James Courtney "Two many of my friends and rivals have died"

Joey Dunlop's brother, Robert, said on Monday that he was considering giving up road racing after the deaths of two more riders.

And speaking on Tuesday, after 12 years road racing, James Courtney said the Ulster Grand Prix will be his last ever road race.

He said he wants to compete in the British championship on the safer short circuits. He is not yet fully recovered from a serious crash at last year's s Isle of Man TT races.

"I slid into a wall at 100 miles an hour that particular crash. Ray Hannah crashed in the same place. I went in feet first, I think he went in head first and he didn't make it," he said.

"I have been in it a long time. When I first started people like Joey Dunlop, Robert Dunlop, Brian Reid were the main riders and I wanted to be like them. It seemed to be the best sport to me.

"But as the years go on, you lose friends and rivals, and I have seen enough."

Darran Lindsay: "It is too big a risk"

Darran Lindsay, last year's 125cc Irish Champion, also intends to race at Dundrod, despite being involved in the fatal crash on Sunday, but he said this will be his last road race.

"I was just behind Andrew. We were all so tight together and we had nowhere to go. We all got tangled up. I was one of the lucky ones.

"My own personal view is that I can't do it any more. My friends and family have had enough of it and it is too big a risk now for me."

Both men said the future for their sport is bleak.

On Monday, the mayor of Ballymoney, councillor Bill Kennedy, who is also involved in the sport, urged motorcycle racing fans to boycott the Ulster Grand Prix in protest at safety standards in road racing.

Motorcycle race organisers in Northern Ireland have said they are to consider further safety measures following the deaths.