season ? but are becoming increasingly angry at Government inactivity that is keeping them off their bikes.

The season has been in limbo since July as the governing body and the Sports Ministry continue to try to reach an arrangement over racing at Morgan?s Point.

The season, originally scheduled to continue until late October, has been decimated since Government told Bermuda Motorcycle Racing Club president David Jones his riders were not wanted at the Southampton Naval Annex.

Jones ? who described that decision as a ?slap in the face? ? has been engaged in a prolonged letter- writing campaign with the Sports Ministry and the Bermuda Land Development Company and despite a series of face-to-face meetings, no progress has been made.

?Every day that goes by, I am getting angrier about this,? Jones told

?Our season has only a few weeks to run and it is increasingly frustrating that nothing has happened. Assurances have been made but people keep stalling and it is hard to see where the light at the end of the tunnel is.

?They kicked us out at a terrible time. The week before ? when we had to call things off because of the rain ? we had five new riders come down and we had sponsors lined up for the actual week that they did tell us to get out ? and what sort of message does that send out to people interested in our sport.

?Membership has been on the up and now there is no racing going on. They are not exactly encouraging this up and coming sport ? and isn?t that the point of a Sports Ministry??

Jones maintains that a verbal agreement was in place to continue racing throughout the summer and into autumn and that Government changed their mind mid-season ? something the Sports Ministry deny.

One of the main stumbling blocks to resuming racing remained the question of insurance and liability, although Jones is convinced that they have a policy ? $1,000,000 liability coverage that protects the club, the Ministry and the Bermuda Land Development Company ? which would allow them to race.

?It is very frustrating,? said Jones. ?All we want to do is get this sorted out so we can get racing again. We have a lot of people getting interested in the sport and we just want to get on with it.

?I am happy we have done what is being asked of us. We have spent a lot of time and money on the facilities at Morgan?s Point and until we get something sorted out for Clearwater, this is our only chance to do what we love.?

Last month Ministry of Sport Permanent Secretary Dr. Derrick Binns said there were some questions still to be answered on the insurance and liability issue although claimed he was working hard to reach a solution.

He also said he would be ?very disappointed? if the Motor Sport Park at Clearwater was not open for racing by May 2005 ? the start of the next racing season.

Jones recently received a letter from Sports Minister Dale Butler in which he said he hoped racing could begin on ?Apron 5? of the Clearwater Site.

It is understood the Ministry are submitting a two-part planning application, under which permission for building a track is being sought separately from a main building.

If this were to be approved, racing could begin within ?two or three weeks? claimed Jones as the tarmac is already in place and the necessary safety equipment is already in storage on the Island.