Ulster Grand Prix future in doubt as 2022 centenary event cancelled amid funding shortfall

The organisers of the Ulster Grand Prix say it is 'unclear' whether it will be staged again in the future.

It comes as a funding shortfall forced this year's cancellation in what would have been its centenary year.

In a statement, Revival Racing MCC said that it was "simply unable to stage what is one of Northern Ireland’s oldest and most prestigious sporting events because Tourism NI will not give the green light to funding (for) which two government departments signed off".

Rivival Racing MCC thanked the Department of Economy and Department of Finance who it said "fully endorsed our proposal which would have delivered the biggest investment in motorcycling ever seen in Northern Ireland."

Tourism NI said £800,000 was requested for the Ulster GP and North West 200, which it said was over six times the amount it provided to stage all events in 2019.

It said the board "could not justify the level of funding requested both on financial and legal grounds".

"Like all public bodies, Tourism NI is operating in a highly constrained budget environment and is considering requests for support for a range of events across Northern Ireland in 2022."

This year would have marked the Ulster Grand Prix's centenary but the failed funding proposal, which was a joint venture between the UGP and North West 200 means the future of the motorsports event has been called into question.

Tourism NI said it provided Revival Racing with an indicative offer as to what it could expect to receive and what the body believe would be enough financial support to allow both the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix to go ahead this year. 

"We are disappointed to hear that Revival Racing has decided not to proceed with the Ulster Grand Prix this year," it concluded.

The Ulster Grand Prix is billed as the world's fastest road race.