A SHORTAGE of funding has led to Wagga bike racer Brandon Demmery pulling out of the fifth round of the Asian Road Racing Championship (ARRC) in Qatar.
After very successful 2013 and 2014 seasons, where he won two Australian championships, a dejected Demmery will miss round five of the ARRC in Qatar at the end of the month.
“I have already raced in Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan and Thailand this year, but we just don't have the funding to compete in the next round unfortunately,” Demmery said.
“We have to pay for each round and flights to each event, and we just can't afford to do this round.”
Brandon’s father, Michael, said the cost to compete in Asia, about $10,000 a round, has “drained” funds.
"We have tried to secure sponsorship in Asia this year, but those interested in supporting riders in the series only seem to want to help Asian riders, which we can understand, it's their local riders they want to assist,” Michael said.
“We have tried very hard to find Australian businesses with interests in the Asian region with no success. The cost to compete has drained our funds at this stage."
Demmery may also miss the remaining Australian rounds this year as they try and recoup some funding, and build a budget for next year if they can secure a ride.
