'Five-year plan' for returning Irish road race
Derek Sheils on his way to victory in the Grand Final at the 2016 Mid Antrim 150
- Published
The Mid Antrim 150 has been confirmed as an addition to the Irish motorcycle road racing calendar for the 2026 season, with the long-established event to be held over the traditional Clough circuit on 31 July and 1 August.
The meeting was last staged successfully in 2016, after which a number of setbacks, including financial difficulties, led to it disappearing from the sport's annual roster.
The most recent attempt to revive the meeting in September 2022 had to be abandoned after sabotage because oil, glass and nails were deposited in parts of the circuit the night before the main Saturday race day.
It was the second time the Mid Antrim race day had to be cancelled because of oil and other substances being deposited on the track, with a similar scenario having unfolded in 2011.
Jack Agnew, the treasurer of the Mid Antrim 150 Club, told BBC Sport NI that the organisers were satisfied that any problems had been put behind them, the financial resources are in place to run the event and local residents have been positive in their response at a recent meeting.
"We had a meeting with the residents which was all very positive, the dates have been confirmed, and the local people were very keen to see it back again and are really behind us," he said.
"2022 was a difficult year for us and it left us struggling financially but now we feel that we are in a position with drawing on our reserves, and with other support, to run the race next year.
"And we're not just looking to run it in 2026, we have a five-year plan and we want to run it for the duration of that time, minimum."
A new team of organisers will take over the running of the event.
"While we have run successful short circuits in recent years, we are a road race club and the aim of the club is to run a road race," he added.
The Tandragee 100 was restored to the Irish road race calendar this year for the first time since 2022 after essential resurfacing work on a section of the circuit was completed, while preliminary plans are in place for the Ulster Grand Prix international event to return over the Dundrod circuit in 2027 after it was last held in 2019.
