The future of motocross in Bermuda is in doubt as the sport faces permanent eviction from their long-standing home.

With their Coney Island home no longer a certainty after 22 consecutive years, plans for this season -- scheduled to begin on September 14 -- have skidded off the track.

At the heart of the issue is the track and whether the Bermuda Auto Cycle Union (BACU) will be allowed to use the east end facility for the 1995-1996 campaign.

Ras Mykkal, president of the BACU, said yesterday that even though the season is shrouded in uncertainty, he is trying his best to remain optimistic.

"Everything is up in the air right now and it is looking very doubtful if there is going to be a season this year,'' said Mykkal. "I want to remain optimistic, but there are a lot of things that need to be worked out in a short space of time.'' It was suggested by Mykkal that pressure was being exerted by the Ministry of Works and Engineering -- who are in charge of the lease -- to have BACU discontinue operations at Coney Island.

Mykkal lashed out at the ministry, accusing it of tampering in the BACU's affairs. According to the president, the ministry had approached BACU insurers, Colonial Insurance, with the aim of influencing the terms of a new policy.

"It's my guess that they are putting pressure on our insurers,'' said Mykkal.

"We have received a letter from Works and Engineering saying that they are trying not to give us a lease for Coney Island under the current conditions.'' Among those conditions are damages to an oil pipeline owned by Esso, which runs under important areas of the race track and is in the process of being replaced. That would prevent any racing activity until completion of the work.

According to Mykkal, Esso was said to have blamed the damage on heavy machinery brought in last year to revamp the track and this was relayed to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Parks because of Coney Island's status as a national park.

"They made Coney Island a national park in 1988 and you are not allowed to drive motor vehicles through a national park, but because we were there first we have been tolerated.'' To that end, the ministry has asked that there be no maintenence or heavy machinery on those parts of the race track. Still, Mykkal implied those in power have hidden agendas aimed at killing motocross.

"There are different groups that want us off Coney Island such as the Ministry of the Environment as well as Works and Engineering and it looks like they are not even giving us somewhere else to go,'' said Mykkal, who also complained that there was no one to talk to about the situation, including Sports Minister Pam Gordon.

He said he believes government simply does not care.

"I am one out of 40 motocross riders that are in this predicament. But as president people come to me for solutions and the people that I need to talk to are not available.

"Government, in their election, came out with a blueprint of the future. From what I can see, that is at the bottom of the trash bin. I think everybody has forgotten about it.'' RAS MYKKAL -- New season looks "very doubtful''.