Ulster Grand Prix

[DMesher]

One of the best road course race events in the world is Northern Ireland's Ulster Grand Prix. Like the Northwest 200 and the Isle of Man TT, the Ulster is held on a road course. The race is held in the Belfast area in August each year.

Craig Gibson, one of the Irish Ulster road racers forwarded this promo link to me;

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5J_zT1E0Zlw

Unlike the Isle of Man TT it is a staggered mass start (like our races) on a road course...and they race it rain or shine. Have a look, it's definitely not for the faint of heart

Here is a link for the Ulster website;

http://ulstergrandprix.net/the-race/

Darel

 

[Fireman]

One of the best road course race events in the world is Northern Ireland's Ulster Grand Prix. Like the Northwest 200 and the Isle of Man TT, the Ulster is held on a road course. The race is held in the Belfast area in August each year.

Craig Gibson, one of the Irish Ulster road racers forwarded this promo link to me;

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5J_zT1E0Zlw

Unlike the Isle of Man TT it is a staggered mass start (like our races) on a road course...and they race it rain or shine. Have a look, it's definitely not for the faint of heart

Here is a link for the Ulster website;

http://ulstergrandprix.net/the-race/

Darel

That is out of hand!

 

[Spooner]

Gawd damn! I couldn't do it. But that is some entertaining racing!!

~S

 

[ehagar]

Very cool Darel.

I've was thinking of going to the NW200 or UGP this year, but it is not in the cards.

Looks like I will be going to the Gold Cup at Oliver's Mount instead. Not as stupid fast as the Irish Road Races, but it's the only real roads race in England.

I drove a hire care around the circuit two years ago and just couldn't believe they actually race there. It's a narrow little goat trail going up and down a hilltop. There was a jump (Jeffries Jump?) on the downhill section that made the car see air! Trees, Hedges, armco and wooden fences, grass burms, jumps...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ilfzp2gJk4

 

[DMesher]

Fantastic Everett,

Wow, there were sections of that course that didn't look 2 bikes wide. Be a fantastic trip.

Every time I see one of these road courses I always think the same thing; 293 giant oak trees on the edge of the roadway, and they have pads around 17.

The culture in the UK with regards to road racing is like hockey in Canada, just about any of the road racing fans can tell you all of the amateur races any of pro racers participated in when they started out. How many podiums the racers have had and where they were run etc. etc. It is a lot like Canadian hockey fans quoting player and team statistics.

Fantastic events to be part of (as seen in the video, hundreds if not thousands of fans lining the course), less commercial and much simpler than MotoGP etc. ... another thing for the bucket list.

Darel

 

[Lee]

There is loads of great racing around the Irish roads there just not as popular as the nw or ulster gp. To race on the roads you have to do a year in short circuit and have good lap times or they won't let you race.i have two friends back home that just started last year on 400's

 

[DMesher]

Like I said Lee, road racing in the UK (especially Ireland) is very much like hockey in Canada, lots of lower profile race circuits building skills for the higher profile races.

There are also so many classes raced, starting with the 125s. Your racing skills required to win consistently on a 125 on a road course with other pro riders would have to be excellent.

The guy that fueled this thread with the Ulster Grand Prix link is Craig Gibson, an Irish racer that has been racing for lots of years, including the 125 class. Here is a shot of Craig on his 125 at the Kells Road Race on June 27, 2015 in Ireland.

 

[Lee]

That's a nice shot. Lived so close to it all and never got to get a chance to do a race.