Ulster GP cancelled for 2022 as Tourism NI funding falls through

The Dundrod event has been through a rocky few years since its last running in 2019, when bad weather led to its lowest-ever spectator turnout.

The former organisers, the Dundrod Club, were issued with a winding up order in 2020 when its debts of over £300,000 emerged. It had to enter into a voluntary arrangement with creditors to pay this back.

This came after the Dundrod Club was accused of mishandling government funds – something it denied.

The 2020 and 2021 events were scrapped, but a lifeline was thrown to the Ulster GP when it was taken over by the Revival Racing Motorcycle Club last August.

However, it was confirmed on Monday that the 2022 Ulster GP – which was due to be its centenary running – has had to be cancelled as the requested funds from Tourism NI to help stage both the North West 200 and the Ulster GP did not materialise.

“We would like to place on record our sincere thanks to the Department of Economy and Department of Finance, who both fully endorsed our proposal which would have delivered the biggest investment in motorcycling ever seen in Northern Ireland,” said a club statement.

“Unfortunately, Tourism NI has informed us it will not support the level of funding agreed.”

The statement added that “we are simply unable to stage what is one of Northern Ireland’s oldest and most prestigious sporting events because TNI will not give the green light to funding which two government departments signed off.”

Tourism NI issued its own statement claiming that the requested funding from the Revival Racing Motorcycle Club of £800,000 for both the NW200 and the Ulster GP was six times the amount issued for them in 2019.

“Tourism NI has received a request from Revival Racing Ltd seeking funding of £800,000 to stage the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix in 2022,” TNI said.

“This is six times the funding provided by Tourism NI to stage the events in 2019.

“The Department for the Economy and Department of Finance provided Tourism NI with the necessary approvals in principle to pay out the sum of money requested if Tourism NI was in a position to do so.

“The funding request has now been considered by Tourism NI's board and it concluded that it could not justify the level of funding requested both on financial and legal grounds.

“Tourism NI has provided Revival Racing with an indicative offer as to what it could expect to receive and what we believe would be sufficient to allow both the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix to progress this year.

“We are disappointed to hear that Revival Racing has decided not to proceed with the Ulster Grand Prix this year.”

Northern Irish racer Glenn Irwin, who is a multiple winner at the North West 200 and will make his Isle of Man TT debut in 2022 with Honda, expressed his unhappiness on social media at the latest developments.

“Hey, NI Tourism Board, please reconsider your decision to not invest in the future of the North West 200 and the Ulster GP,” he said.

“The potential of these events hasn’t been touched.”