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Ulster Grand Prix

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The motorcycle sport of racing (also called moto racing and motorbike racing ) includes motorcycle road racing and off-road racing, both either on circuits or open courses, and track racing . Other categories include hill climbs, drag racing and land speed record trials.

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85-431: The Ulster Grand Prix is a (currently) defunct motorcycle road race which took place on the 7.401 mi (11.911 km) Dundrod Circuit made up entirely of closed-off public roads near Belfast , Northern Ireland. Due to the races having the fastest average speed over a single lap of any motorcycle road race, it is the fastest race of its kind ( Road Racing ) in the world. The lap record of 136.415 mph (219.539 km/h)

170-698: A two stroke engine. The event was cancelled in 1972 because of the political situation in Northern Ireland, but it was held in 2001 during the Foot-and-mouth crisis, even though the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT were cancelled that year. The final meeting took place in 2019 which saw the running of a full race programme with Man of the Meeting, Peter Hickman , establishing a record of seven victories over two days during which he upped

255-670: A 8.970 mi (14.436 km) street circuit known as the Triangle between the towns of Portstewart , Coleraine and Portrush in Causeway Coast and Glens , Northern Ireland , United Kingdom . It is the largest annual sporting event in Northern Ireland, with the race weekend attracting over 150,000 visitors from all over the world. The course is one of the fastest in the world, with average speeds of 120 mph (190 km/h) and top speeds in excess of 200 mph (320 km/h). Originally intended to be held somewhere in

340-637: A course on closed public roads. This was once commonplace but currently only a few such circuits have survived, mostly in Europe. Races take place on public roads which have been temporarily closed to the public by legal orders from the local legislature. Two championships exist, the first is the International Road Racing Championship , the other is the Duke Road Racing Rankings . The latter accounts for

425-435: A dedicated community of riders, collectors, and fans who appreciate the history and craftsmanship of these classic machines. Some of the regulations include, air-cooled two-Stroke engines, drum brakes and kick starters. These features add to the nostalgic charm and require riders to adapt their riding techniques accordingly. Hare scramble is the name given to a particular form of off-road motorcycle racing. Traditionally

510-465: A different line into corners, sliding of the back wheel around the corner, and using the leg straight out to corner (as opposed to the noticeable touching of the bent knee to the tarmac of road racers). Enduro is a form of off-road motorcycle sport that primarily focuses on the endurance of the competitor. In the most traditional sense ("Time Card Enduros"), competitors complete a 10+ mile lap, of predominately off-road going, often through forestry. The lap

595-752: A few sea-front promenades , generally with one set of timing equipment, for the 1 ⁄ 4 -mile distance, although some used 1 ⁄ 8 -mile, as still happens at the Ramsey seafront as the Ramsey Sprint , part of added attractions during the Isle of Man TT and Manx Grand Prix events. Santa Pod Raceway was the first permanent drag-strip established in UK and Europe in 1966. Writing in his 1970 book, Peter Carrick stated: Though basically similar, sprinting and drag racing have essential differences. Sprinting

680-429: A given amount of time or laps or a combination. Motocross has a plethora of classes based upon machine displacement (ranging from 50cc 2-stroke youth machines up to 250cc two-stroke and 450cc four-stroke), age of competitor, ability of competitor, sidecars, quads/ATVs, and machine age (classic for pre-1965/67, Twinshock for bikes with two shock absorbers, etc.). Supercross (or SX) is simply indoor motocross. Supercross

765-800: A hare scramble can vary in length and time with the contestants completing multiple laps around a marked course through wooded or other rugged natural terrain. The overall winner is the contestant who maintains the highest speed throughout the event. In Florida, Hare scrambles start the race with a staggered starting sequence. Once on the course, the object of the competitor is to complete the circuit as fast as possible. The race consists of wooded areas or open fields. Cross-country rally events (also called Rallye Raid or simply Rallye , alternate spelling Rally ) are much bigger than enduros. Typically using larger bikes than other off-road sports, these events take place over many days, travelling hundreds of miles across primarily open off-road terrain. The most famous example

850-580: A hoax bomb alert and then an extensive oil spill on the track caused racing to be cancelled after the completion of only one race. In 2022 the event returned as the fonaCab & Nicholl Oils North West 200. It was the first time the event has been held since 2019 after being cancelled for two consecutive years due to the COVID-19 Pandemic . On 9 February 2023, an announcement was made by the Motorcycle Union of Ireland with regard to

935-533: A hospital in Northern Ireland in critical condition after suffering a serious crash while competing in the North West 200 on Saturday, 17 May 2014. Andrews came off his bike and slid down the asphalt until he collided head-first with a section of raised concrete pavement while curbing at high speed in Portrush, County Antrim. After receiving immediate medical intervention from the race doctors and medics, Andrews

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1020-825: A long straight and crashed into a crowd. Joey Dunlop won 24 Ulster Grand Prix races during his career, with Phillip McCallen winning 14 races, Peter Hickman with 13 wins, Bruce Anstey 12 and Brian Reid 9 wins. Some of the famous riders include: Guy Martin (11 wins) Stanley Woods (7 wins), Jimmie Guthrie , Jimmie Simpson , Artie Bell , Les Graham , Freddie Frith (3 wins), Geoff Duke (3 wins), John Surtees (6 wins), Ray Amm , Carlo Ubbiali (5 wins), Bill Lomas (3 wins), Mike Hailwood (7 wins), Giacomo Agostini (7 wins), Phil Read (3 wins), Bill Ivy (3 wins), Bob McIntyre , Gary Hocking (3 wins), Tom Herron (5 wins), Ron Haslam (5 wins), Jon Ekerold , and more recently Mick Grant , Wayne Gardner , Steve Hislop , Robert Dunlop (9 wins). A pink background indicates

1105-484: A motorcycle class which is the equivalent of Speedway on ice. Bikes race anti-clockwise around oval tracks between 260 and 425 metres in length. Metal tire spikes or screws are often allowed to improve traction. The race structure and scoring are similar to Speedway. Board track racing was a type of track racing popular in the United States between the second and third decades of the 20th century, where competition

1190-605: A motorcycle must be at least 25 years old to be considered vintage. The sanctioning body for most US vintage racing is the American Motorcyclist Association . The main organizations that sponsor vintage racing are the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA), BikeBandit and WERA Motorcycle Roadracing, which has several vintage classes along with modern racers. Of historical importance

1275-482: A motorcycle must have a four-stroke engine of between 250 and 600 cc for four-cylinder machines, and between 600 and 750 cc for twins , and must satisfy the FIM homologation requirements. Supersport regulations are much tighter than Superbikes. Supersport machines must remain largely as standard, while engine tuning is possible but tightly regulated. Endurance racing is a category of motorcycle road racing which

1360-456: A much more geographically dispersed range of locations. In addition to traditional Time Card Enduros held over a long lap, a variety of other forms of sport have been taken up; notably "Short Course Enduros", a shorter (in lap length) form of Time Card Enduros Hare scrambles and " Hare and Hounds ". A variant of Enduro called Hard Enduro also exists which take Enduro racing to extremes with even larger, longer and tougher courses than Enduro, it

1445-495: A new fastest speed trap time, reaching 208 mph (335 km/h) on the approach to University Corner. In 2022, Richard Cooper won two Supertwin races but was disqualified after scrutineers found a fairing bracket to be non-standard and deemed it to be a breach of regulations. The team's appeal was successful and in November 2023 Cooper was re-instated as winner of both legs, with prize monies awarded retrospectively. Prior to

1530-519: A passenger shifts body weight across the sidecar is crucial to its performance around corners. Sidecar racing has many sub-categories including: Motocross (or MX) is the direct equivalent of road racing, but off-road, a number of bikes racing on a closed circuit. Motocross circuits are constructed on a variety of non-tarmac surfaces such as dirt, sand, mud, grass, etc., and tend to incorporate elevation changes either natural or artificial. Advances in motorcycle technology, especially suspension, have led to

1615-475: A polished concrete floor with coke syrup, or other media sprayed or mopped onto the concrete for traction for the tyres of the motorcycles, or on dirt that has been moistened and hard packed, or left loose (often called a cushion). Similar to the size of the Arenacross Arenas or sometimes smaller, these tight indoor race tracks require the riders to have accurate throttle control to negotiate them. In

1700-465: A revision of the quotation in connection with the insurance premium, that the 2023 International North West 200 would be taking place. The North West 200 was originally run over two hundred miles as a handicap race, before changing to its current format of several separate races, each running 4–6 laps during Saturday afternoon. Practice is held on the Tuesday and Thursday evenings before the race. Both

1785-537: A round that was not part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing championship. Motorcycle racing The FIM classifies motorcycle racing in the following four main categories. Each category has several subcategories. Road racing is a form of motorcycle racing held on paved road surfaces . The races can be held either on a purpose-built closed circuit or on a street circuit utilizing temporarily closed public roads . Historically, "road racing" meant

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1870-644: Is a World Enduro Championship (WEC) that has events across Europe, with a few excursions to North America. The most significant event in the Enduro calendar is the International Six Days Enduro (formerly the International Six Days Trial), where countries enter teams of riders (i.e. Enduro's "World Cup"), as well as club teams – the event combines amateur sport with the professional level sport, it also takes place in

1955-514: Is a race against the clock, even if other competitors are taking part at the same time. Drag racing is more of a contest, often between a couple of racers . Where a time was one-way only, any record could be regarded as strip-only, as for official recognition of world and national records two qualifying runs had to be completed in opposite-directions within one-hour, to negate the effect of wind, with an average time resulting. Writing in 1974, Motorcycle News contributor Jim Reynolds stated: " This

2040-605: Is covered by BBC Northern Ireland having previously been covered by UTV . All races are live on the BBC iPlayer. There is also live radio coverage on BBC Radio Ulster and live text commentary on the BBC Sport NI website. BBC NI also show highlights programmes presented by Stephen Watson, usually on the Sunday and Monday nights after the event. BBC Commentators include BBC MotoGP commentator Steve Parrish and five-time winner on

2125-479: Is designed to bring together all disciplines of Enduro – Hard Enduro, Classic Enduro, Cross-Country and Beach Racing. The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship is the main championship in this category. Another variant of Enduro is Vintage Enduro which combines the elements of off-road racing and long-distance touring, making it a popular choice among enthusiasts who enjoy the challenges and nostalgia associated with vintage motorcycles. Vintage Enduro events often attract

2210-411: Is desired. A normal event lasts for 3 to 4 hours, although longer events are not uncommon. Some events, particularly national and world championship events take place over several days and require maintenance work to be carried out within a limited time window or while the race is running. To prevent circumvention of the maintenance restrictions, the motorcycles are kept overnight in secure storage. There

2295-468: Is drag racing, a young sport in England, but growing faster than any other ". In hill climbing, a single rider climbs or tries to climb a road going up a hill in the fastest time or the furthest up the hill before ceasing forward motion. Tarmac events are typically on closed public roads and private roads. The same concept is also used off-tarmac, usually on steeper hills. In Landspeed motorcycle racing,

2380-412: Is made up of different stages, each with a target time to complete that stage in exactly, there are penalties for being early and late, thus the goal is to be exactly "on time". Some stages are deliberately "tight", others are lax allowing the competitor to recuperate. There are also a variety of special tests, on variety of terrain to further aid classification, these are speed stages where the fastest time

2465-431: Is meant to test the durability of equipment and endurance of the riders. Teams of multiple riders attempt to cover a large distance in a single event. Teams are given the ability to change riders during the race. Endurance races can be run either to cover a set distance in laps as quickly as possible, or to cover as much distance as possible over a preset amount of time. Reliability of the motorcycles used for endurance racing

2550-420: Is more technical and rhythmic for riders. Typically situated in a variety of stadiums and open or closed arenas, it is notable for its numerous jumps. In North America, this has been turned into an extremely popular spectator sport, filling large baseball, soccer, and football stadiums, leading to Motocross being now termed the "outdoors". However, in Europe it is a less popular sport, as the predominant focus there

2635-456: Is on Motocross. Supermoto is a racing category that is a crossover between road-racing and motocross. The motorcycles are mainly motocross types with road-racing tyres. The racetrack is a mixture of road and dirt courses (in different proportions) and can take place either on closed circuits or in temporary venues (such as urban locations). The riding style on the tarmac section is noticeably different from other forms of tarmac-based racing, with

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2720-410: Is paramount. Sidecar racing is a category of sidecar motorcycle racing. Older sidecar road racers generally resembled solo motorcycles with a platform attached; modern racing sidecars are purpose built low and long vehicles. Sidecarcross resembles MX motorcycles with a high platform attached. In sidecar racing a rider and a passenger work together to make the machine perform optimally; the way in which

2805-709: Is the Dakar Rally , previously travelling from Western Europe (often Paris) to Dakar in Senegal, via the Sahara desert, taking almost two weeks. From 2009 to 2019 the Dakar Rally had been held in South America traveling through Argentina, Peru and Chile. Starting in 2020 the event now runs in the deserts of Saudi Arabia. The FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship also exists encompassing many events across

2890-788: Is the United States Classic Racing Association (USCRA) one of the oldest vintage racing clubs in the US. In the UK the Main organisations are The British Historic Racing Club (BHRC), an arm of the Vintage motorcycle club, and the Classic Motorcycle Racing Club (CRMRC). The CRMC was formed about thirty years ago when the BHRC was slow to include new machines in the 25 years rule and to deal with

2975-562: The A.M.A. Grand National Championship , mile, half-mile, short-track and TT races are part of a specific discipline labelled "Dirt track" or sometimes "Flat track" (also called Flat Track). However the AMA Sanction rule books refer to this discipline as Dirt track racing. Whether mile, half-mile, short-track or TT, traction is what defines a dirt track race. The bikes cannot use "knobbies", they must use "Class C" tires which are similar to street tires. On mile, half-mile, short-track course,

3060-461: The 2009 event on 17 May 2009. It was Young's first race at the North West 200 although he had road racing experience. Thirty-five-year-old Mark Buckley suffered a fatal crash on Millbank Avenue outside Portstewart during the Superstock race on 19 May 2012. He was taken to hospital but later died from his injuries. No other competitors were involved with this incident. Andrews was airlifted to

3145-480: The 2023 meeting. The proposed format would have entailed a much reduced programme of racing, more in line with that of a National as opposed to an International meeting. An important announcement was made on 9 February 2023 by the Motorcycle Union of Ireland with regard to the running of motorcycle racing in Ireland for the 2023 season. This followed a significant increase in the insurance premium required to cover

3230-499: The 250cc class. The incident occurred as he was approaching Mather's Cross during the 125/250/400cc practice session. It is understood his bike seized and Robert was thrown over his handlebars at approximately 160 mph (260 km/h). Fellow rider Darren Burns was following immediately behind and collided with Robert, suffering a broken leg and suspected concussion. Robert suffered severe chest injuries and died in hospital shortly afterwards. Twenty-two-year-old Mark Young died during

3315-590: The Superprestigio of the Americas in Las Vegas in 2016, to the flat track races held in conjunction with MotoGP at Circuit of the Americas. In 2017 Super Hooligan became an official racing series with 10 races on the calendar for that year from February through October. Sanctioning bodies North West 200 The International North West 200 is a motorcycle road race first held in 1929 on

3400-434: The U.S., flat-track events are held on outdoor dirt ovals, ranging in length from one mile to half-mile, short-tracks and TTs. All are usually held outdoors, though a few short-track events have been held in indoor stadiums. A Short Track event is one involving a track of less than 1 ⁄ 2 mile in length, while a TT event can be of any length, but it must have at least one right turn and at least one jump to qualify. In

3485-601: The Ulster Grand Prix formed part of the FIM Grand Prix International Motorcycle Racing Calendar. The 250cc race was won by Ray McCulloch whilst meeting concluded with Australian Jack Findlay taking the honours in the 500cc blue ribband finale race onboard a Suzuki . This was Findlay's first victory for Suzuki and was also notable in that it recorded the first 500cc class win for a motorcycle powered by

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3570-662: The Vauxhall International North West 200 on 14 May 2016. The 20-year-old from Chorley in Lancashire crashed his Burrows Engineering Kawasaki on the approach to Black Hill. The race was immediately red flagged and Malachi was treated by medical staff from the MCUI Medical team but succumbed to his injuries at the scene. No other riders were involved in the incident. Racing was subsequently abandoned. Alastair Seeley from Northern Ireland, holds

3655-586: The announcement, Cooper had won both legs at the same event in May, tallying his wins to four. In 2023, Faye Ho's FHO team riders Peter Hickman and Josh Brookes were disqualified immediately before the start of the Superstock class for using standard wheels on the road-bike based M1000 RRs . Regulations stated the standard carbon fibre road wheels were not allowed, even though the team had raced with them in previous years and successfully completed 2023 scrutineering and practice. As non-standard wheels are not allowed,

3740-483: The bends using the rear wheel to scrub-off speed while still providing the drive to power the bike forward and around the bend. Grasstrack is outdoor speedway. The track are longer (400 m+, hence it is often also referred to as Long Track at world level), often on grass (although other surfaces exist) and even feature elevation changes. Machinery is very similar to a speedway bike (still no brakes, but normally two gears, rear suspension, etc.). Ice racing includes

3825-732: The bikes that fans rode to the event also known as "run what you brung" races. What's now known as "Super Hooligan" came out of the Harley nights at Costa Mesa Speedway in Southern California. Southern California motorcycle culture developed around this idea of racing large V Twin motorcycles. Super Hooligan races have been side entertainment at a number of events from bike shows like the Handbuilt in Austin, The One Show in Portland to

3910-439: The club concluded by stating that due to ongoing insurance and financing issues, the proposed 2024 Ulster Grand Prix had been cancelled. In 1997 Dublin sidecar pilot Stephen Galligan died of injuries sustained in a warm-up crash the day before the race. Mr Galligan died ten days later in hospital. Seven-year-old spectator Christopher McConnell-Hewitt also lost his life when he was struck by the sidecar which veered out of control on

3995-539: The day, and the racing programme has been extended to include two races on the Thursday evening. All races will be held over six laps, except for the newly introduced Supertwin event. The street circuit is made up almost entirely of public roads (A2, B185 & A29) but does include three speed-reducing chicanes. The route, running anti-clockwise enters the outskirts of the towns passing many private houses. To help improve track safety street signs are removed at parts of

4080-463: The event and also the first non-Japanese manufacturer to claim a victory since 1997. Yamaha is the only manufacturer to have a clean sweep, winning all five races in 1979. [REDACTED] Richard Cooper [REDACTED] Peter Hickman [REDACTED] Davey Todd [REDACTED] Peter Hickman [REDACTED] Davey Todd [REDACTED] Richard Cooper [REDACTED] Davey Todd [REDACTED] Richard Cooper The event

4165-468: The events and consequently placed the 2023 racing schedule under threat of being cancelled. In late April 2023 the organisers cancelled the 2023 event, citing insurance and funding problems. A further announcement, issued by the event's organisers, the Dundrod & District Motorcycle Club, was made on 8 January 2024, concerning the running of the event as part of the 2024 racing calendar. The statement by

4250-462: The first Japanese machines reaching that age. Nowadays the BHRC caters for machines from Europe and America made up to the mid eighties while the CRMC allows the same era and some but not all Japanese machines. Hooligan racing has been around since the 1970s when fans attending flat track races began racing their own personal motorcycles during intermissions of events. Often these motorcycles were simply

4335-461: The first major changes to the course, which include the exclusion of the Promenade at Portstewart from the route and the moving of the start/finish line to its current location between Juniper Hill and Millbank Avenue. These changes meant the route used Station Road (B185) for the first time and saw the introduction of York Corner. Shell Hill Bridge, an iconic part of the original course was used for

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4420-483: The last time in 1979. In 1980, a new link road, from University Corner to Ballysally Roundabout, was introduced. A chicane was introduced just before the approach to the Juniper Hill corner in 1983 and in 1988 improvements were made to Mather's Cross and the start/finish chicane was introduced to reduce the speeds around Primrose Hill as well as allowing safer access to the pitlane. At the end of 2009 Mather's Cross

4505-500: The latest production motorcycles. Classes are organized by production period and engine displacement. There are vintage events for almost every type of racing listed above, vintage motocross and road racing are especially popular. Equipment is limited to that available for the production period, although modern safety equipment and tires are permitted. Most vintage production periods are from the 1970s and before, but now 1980s and 1990s motorcycles are being allowed into some events. Generally

4590-610: The majority of road races that take place each season, with an award for the highest placed rider. Prominent road races include the Isle of Man TT , North West 200 , and Ulster Grand Prix on long circuits. Ireland has many road racing circuits still in use. Other countries with road races are the Netherlands, Finland, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain ( Oliver's Mount ), the Czech Republic, Ukraine, New Zealand, Thailand and Macau. Grand Prix motorcycle racing refers to

4675-678: The meeting has been called into question. The first races took place in 1922 and in 1935 and 1948 the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme gave it the title Grand Prix d'Europe . The Ulster Grand Prix was included as one of the races in the inaugural 1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season (now MotoGP), a place it held until 1971 . It also counted for the Formula TT Championship between 1979 and 1990. The race has been held on three different circuits. The 20.5 mi (33.0 km) Old Clady circuit

4760-418: The motorcycle tires lay down a thin layer of tire rubber on the racing line. A "cushion" track consists of similar materials to the groove track, but mixed in a way that allows the surface to maintain a more sandy, loose composition. While power-sliding is common on both groove and cushion tracks, a cushion track allows more power-sliding, into, through and out of the turns. Though the "Class C" tires allowed by

4845-528: The north west of Ireland and organised by the City of Derry & District Motor Club, the initial event was moved to the north coast but the name was never changed. Since 1964 the event has been organised by the Coleraine and District Motor Club. In 2010, the meeting featured daytime practice on the Thursday for the first time. The 2011 event took place on Saturday 21 May. There were significant delays due to

4930-498: The order, the club went into liquidation before later entering into a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) to pay back a portion of its debts to creditors. There was a degree of optimism for the running of the races which would have marked the centenary of the event in 2022. In March of that year, a potential new promotor, the Revival Racing Motorcycle Club, signaled that they were prepared to undertake

5015-405: The organisers. As a result Hickman has stated that he would be disinclined to return to any reincarnation of the event until he has received all outstanding monies in full. In 2020 a winding up order was issued to the Ulster Grand Prix organisers, the Dundrod & District Motorcycle Club, with the Dundrod & District having amassed debts of approximately £300,000. Following the issuing of

5100-474: The outright lap record to 136.415 mph (219.539 km/h). As of 2024 the future of the meeting remains under threat. In the wake of the 2019 races the following meetings were consequently cancelled as a repercussion of a lack of financial backing in addition to the Covid-19 Pandemic . Following the 2019 event several top riders, including Peter Hickman, subsequently had prize money held back by

5185-463: The practice and races are held on closed roads, but unlike the Isle of Man TT races which are run in a time-trial format, all riders compete together as with normal circuit racing. Over the years the number and the classes of races has varied according to the latest regulations. From 1990 until 2010, there was always a 125 cc race and since 1992 the North West 200 race has been for Superbikes. From 2012, all practice sessions will take place during

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5270-414: The predominance of circuits with added "jumps" on which bikes can get airborne. Motocross has another noticeable difference from road racing, in that starts are done en masse, with the riders alongside each other. Up to 40 riders race into the first corner, and sometimes there is a separate award for the first rider through (see holeshot ). The winner is the first rider across the finish line, generally after

5355-520: The premier category of motorcycle road racing. It is divided into three distinct classes: Grand Prix motorcycles are prototype machines not based on any production motorcycle. Superbike racing is the category of motorcycle road racing that employs modified production motorcycles, as with touring cars. Superbike racing motorcycles must have four stroke engines of between 800 cc and 1200 cc for twins , and between 750 cc and 1000 cc for four cylinder machines. The motorcycles must maintain

5440-768: The racer is trying to beat the fastest speed ever achieved by that style of motorcycle and type of engine for a timed mile. The pre-eminent event for motorcycle LSR is the International Motorcycle Speed Trials by BUB, held on the Bonneville Salt Flats annually (near Labor Day). Motorcycles are classified based on body style, i.e. how much streamlining is incorporated. They are further classified based on engine size in cubic centimeters (cc's) and based on fuel type (gasoline versus any modified fuels). In vintage racing riders race classic motorcycles that are no longer competitive with

5525-495: The record number of 29 wins. Robert Dunlop was the previous record holder with 15 wins. Michael Rutter won fourteen races. Joey Dunlop (Robert's brother) won thirteen races. Michael Dunlop and William Dunlop (both sons of Robert) have also won races at the North West 200. The early years of the event was dominated by British motorcycle manufacturers, in particular Norton . It was only in 1964 that Honda claimed their first victory. 2010 saw BMW score their first victory at

5610-593: The required financing and in October 2022 issued the following statement: "As this situation is unlikely to change in time to allow us to progress for 2023, we have therefore reluctantly withdrawn our UGP date application with the MCUI (UC)." This resulted in Revival Racing relinquishing further involvement with the event, and consequently the Dundrod & District Motorcycle Club undertook to attempt to organise

5695-461: The rider slide more easily and safely on their left foot when needed as they lean the bike to the left while sliding through the corners, though riders can often perform what is known as a "feet-up slide", using throttle control, body lean and steering alone to power-slide through the turns, without sliding on their steel shoe. Hard-packed tracks are generally referred to as "groove" tracks, loosely packed tracks are called "cushions". The composition of

5780-469: The rules are the same for both cushion and groove tracks, riders are allowed to modify the tires by cutting some rubber off the tire grooves for improved traction, but are not allowed to add materials to the tires. Speedway racing takes place on a flat oval track usually consisting of dirt or loosely packed shale , using bikes with a single gear and no brakes. Competitors use this surface to slide their machines sideways ( powersliding or broadsiding ) into

5865-419: The running of the 2023 event. This followed a significant increase in the insurance premium required to cover the event and consequently placed the 2023 race schedule under threat of being cancelled. However on 15 March 2023, the event's organisers, the Coleraine & District Motor Club issued a statement via their Facebook page stating that in the wake of a sizeable donation by a prominent businessman and

5950-405: The same profile as their roadgoing counterparts. The overall appearance, seen from the front, rear and sides, must correspond to that of the bike homologated for use on public roads even though the mechanical elements of the machine have been modified. Supersport racing is another category of motorcycle road racing that employs modified production motorcycles. To be eligible for Supersport racing,

6035-473: The starting signal, the riders accelerate down a straight, quarter-mile long paved track where their elapsed time and terminal speed are recorded. The rider to reach the finish line first is the winner. This can occur upon purpose built venues (e.g., Santa Pod), temporary venues (e.g., runways or drives of country houses). In addition to "regular" motorcycles, top fuel motorcycles using Nitromethane also compete in this category. The UK National Sprint Association

6120-471: The stewardship of the meeting with a view to a return of racing in August 2022. In an ambitious bid to bring Ireland's two biggest road races under one organisational umbrella, Revival Racing had sought to put together a major proposal for a financial package of £800,000 which would see them take over the Ulster Grand Prix in addition to seeking to safeguard the future of the North West 200 . Government funding

6205-594: The team could not use race-specification metal wheels as fitted to the Superbike class machines, so Ho withdrew the team as a protest, with no more classes entered. The first recorded death at the event was Norman Wainwright who was killed in 1939. Black Saturday as it is known, is regarded as the darkest day in the event's history after crashes claimed the lives of three riders, Tom Herron , Brian Hamilton and Frank Kennedy who died months later from his injuries. Robert Dunlop died on 15 May 2008 while practising in

6290-563: The track and bales of hay are used to wrap the base of lampposts and telegraph poles. The circuit is 8.970 mi (14.436 km) long, with a distance of 8.834 mi (14.217 km) being covered on the first lap of every race. The original start/finish line was located near Magherabouy but moved to the Portmore Road in Portstewart in 1930. The elevation ranges from 6 to 75 metres (20 to 245 ft) above sea level. 1973 saw

6375-476: The track is an oval, all turns to the left only, and only a rear brake is allowed. On the TT courses, there must be at least one right hand turn with a jump being optional, front and rear brakes are allowed, but the same "Class C" tires are required. Although not mandated, most flat track racers wear a steel "shoe" on the left boot which is actually a fitted steel sole that straps onto the left boot. This steel shoe lets

6460-406: The track surface is usually decided by the race promoter and track preparation team, the latter using various methods and materials including combinations of clay, decomposed granite, sand, calcium (to allow the surface to retain water moisture) and other materials. An optimum "groove" track will have enough moisture to be "tacky", without being slick, and will develop what is called a "blue groove" as

6545-539: The world, typically in desert nations. Such events include the Silk Way Rally , Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge , and Rallye du Maroc . These events often run alongside "car" rallies (under the FIA ). Track racing is a form of motorcycle racing where teams or individuals race opponents around an oval track. There are differing variants, with each variant racing on a different surface type. Indoor races consist of either:

6630-599: Was airlifted to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast in a critical condition after suffering the high-speed accident on the approach to Metropole corner. Andrews was competing in the second Superstock race of the event aboard his BMW. He died in hospital on 19 May 2014 as a result of his injuries, aged 31. Malachi Mitchell-Thomas died as a result of a crash on the third lap of the Supertwins race at

6715-409: Was conducted on oval race courses with surfaces composed of wooden planks. By the early 1930s, board track racing had fallen out of favor, and into eventual obsolescence. Auto Race is a Japanese version of track racing held on an asphalt oval course and seen as a gambling sport. Drag racing or sprints is a racing venue where two participants line up at a dragstrip with a signaled starting line. Upon

6800-570: Was formed in 1958. The president was Donald Campbell until his death in 1967, succeeded by former Vincent employee and sprint-record holder George Brown , who retired from sport in 1966 on reaching the 55 age-limit for the ACU competition licence. Brown's machines included the V twin Vincent-engined, normally-aspirated Nero , and the supercharged version Super Nero . Sprinting occurred on disused and re-purposed airstrips, and on

6885-509: Was set by Peter Hickman in the 2019 superbike race, a faster average than the Isle of Man TT lap record, which stands at 136.358mph (219.446 km/h) as of 2024, set also by Peter Hickman . The last running of the event occurred in 2019. As a consequence of increased insurance and sundry costs, in association with diminished sponsorship revenue, together with the COVID-19 pandemic , the future of

6970-485: Was set by Tom Herron during the 1978 North West 200 race. Peter Hickman holds the outright lap record for the circuit configuration with four chicanes, set during the 2022 Superbike event, at 124.799 mph (200.845 km/h). In 2004, Michael Rutter became the first rider to record a top speed in excess of 200 mph (320 km/h) on the course. During Tuesday's practice at the 2012 event Martin Jessopp set

7055-605: Was signed off by the Department of Economy and Department of Finance, but in a late setback Tourism NI refused to support the proposal which in turn resulted in the proposal being withdrawn and the 2022 race meeting was cancelled. During the Autumn of 2022 a further feasibility study was undertaken by Revival Racing with a view to the running of the Ulster Grand Prix in August 2023. Whilst initial studies appeared favourable, Revival Racing subsequently found difficulty in mustering

7140-409: Was used from 1922 until 1939 and included a notoriously bumpy 7 mi (11 km) straight. After World War II the new Clady circuit was used that, due to road improvements, was now 16.467 mi (26.501 km) in length and in use between 1947 and 1952. From 1953 the venue was moved to the 7.401 mi (11.911 km) Dundrod Circuit . The 1971 meeting marked the last year in which

7225-466: Was widened in order improve safety at the corner. For 2010 additional modifications were made to the circuit to improve safety. A new purpose-built chicane at Mather's Cross was introduced to reduce speeds at the corner and safety improvements made to the area at Station corner. Jack Brett recorded the first 100 mph (160 km/h) lap of the course on a Manx Norton 500 cc in 1957. The fastest recorded lap at 127.63 mph (205.40 km/h)

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