The future of Irish road motorcycle racing has been called into question as a result of spiralling insurance costs.
Motorcycling Ireland (MCI) have followed Motorsport Ireland (MI) and come to an insurance agreement to cover their competitors for the 2017/18 season, but they are facing a reduced programme of road races.
The lack of an insurance deal threatened to scupper rallying and circuit racing in Ireland this year until the MI affiliated clubs agreed to an increase in the insurance levy.
It took longer for the MCI to sort out their deal and one has since been agreed with a new insurer, but with a near 100% increase in premiums.
As a result and as a direct consequence, the motorcycling road racing calendar in the Republic of Ireland has been cut from five to just three events in 2017 and that has now called into question the very existence of the sport itself.
The first to go was when the Loughshinny Club in north Dublin were forced to cancel their Killalane meeting to focus fully on running the famous Skerries 100 meeting at the beginning of July.
Following that cancellation came the news that the Kells meeting, which was due to be run in Meath in June, has also been withdrawn from the MCI calendar, cancelled as rising insurance costs begin to bite.
“It is with great sadness that we have decided to only promote the Skerries 100 in 2017, as trying to find another €25,000 to run our second event, the Killalane Road Races, is just not feasible this year,” said Clerk of the Course Susan Plunkett in a statement.
“We have three road races in this year. Either come along and see this very unique sport up close and personal or contact the clubs and show your support.
“All the volunteer clubs are working under very difficult financial constraints to keep this sport going.”
It leaves only three road races on the calendar for 2017 in the Republic of Ireland - the Skerries 100 on 1 July, the Walderstown in Westmeath on the 9 July and the Faugheen 50 in Tipperary which is due to run on the 23 July.
In Northern Ireland the Tandragee 100, Cookstown 100 and Armoy race weekends, along with the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix, will be run in 2017.
Tandragee, Cookstown and Armoy, along with the three events in the Republic, will make up the National Road Race programme in 2017.
When one considers that back in the last decade there were as many as 12 road races on the MCI National calendar, the 50% reduction in the last 10 years or so is a worrying statistic.
The cutting of road races, particularly in the Republic, has caused consternation to the motorcycling community and some have suggested that the very future of the sport is now in question as a result of spiralling insurance costs.
Money for road racing events has to come from the clubs and competitors alike as there is obviously no entrance fee and the sport that has spawned legendary names like Joey and Robert Dunlop, Eddie Laycock and Ryan Farguhar is now under serious threat.
Things are somewhat better for motorcycle circuit racing as Mondello Park also falls into the umbrella of the Motorcycling Union of Ireland, and the track itself has organised the Masters series over the past few years at the County Kildare track and at Bishopscourt in Downpatrick.
There is an increase in insurance there as well, but according to Fergus Brennan of Mondello, that rise will be “absorbed by the circuit”, meaning no increase in fees for the 2017 season.
“We had in fact hoped to drop our entry fees for this year, but the insurance increase has put paid to that so we are holding steady for this year,” said Brennan
“We have dropped from seven motorcycling events to six for this season, but that was at the request of the competitors and all six will count towards the Masters series.
“Three of those events will be run by us and three will be a joint one run by us and the MCI, starting with a two-day meeting on the 25 and 26 of March.
“Combining the Masters and the National Championship should encourage more competitors to tackle both series and the end result should be a stronger a more stable Irish Short Circuit Racing scene.”
2017 Mondello Park Motorcycle Racing Dates
March 25-26: Masters Superbike Championship
May 6-7: National Championship & Masters Superbike Championship
June 24-25: National Championship & Masters Superbike Championship
July 15-16: Masters Superbike Championship
August 5-6: National Championship & Masters Superbike Championship
September 30-October 1: Masters Superbike Championship
