EDITORIAL: ROAD RACING NEEDS MEANINGFUL SUPPORT OR THIS GREAT SPORTING GEM OF NORTHERN IRELAND RISKS BEING LOST FOREVER

​The new motorcycling road racing season is just around the corner and course preparation is already well under way on the north coast ahead of the North West 200 showpiece, which begins in just over three weeks’ time.

At a time when the sport – an integral part of Northern Ireland’s sporting heritage – continues to face challenges around prohibitive insurance costs, those events that remain need the support of the race-going public more than ever.

Two years ago, nine Irish road races were held across Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland during the 2022 season.

That number has reduced to only three this year, with no road racing in the Republic taking place for the second consecutive season due to the massive rise in public liability insurance in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Cookstown 100 – Ireland’s oldest currently running road race – takes place next weekend in Tyrone, with the North West 200 running 11 days later.

There is then a break of over two months before Armoy in Co Antrim hosts the last Irish road racing action of 2024.

It is a far cry from the halcyon days of a sport that was put on the map by one of Ulster’s most revered sportsmen, five-time world champion Joey Dunlop.

The Northern Ireland executive could do so much more to help preserve the future of road racing in Northern Ireland through meaningful financial support, but fans can also play a vital role by turning out in numbers and purchasing a race programme or event wristband – key sources of revenue in particular for smaller events such as Cookstown and Armoy.

What remains of a decimated Irish road racing should be cherished – and these handful of events need to be supported with actions, not words, or risk being lost forever.

2024-04-18T23:13:41Z dg43tfdfdgfd