[Jockiescott]

I've just woken to the news this morning that, as things stand, all motorcycle Road Racing, short circuit racing and trials events have been cancelled in Northern Ireland this year after insurance costs tripled to over £400,000.

BBC News - All motorcycle road racing in Northern Ireland cancelled for 2023

Most motorcycle road races in Northern Ireland cancelled

It is due to soaring insurance charges but organisers of the flagship North West 200 are still hopeful it can go ahead.

www.bbc.co.uk

What a truly sad day this is for one of Northern Ireland's iconic sporting traditions.

We've produced multiple world champions like Jonathan Rae in World Superbikes in recent years and Joey Dunlop in the past.

We've had success at British Superbike level.

We've had hundreds of road racers that have brought a divided community together through some of the darkest times in our history.

The loss to the local economy from the NW200 and Armoy road races will have a significant impact on our North Coast.

A lot of companies around our short circuits will be hit hard from those events being cancelled too. Many of them are based around bike parts, spares, servicing, etc.

Racing is such a huge part of our heritage and tradition. It is a sad day for my wee country. 😢

 

[jimmythefish]

Morning jockie pal,just reading your post about the bikes,my goodness that’s really terrible,as I was for heading across the water to see my family and grand kids,riding over on the boat from cairn Ryan. Looks like it’s not gonna be done now,I see yer man maccallan wants to charge every one that’s watching,but how is this possible,with folks behind hedge rows,caravan parks,folks gardens,same with the, Isle of Man. Maybe hopefully a last minute solution will be found,as it’s Northern irelands premier event and will be so sadly missed for sure.

 

[paddymc]

A sad day alright☹

Hopefully some sort of solution can be found soon.

 

[gwelsher]

Sad news for NI Richard. Will the the TT be next

 

[Jockiescott]

Sad news for NI Richard. Will the the TT be next

I honestly don't think so Gary.

The TT is almost a government run event now on the island. They realise the economic benefits to the entire islands economy that they've almost taken over the running of it.

The likes of the islands Homestay scheme, where residents offer their homes or spare rooms during TT and MGP weeks, the government take a percentage of the booking fee to put back into running the event.

I'm sure the government there have done a deal with some of the many financial institutions on the island that they can cover the insurance expenses.

I suppose you must never say never but I don't believe that the TT is in just as a precarious position as racing here.

It certainly won't help the racing teams themselves that used the Northwest to get some competitive track time before the TT however.

 

[gwelsher]

Yes maybe the IOM is more in tune with the local economics, I hope so.
You would have thought that the NI government could find a way to raise £400k.

 

[Jockiescott]

Yes maybe the IOM is more in tune with the local economics, I hope so.
You would have thought that the NI government could find a way to raise £400k.

They can't even agree to form a government, never mind anything else. 😔

 

[Jockiescott]

From the Isle of man government...

"The loss of road racing events in Northern Ireland won't directly impact the TT Races.

That's the message from the political member with responsibility for motorsport.

Following the overnight announcement that all road racing events in Northern Ireland have been cancelled due to concerns over the rising cost of insurance, Tim Crookall MHK has released a statement.

He says: "The Isle of Man is proud to be a country synonymous with motorcycle road racing and we are saddened to hear of the cancellation of all road racing this year in Northern Ireland, a country that has the sport so ingrained within its heritage. It is a real loss to fans, competitors, communities and all those involved in the events.

"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.

"Whilst the loss of the events across Northern Ireland won’t directly impact the Isle of Man TT Races, I would like to add that the Isle of Man TT Races will remain committed to working with any of their competitors that may be impacted by the cancellation."

 

[Jockiescott]

Perhaps the NW200 will still happen? 🤞

STATEMENT FROM THE ORGANISERS OF THE fonaCAB AND NICHOLL OILS NORTH WEST 200

The crisis the fonaCAB and Nicholl Oils North West 200 and the rest of motorcycle sport in Ireland currently faces is due to a huge increase in the cost of insurance cover for 2023.
The organisers of the North West 200, the Coleraine and District Motor Club, have been working tirelessly to mitigate the pressure created by these extra costs. The club was confident it could manage the initial premium increase but with other events unable to do so, the transfer of extra charges to the North West 200 created an unsustainable financial burden.
Yesterday the sport’s governing body, the Motor Cycle Union of Ireland (UC), announced the cancellation of all motorcycle sporting events in Northern Ireland this year. But the organisers of the NW200 have not given up the fight. We cannot afford to lose an event that has been running for over 90 years and plays such a vital role in the economy of the north coast area.
We have been overwhelmed by the messages and offers of support we have received today and whilst we understand the decision taken by the MCUI (UC), the Coleraine and District Motor club will continue in its efforts to stage the North West 200 on May 7-13.
Plans were already in place to welcome new competitors to the event during an induction day next Tuesday, February 14. Both that event and the Meet the Stars race launch, scheduled for February 15, will go ahead as planned and we will continue to keep everyone informed of our progress.

fonaCAB
Nicholl Fuel Oils

 

[gradun]

A real shame, hopefully the NW200 will find a way to still go ahead..

 

[budge]

I've been following this since the first announcement, pretty disastrous if it happens, especially when you look back at all the great riders that have emerged from Irish road racing. There's also the race teams and sponsors from over there. If racing ceases I wonder what effect it will have on bringing through young riders to the TT ?
There have been some scathing criticisms of the MCUI stating they have known since November there were issues with insurance, but have kept it quiet.
£400k seems a tiny sum compared to the overall income generated by the races ? Surely the government could step in to help ? Or is it convenient to let road racing disappear ?
Personally I have never been over to watch the races there as the TT has been my priority, but it has always been my intention to go there. If they do manage to sort something out I will definitely be making it a priority. Fingers crossed something gets sorted.

Sent from my CPH2127 using Tapatalk

 

[Jockiescott]

I've been following this since the first announcement, pretty disastrous if it happens, especially when you look back at all the great riders that have emerged from Irish road racing. There's also the race teams and sponsors from over there. If racing ceases I wonder what effect it will have on bringing through young riders to the TT ?
There have been some scathing criticisms of the MCUI stating they have known since November there were issues with insurance, but have kept it quiet.
£400k seems a tiny sum compared to the overall income generated by the races ? Surely the government could step in to help ? Or is it convenient to let road racing disappear ?
Personally I have never been over to watch the races there as the TT has been my priority, but it has always been my intention to go there. If they do manage to sort something out I will definitely be making it a priority. Fingers crossed something gets sorted.

Sent from my CPH2127 using Tapatalk

There are so many stories and rumours flying around that it's been difficult to keep up.

Some involved at national level are blaming Mervyn Whyte and the NW200 for the massive increase in insurance. Some of them would rather the MCUI concentrate on getting insurance for the national races and let the NW200 look after itself as a standalone event.

Our government here are completely pathetic and weak. A prominent DUP member and massive race fan has come out in support of the North West. The way "politics" work here, if the DUP are in support of something then the other party MUST oppose it. And vice versa. Kids in a primary school playground wouldn't be as childish.

We don't even have a government at the minute because one of the parties has spat the dummy out of the pram and won't elect a speaker. This after the other main party left us with no government for 3 years from 2017 after they spat the dummy out of the pram over some nonsense they didn't agree with. Politics in this country really is a joke.

There are those in politics that would happily see racing banned. It was always something that was said here that they'd never have to ban racing as eventually it would be priced out of existence. We just didn't think it would be this soon.

Apparently a go fund me page has raised over £77,000 to put towards the insurance. There's a rumour that Greta Thunberg had contributed to it. 🤷‍♂️ However, a letter appeared on Facebook today from the motorcycle union in Southern Ireland that they can't find an insurance broker willing to take them on.

It all seems a complete mess and rather than clubs and people coming together, it seems to be driving them apart.

I suspect that the North West will take place this year but it might be its last unfortunately. 🙁

 

[budge]

Yeh It is a right mess. Looks as though the NW has decided to look after itself and leave the others to fend for themselves. A bit of a short sighted attitude in the long term.

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[jimmythefish]

This all leads you onto another venture guys,because of the shortage now of road racing,it’s gonna be a clamber for rooms on the Isle of Man for sure,as we all know, fellas book from when they leave there rooms,and pre book for the following year,so if your thinking of heading to the TT, go NOW and get yourself sorted out fellas,it’s gonna be a sell out as per usual,but even earlier now.👍. The Scottish government is every bit as bad. There is NO boat to I O M from Scotland,you can take a quick flight OR.Literarly get on yer bike and head for Liverpool,your nearest port for bikers if your a scot. Great thinking was that Scottish government 😡 taking the boats aff from Ardossan and Troon. Ejits 👍. PS just seen yesterday scot mp’s, in the main daily paper says they took a 2 1/2 percent pay rise to give them £86,500. a year. aye not bad work if ye can get it,eh lads.

 

[budge]

From what I've been seeing on the TT Facebook pages there have been a lot of people trying to offload ferry bookings before the payment deadline next week. Maybe folk who would have travelled to NI will find sailings available ? Not sure whether the new ferry delay will have an effect although they say not. I was scheduled to sail over on the new boat but haven't heard anything from them yet. Accommodation is another matter but plenty of camping sites to choose from across the island.
Heysham is the closest ferry port for Scottish travellers although only by an hour or so.

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[Jockiescott]

If you were brave enough to hold out, there were some decent prices for homestay the week before practice week last year. Unfortunately there were no flights from Belfast on the bank holiday of the queen's jubilee or I'd have been away.

A lot of the Scottish TT fans get the ferries to northern Ireland and then get the boat to the Isle of man.

A lot of people here get ferries to Liverpool to get the boat to the island. Others get the ferries to Scotland and drive down to Heysham.

I saw that the new ferry was scheduled from northern Ireland for the TT too but doubt if that will happen now

 

[budge]

Wonky gearbox in the new ferry during sea trials apparently so it will be the Ben and Manan as usual.

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[Jockiescott]

Statement from the Coleraine and District Motor Club

‘ The MCUI UC has received a new insurance quotation for its 2023 events which the Coleraine and District Motor Club and the other organising clubs are now considering.
We are very conscious that time is now short with regard to the organisation of this years fonaCAB and Nicholl Oils North West 200. With less than eight weeks until race week, there is a pressing need for a final decision to be made as soon as possible for everyone involved in the event.’

fonaCAB
Nicholl Fuel Oils
#NW200

 

[Jockiescott]

Road racing in Northern Ireland is set to go ahead this year!

https://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/motorcycling/northern-ireland-motorcycling-set-to-go-ahead-in-2023-as-new-insurance-deal-agreed-4066032

 

[Jockiescott]

The Coleraine and District Motor Club is delighted to announce this year’s fonaCAB and Nicholl Oils North West 200 will take place as planned on May 7-13.
As has been well documented over the past month, this year’s event had been thrown into jeopardy by a huge increase in the cost of public liability insurance. A new insurance deal has finally been secured and the crucial intervention of Co.Tyrone businessman, Derek Keys, with a generous donation from his company, Euro Auctions, has ensured the 2023 NW200 can go ahead.
“March 2023 represents the 25th anniversary of Euro Auctions and helping the North West 200 gives us the ideal chance to thank all of those people who have supported us over that 25 year journey.” Mr Keys said.
“The event sees over 195,000 people visit the region and many businesses, both large and small, depend upon events like this to bring trade and prosperity into the North West area. This event is part of our region’s heritage and I am delighted that with a little help from Euro Auctions, the event can now proceed this year.”
“We are very grateful to Derek Keys and Euro Auctions for this very generous support.” the NW200’s Mervyn Whyte, said.
“In the absence of any financial assistance from government, the sport has been left to its own devices to deal with the insurance crisis. Mr Keys intervention has been crucial in saving this year’s North West 200. We also wish to express our gratitude to the many members of the motorcycle racing community who donated so generously to the crowd funding initiative launched by the Motorcycle Union of Ireland, Ulster Centre.”

fonaCAB Nicholl Fuel Oils
#NW200