Tricky times ahead for road racing

ROAD Racing in the province is facing a challenging future in the wake of the last month's inquest into the death of top competitor John Donnan at the Tandragee 100 in 2007.

Issues raised by senior coroner John Leckey have called into question the feasibility of racing high-powered motorcycles on minor public roads.

Coroner Leckey said the issue of safety at a road race event was “a huge burden for the amateur enthusiast to carry”.

He went on: “We have reached a situation where we have these totally professional, highly-financed teams and they are operating in an environment that is set up by enthusiasts and amateurs without any, it seems to me, professional guidance.”

It was also revealed last week that week that 720,000 of a 1 million government grant to improve safety at motorsport events in Northern Ireland went unspent, increasing the pressure on bodies such as the Motorcycle Union of Ireland Ulster Centre.

The MCUI is currently preparing proposals on how it intends to improve safety at events and Steve Freeburn, MCUI secretary, believes that there is a future for road racing.

“We have got to deliver. We are in a serious situation, there is no doubt about it, but we are not getting the vibes that the door is closing (on the sport)," he said.