Proposed new race circuit in Northern Ireland

[joeymc]

A friend sent me this link yesterday, I haven't heard anything about this before and its only 3 miles from my house?

Has any of the NI,ROI riders seen or heard anything about this?

Watch the video in the link

http://www.laketorrent.com/wp/animation/

[dmac]

Hadnt heard about it. Very interesting!

[macdee]

It would be great to have a up to date propose built circuit but i think it would have to be Grand Prix standard ,its good to see two or three options in the video layout
in the video it show's a tunnel i think thats too dangerous as access to an accident there would be hindered to no end

Another site could be Nutts corner only problem is a bit flat

hope it will happen sooner than later

[fw750x]

Would Love this to Happen and be Built. But no chance in Northern Ireland There is not a big enough Fan Base For Motor Sports . For a Venue Like that You would need to Get Tens of Thousands of Paying Spectators in Every Week of the Year. I would say a Higher Percentage of Bike Fans would Rather see Pure Road Racing as apposed to Circuit Racing.Same goes for Rallying Pure Roads Not a Circuit.And then of Course the Noise Created, Someone who Lives 4 Miles away will complain about the Noise and Then they will only be able to Run Half a Dozen Events in a Full Year. The Best Chance to Build a Purpose Built Circuit was After Tom Herron was Killed and Had Backing from the Goverment and Various Business People and it ended up a Non Runner. Francis

[joeymc]

agreed mate. I don't think it will ever happen. although I would love to see it,

Would Love this to Happen and be Built. But no chance in Northern Ireland There is not a big enough Fan Base For Motor Sports . For a Venue Like that You would need to Get Tens of Thousands of Paying Spectators in Every Week of the Year. I would say a Higher Percentage of Bike Fans would Rather see Pure Road Racing as apposed to Circuit Racing.Same goes for Rallying Pure Roads Not a Circuit.And then of Course the Noise Created, Someone who Lives 4 Miles away will complain about the Noise and Then they will only be able to Run Half a Dozen Events in a Full Year. The Best Chance to Build a Purpose Built Circuit was After Tom Herron was Killed and Had Backing from the Goverment and Various Business People and it ended up a Non Runner. Francis

[Moto Bikemad]

It would be great,
however the grey men in drab suits that get voted in ever couple of years will not let it happen.
They can't even agree on what is best for US over the Europe vote,
sad, sad, sad..............

[Moorso]

I would love to see it, but doubt it'll happen. I noticed a similar scheme in Tenerife (they even mooted holding an F1 race there: ex F1 driver Mark Blundell was even in the promo stuff) but five years later and it's dead in the water.

Modern circuits need large state investment/support (a la Shanghai / Malaysia etc) and even state supported ones fall (Turkey / South Korea).

It's probably why there are no modern circuits like Spa, Monza etc.

As mentioned above the other factor is the strength of road racing here; not just NW200 and Ulster Grand Prix but smaller meetings like Armoy, Antrim, Cookstown, Tandragee etc.

Am I right in thinking that there is an F1 capable circuit being built in north Wales soon too?

[joeymc]

Local papers are reporting that the track Is a very big possibility

http://m.tyronetimes.co.uk/news/your-co ... -1-7368884

[Allan F]

Posted this topic on Baylon McCaughey's website Irish Race Photography. Consensus of opinion was it will never happen. There are currently two short circuits in the province. Bishops Court & Kirkiston, Mondello Park in the Republic. Bishops Court is a decent circuit & was talk of trying to get a BSB round over. However the circuit needs investment for pit area improvements & race control. Still hasn't come to fruition. Would be great if it ever happened. However, pure road racing is No1 in the province.

Apologies for somewhat distracting from the original topic.

[AndyB]

Posted this topic on Baylon McCaughey's website Irish Race Photography. Consensus of opinion was it will never happen. There are currently two short circuits in the province. Bishops Court & Kirkiston, Mondello Park in the Republic. Bishops Court is a decent circuit & was talk of trying to get a BSB round over. However the circuit needs investment for pit area improvements & race control. Still hasn't come to fruition. Would be great if it ever happened. However, pure road racing is No1 in the province.

Apologies for somewhat distracting from the original topic.

It's probably more than 10 years since I raced at Bishopscourt but back then I'd have rated the circuit as marginal for club racing and nowhere close to the standard required to run big meetings.

The facilities wouldn't be difficult, just knock them down and start again. The corner run offs wouldn't be difficult, there's nothing in the way that a chainsaw wouldn't clear and airbags would sort the Armco. Resurfacing would be essential but the biggest issue would be getting rid of those chicanes along the back 'straight' and lengthening the lap distance a bit.

In short, they'd near enough need to start again and rebuild everything including the track itself and a BSB weekend would never draw the crowds that the NW200 or Ulster GP get. Ok, cars would use it but would a few club meetings make it worth the investment?

It's a nice part of the country and not too far from the ferry ports so it'd be good if it did happen (thumbs)