Dundrod Ulster Grand Prix difficulties

Captain Starlet

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Other races aren't free, cookstown and tandragee charge. TT is incomparable.

The people who complain about the price will be the first to complain when the UGP is gone, I've already witnessed it first hand. People who came to me at the start of August trying to grab a free arm band and complained to me about the price of tickets have already rang, text and said to my face, I can't believe it's going bad. Even though when I didn't get them an armband they didn't go.

One person actually huffed with me this year because I didnt get them a ticket, boycotted the whole event for the first time since they were a toddler, all because this would have been the first year in a long long time that they would have had to pay in. Said they wouldn't stand in the pishing rain for love nor money. On the Saturday race day, they sent me a snapchat of them out fishing. Then when they seen the highlights said to me they were genuinely gutted to have missed it.

That's what we're up against. If it was £30 into all the racing events then yes, its extremely dear, but it's not and if the rest of the big races are free then £30 for a years International road racing is incredible value.

Flip I didn't know that the Cookstown and Tandragee charged, I can't remember ever having to pay in, I just bought the programme.

It is a sad state of affairs when someone boycotts the event over £30. I do think they should organise the event better, maybe a similar programme to the NW200 with practice on a Tuesday and full days practice and racing on Thursday and Friday, maybe people wouldn't mind paying more if they perceive they are getting more for their money.
 

Artoir

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Ideally some local business would put their name to it. Look at the money goes into rallying locally.
 

big-lew18

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Theres Wednesday Thursday and Friday at the UGP. I got charged to the Tandragee this year, on the road towards castle corner. And got charged last year at the Cookstown on the road from the drum road onto the track, brings you out just before the Green house. I dont mind paying either. If I didnt pay in I'd buy a programme or something. In fact I'm near sure I bought a programme both these times too.

It's the stigma with road racing I think @Artoir, imagine the uproar on the Nolan show if someone was killed at a road race and a large local company had funded it. Nolan would practically be calling them murderers
 

swansty

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Ideally some local business would put their name to it. Look at the money goes into rallying locally.
I was sort of wondering if I should say something....TBH UGP and other bike events are lucky they can charge spectators. Rallying isn't allowed to so our income has to come from entries and sponsorship. Its not easy so good luck @big-lew18 if you are involved in that side of it.
 

big-lew18

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I thought there was something about rallying, is there something to do with them being road legal cars and around road closures and the likes that prevents them from charging? I may be making that up in my head, but I know next to nothing about rallying so couldn't address that either
 

Artoir

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I was sort of wondering if I should say something....TBH UGP and other bike events are lucky they can charge spectators. Rallying isn't allowed to so our income has to come from entries and sponsorship. Its not easy so good luck @big-lew18 if you are involved in that side of it.

That’s a fair point actually hadn’t considered that
 

swansty

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I thought there was something about rallying, is there something to do with them being road legal cars and around road closures and the likes that prevents them from charging? I may be making that up in my head, but I know next to nothing about rallying so couldn't address that either
I can’t quite remember the technicality that exists which stops us charging but there is one and it’s linked to the road closing order legislation. Apart from that, there is the sheer practicalities of how to do it as a stage could be over 9 miles long with multiple access points. It’s hard enough to get enough volunteers to be safety marshals without trying to find extra to stand and charge people. The last 2 years, we have stopped printing and selling programs as it cost us more than we made. We now do a free to download version.
 

Gaza_r

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I can’t quite remember the technicality that exists which stops us charging but there is one and it’s linked to the road closing order legislation. Apart from that, there is the sheer practicalities of how to do it as a stage could be over 9 miles long with multiple access points. It’s hard enough to get enough volunteers to be safety marshals without trying to find extra to stand and charge people. The last 2 years, we have stopped printing and selling programs as it cost us more than we made. We now do a free to download version.

Yeah, Dundrod Circuit has a specific piece of legislation allowing them to charge admission. Guess which political party petitioned for it on their behalf...


It's a hugely contentious issue amongst the NI motorclub's as admission charges could generate additional funds for clubs and offset the increasing insurance costs to run an event.

The whole "no one wants to sponsor road racing" is a red herring.

UGP/Dundrod just have get on with it like lots of other MC's around the country.
 
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Wild Thing

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i live in tandragee, have lost friends that i went through school with to road racing and as much as i love the sport would not put our name to sponsorship and tbh you are not talking big money to get a small add in a program. Its a great sport that can have tragic conseqences way above the odds of other motorsports, but its hard core in our motorsport roots and will continue into the future until insurance makes it un-feasible to run
 

Dave..

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i live in tandragee, have lost friends that i went through school with to road racing and as much as i love the sport would not put our name to sponsorship and tbh you are not talking big money to get a small add in a program. Its a great sport that can have tragic conseqences way above the odds of other motorsports, but its hard core in our motorsport roots and will continue into the future until insurance makes it un-feasible to run
Coming from Tandragee we sponsored one of the races a few years ago. Road racing is dangerous, I have had friends killed racing or road riding.
We only did it because the race needed more money.
 

aaron_dp

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Any more word on this? All seems quite quiet but I hope that there are serious questions being asked about where this money has been going, I know the smaller events struggle too without receiving as much funding.
 

big-lew18

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The money needs to come in before the money can go out?... that was the problem, no money came in this year. The UGP receives very little government funding. Antrim borough council wouldn't give any funding because the track is outside its county lines, by less than 1/2 a mile
 

big-lew18

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This picture says everything that's needed to be said
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aaron_dp

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Frustrating how the crowds have dropped so much, can't understand why these clowns won't pay in to watch an international road race with the quality of riders that come over. Bar McGuinness who I'm not overly fond of anyway, you have the majority of the top guys over and all races are pretty competitive.

One thing I don't get is the rain stopping play, growing up the guys just got on with it and I remember Joey putting on absolute masterclasses in the wet not only here but/ at the TT as well. Is it just a health & safety/insurance thing or are the guys understandably given their BSB and other commitments not keen on risking it?
 

Chris666

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Bit of both, one of the socials did a truck walkaround at the TT I think, they don't even take wet tyres
 

big-lew18

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Wets at the TT is understandable, because the track is so big the weather is very changeable. But I agree at Dundrod and the NW they should run reasonably wet races
 
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aaron_dp

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I remember half of the local races being wet and plenty of times at the NW or UGP it raining and the racing was still top notch, with advances in tyres and technology these days it must be safe enough
 

big-lew18

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It's all down to the riders at the end of the day, the clerk of the course brought a few of the riders around the circuit this year on the Saturday morning and asked their opinions. They said they were happy that a dry line would quickly appear and the racing eventually went ahead. If they had of said no then it would have been called off straight away
 
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