MCUI hopeful 2024 insurance deal for motorcycling finalised before 'New Year'

The sport was plunged into uncertainty after all motorcycling events in Ulster were cancelled in February due to prohibitive insurance costs.

A last-gasp deal was obtained by the MCUI (Ulster Centre) to ensure key road races such as the North West 200, Cookstown 100 and Armoy went ahead, while the Ulster Superbike Championship short circuit meetings at Bishopscourt and Kirkistown were also saved.

However, this was only possible after a crowdfunding campaign was launched by the union – raising in excess of £90,000 – while the North West 200 was thrown a lifeline when County Tyrone businessman Derek Keys made a major financial contribution to the event.

Exhaustive efforts by the MCUI to reach an eleventh-hour deal with insurance underwriters were also pivotal in ensuring motorcycle racing went ahead after February’s shock announcement.

An official calendar for 2024 has yet to be officially confirmed, but the NW200 is set to take place from May 6-11 after the organising Coleraine and District Motor Club announced its dates in September.

The Cookstown 100 is provisionally slated for April 26-27 while two weekends are being considered for the Tandragee 100 (May 3-4 or July 5-6), which was last held over four years ago.

The Armoy ‘Race of Legends’ is pencilled in over three days in 2024, from July 25-27, with the Ulster Grand Prix at Dundrod on August 2-3, should the event go ahead for the first time since 2019.

A statement issued by MCUI (UC) Secretary Mark Sanlon said: “[Insurance] is still a financial issue for the MCUI (UC) and clubs, but we are 90% complete and should have all cover in place by the New Year and the renewal date.

“We still need to thank all those who contributed to the Go Fund Me page last year, without [this] support we wouldn’t have been able to run any events.

“Insurance over the next number of years will definitely be an ongoing issue, we need everyone to work together and reduce claims etc going forward.”

The sport’s governing body in Northern Ireland hopes that all dates for 2024 will be finalised before Christmas.

“The MCUI (UC) are working as hard as possible to finalise the events calendar for next season,” continued the statement.

“We have a couple of clubs still to decide on final dates, and some who have to decide if they can run next year, but planning for both Road Racing and the USBK Short Circuit Championship is going ahead.

“Hopefully all dates will be confirmed before Christmas.”

A legal adviser has been appointed by the MCUI to ensure the wheels of the organisation turn more efficiently going forward, although this has led to a delay in the body’s AGM, which is now set to take place in March.

“The MCUI (UC) has been through a difficult number of years with instability, innuendos, rumours and attacks on social media,” added the statement.

“These are part of the reason insurance was nearly impossible to obtain this year. Other internal issues didn’t help, but we have worked through the toughest days.

“We have engaged a legal advisor to help us with our Company Governance and update our current Articles of Association, General Rules, processes, and procedures for various committees.

“This has meant the deferring of our AGM until early March to allow all the necessary documentation to be ready for approval.

“This will not interfere with the MCUI (ICC) [Inter Centre Conference] next month and we are committed to seeing racing return to the Southern Centre.

“We will work closely and help in any and every way possible.”

All motorcycle racing in the Republic of Ireland was cancelled this year and while efforts are ongoing to find a workable solution to the insurance headwinds facing Motorcycling Ireland (MCI), there is little reason for optimism at present.