A Real Loss to All Involved

The gov has said that it remains committed to working with any competitors affected by the cancellation of racing in Northern Ireland.

It was announced this morning that all motorcycle road racing, trials and short circuit racing in Northern Ireland will not take place in 2023.

Addressing the cancellations, which includes the North West 200, political member for responsibility for motorsport, Tim Crookall MHK said the gov is ‘saddened to hear of the cancellation of all road racing this year in Northern Ireland’.

The cancellation of the races in Northern Ireland have been attributed to insurance rising up to £400,000, which organisers are unable to afford.

Mr Crookall said: ‘Increasing costs are a very real issue facing all sports and businesses at this moment in time, and it’s for this reason the Isle of Man TT Races made ensuring the long term sustainability of the event a clear mission within the TT’s overarching strategy.

‘In addition to the overarching strategy, the Isle of Man TT have brought in a raft of changes in order to grow the event’s audience and improve accessibility to fans globally through the launch of live broadcast and additional year round content. This approach amongst other changes provide sustainable income streams that can provide assurance to the longevity of the Isle of Man TT Races and ultimately ensure that road racing can remain on the island.’

Mr Crookall added that while the loss of the events won’t directly impact on the TT, the gov ‘will remain committed to working with any of their competitors that may be impacted by the cancellation’.

However, while Mr Crookall says the decision won’t directly impact the TT, the loss of racing in Northern Ireland has raised questions around the future viability of road racing and whether teams will be willing or able to fund a road racing set up solely for the TT.

We have asked the gov to confirm whether or not it is engaged in talks with teams and competitors.