Plans to revive the Ulster Grand Prix – one of the jewels in the crown of pure road racing – have fallen through before they’ve even had time to spring to fruition.
Plans for the historic race to return in 2022 after a two-year absence was halted not by the COVID pandemic but by the bankruptcy of the previous organising body the Dundrod and District Motorcycle Club.
The race’s future was thrown into doubt when the club was issued with a winding up order in 2020 after racking up debts of some £300,000 – but looked set to return to life in 2022 under the auspices of a new organisation led by former Isle of Man TT race winner Phillip McCallen and North West 200 boss Mervyn Whyte.
However, they confirmed this morning in a statement that their plans had also fallen through thanks to a failure to secure crucial investment from the Northern Irish government.
“We would like to place on record our sincere thanks,” read the statement, “to the Department of Economy and Department of Finance who both fully endorsed our proposal which would have delivered the biggest investment in motorcycling ever seen in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, Tourism NI has informed us it will not support the level of funding agreed.
“All parties have been involved in in-depth business case appraisals which have confirmed excellent value for money and a huge impact on the economy.
“We are aware that the cancellation of the UGP, which is celebrating its centenary year, is not just a huge disappointment for fans but also a major blow to the sport. But we are simply unable to stage what is one of Northern Ireland’s oldest and most prestigious sporting events because TNI will not give the green light to funding which two government departments signed off.”
The Northern Irish Assembly is currently without leadership following the resignation of First Minister Paul Givan last month.
The 2022 event was set to be the Ulster Grand Prix’s centenary, with racing in the area dating all the way back to 1922, albeit on various different circuit layouts. The race was included in the inaugural Grand Prix calendar and held that spot until 1971 when increasing political violence in Northern Ireland saw the country deemed too unsafe to visit.
It has continued since then, however, drawing some of the biggest names in road racing and regularly seeing the average lap time up until the fast and flowing 7.4-mile Dundrod circuit used since 1951 became the fastest in the world. The current lap record currently stands at an average of 136.415mph, set by Peter Hickman in 2019.
Hey @NITouristBoard please reconsider your decision to not invest in the future of the northwest 200 and the Ulster GP. The potential of these events hasn’t been touched
— Glenn Irwin (@GIrwinRacing) March 7, 2022
An online petition – shared by the likes of British Superbikes race winner Glenn Irwin – to persuade Tourism NI to reconsider its decision has garnered over 80 signatures.
