Mo SUI say LYN RILEY On the face of it, 'there's not much logic in the prediction that motor sport has a bright future. Amid the gloom of rising costs, falling palronage and threatened fuel shortages, even the dichards must wonder at times whether the sport - - has a future at all. Bul not George Begs. New Zealand motor sport's genial giant - a man whose enthusiasm is undiminished after ah involvement of smore than 30 years. As he sees it, motor sport will survive because it will get back to basies. He foresees the day when people wil once again race lor trophies rather than for money. ''They'll prise off their hubcaps and have a go. George Begs has seen practically every side of molor sport - as a com- 1 pettor, construcior, promoter, administrator and enthusiastic collector of racing cars. His philosophy, quite simply, , that motor sport 19 not for the very rich, but for the rank and file enthusiast. And as a back-room committee man, that philosophy at every has been applied opportunity when the structure of the sport is under discussion. Not surprisingly, Mr Begg is a member of a committee devoted to cutting conpetitors' costs so that more of them will be attracted to tne sport, and closer conpetition will resuit. And he is conviticed moves in this direction are having the desired effect. "Last year the Shellsport Series • winner covered his expenses out of prize money -it's the first time that has happened in 20 years. tor spOrt will vive, s ge nial giant ieüdünüciss mininis surs sn ita cetedio This Begg Chevrolet F Why? Bec "In the big saloon era, the thing just collapsed if a couple of people pulled out. Now, the top five could pull out of the Shellsport Series Abated, "Would continue lib- and it BEGINNING George Begg. an engineer by trade, hau his motor sport beginnings on two wheels. Hc was racing motorcycles more than 30 years ago, but unlike some of his contemporaries did not make the transition to four wheels. Mr Begg made his name in racing cars not driver, but as a constructor. The first Begg Was wheeled from his small •M2 was driven by Christchurc ause it will engineering workshop in rural Southland in 1963. Begg cars quickly made their mark in international racing in New Zealand, cuiminating in a second placing in the 1975 New Zealand Grand Prix. Mr Begg went lo England In 1968 and worked with the late Bruce MeLaren on the. development of the highly successful Can Am sports cars. Five years laler, he took one of his own cars to Britain, where it was favourably compared with top Formula 5000 machinery racing Burope at the tune. FACTORY Mr Begs built his eighteenth and last car in 1974, and withdrew from active ch driver Geoff Mardon in get back participation two years later. He opened a faclory in Christchu ah to manufacture agricultural machinery, which, on his own admission, is hard to equate with racing cars. As a partner in a business embracing three factories spread through the country, there was a need to "get on with making a living." There was still time, though, for the administrative side of motor sport. Mr Begg is a committee member of the Motor Racing Club, the Motor Sport Association of New caland and the Shellsport saloon series. This year's Lady Wigram Trophy meeting alone volved him in five weeks full-time work. •... eras. the Tasman serity. to basics In spite of efforts such as this, the Wigram meeting's attendance fell short of target, once again raising ques. tions aboul its future. "Ultimately, circuits such as Wigram must go. For the spectator they don't provide very good value for money, Mr Begg freely admits. "For $5, a man wants to see all the action all the time — that's why speedway packs them in. OVER Mr Begg is weil aware that the golden days of big names and big crowds at Wigram are over. "Motor sport today must compele with so many other forns of sport. '"That makes It a dubious financial proposition to run the scale of the 1050s like meetings on anything and 1960s when we could afford world champions. "Motor racing today is big business - a world champion makes $im a year. Mr Begg points to New Zealand motor racing's vicious circle of higher prize money, a higher level of - and higher costs for all concerned. "You're not going to attract spectators no matter how big a bunfight you put on. It might cost $im to get $1m back again in gate takings. "What spectator sport in New Zealand, unless it's a malch. can compete with a television set in a living-room?" So how does George Begg Justify his prediction of a "tremendous future" for the sport. "It has a tremendous uture lor ihe orumary guy _ there is a whole proller ation of clubs running at grass-roots level. 'That's where the future Is. People want to compele, but they don't want to have to mortgage their houses in order to do so. "If you look at motor-racing as a vehicle to attract tremendous allendances at bigger and better tracks, the future is pretty dim.