While most `winter' sports such as football, rugby, netball and harness racing are heading towards the halfway stage of their seasons, motocross enthusiasts are still awaiting the start of theirs.

And though all indications are that they will be up and running next weekend at Coney Island, the future of the popular sport still remains uncertain.

New safety measures have been enforced on the Bermuda Auto Cycle Union by the Department of Works and Engineering, delaying their return to Coney Island Park, their home for more than 20 years.

The safety standards demand that new fencing be erected around the track at heavy spectator areas, tickets be printed with a disclaimer on the back, and signs posted around the track advising spectators of the areas that are unsafe.

Spectators will also be advised not to run across the track. And to this end the BACU have been told they must have personnel preventing spectators from crossing the track.

What little profit the BACU made last year has already been spent on meeting those requirements, including purchasing fencing from overseas which cost about $4,000 and is presently being erected, having just arrived on the Island last weekend.

"It's temporary fencing that must go up and come down because Coney Island is a national park and it cannot be there permanently,'' explained president Ras Mykkal yesterday.

"We're hoping they will allow us to leave it up for the duration of our race season and then remove it at the end of our race season, to be installed again next year.'' Once the safety measures are in place only then will insurance be issued to allow riders back on the track.

"The committee of the Bermuda Auto Cycle Union had all our 1995-96 plans in place back in July but we were hit with this snowball when the Department of Works and Engineering said we had to have new safety standards in place before they would give us a new lease to use Coney Island,'' Mykkal disclosed.

"And they have put pressure on our insurers not to give us insurance until those safety standards are in place.'' Even in the area of insurance, noted Mykkal, the BACU doesn't get its money's worth as they race only on alternate Sundays and then only during the season.

"We pay insurance for a year but only use Coney Island for six months,'' said Mykkal. "We are actually wasting six months of insurance.'' Mykkal said some 6,000 tickets, which are custom made, have been printed, hopefully to last to the end of the season. In total he estimated the BACU will have spent in the region of $6,000 just to get ready for the new season.

Despite the uncertainty, they have again managed to secure Pepsi as their sponsors.

"We have produced four race schedules which we've had to trash,'' added Mykkal, who is convinced there is a conspiracy to kill motocross which has existed in Bermuda for about 25 years, first as a competitive sport at Ferry Reach and for more than two decades at the present home.

"We've been at Coney Island close to 25 years and this is the first time we've had to face such great measures of safety, though we're not saying they are not welcome,'' said the president.

"Three years ago we improved the safety standards and we were told they were sufficient. A very large yellow sign printed on both sides said `motocross is potentially dangerous and you enter at you own risk''.

Added Mykkal: "According to the Department of Works and Engineering this sign is good but not sufficient. The new disclaimer on the admission tickets was one of four requirements that they put on us to help prevent spectators injuring themselves.

"All this only adds to the problems we've been complaining about since 1988 when the Bermuda Government deemed Coney Island a national park which, by law, motor vehicles are prohibited to use. But we only do so because we were there first.'' The BACU have long had problems with trying to find a permanent home. When the Bases were returned to Government earlier this year they saw it as a perfect opportunity to secure a permanent location. They were looking specifically at the Naval Annex, or even the airport dump.

"I knew they were going to introduce a golf course and that has now been made public,'' said Mykkal.

"The area they are building a golf course on is not the area we wanted for our race track and we were told indirectly that in the area we wanted they did not know what they were going to do. But we can't have it.

"I went as far as to beg for the airport dump and we've been told we can't have that either. Coney Island is our home and whatever restrictions are put on us we are going to have to live with them, but it's really making the existence of motocross in Bermuda extremely difficult.

"Our relationship with Youth and Sports and Agriculture and Fisheries are great, but it's with the Ministry of the Environment and Works and Engineering that things keep springing up.'' Premier David Saul's decision to switch Pam Gordon from Youth, Sport and Recretation and replace her with Tim Smith has caused concern to Mykkal and his committee who must now deal with a new minister in trying to get things achieved for motocross. The sport enjoyed a growth in membership this year with 58 riders registered compared with 32 last year.

"The ministry has changed its name to youth development but we are not allowed to develop youth in that area,'' Mykkal stressed. "We just want a home that's ours and motocross is the only sport that doesn't have our own arena.

"I've been told there's no conspiracy to kill motocross but I have great difficulty believing that. Which speaks louder, actions or words? "If they want to do something for youth in that area then show us.''