In early February, 2023, when it was first announced that this year’s Northern Irish road racing season would completely be canceled, it’s probably an understatement to say there was a bit of an uproar. Road racing has long been a point of national pride in Northern Ireland. From the North West 200 to the Ulster Grand Prix, most (if not all) of motorcycle racing’s best road racers throughout history have tested their mettle on those courses.
Still, despite the overwhelmingly negative news, on February 10, 2023, North West 200 organizers stated publicly that they were hopeful they could still work something out to stage the event in 2023 anyway. The problem was insurance rates tripling since 2022—which made it virtually impossible for organizers to keep things going as they had been.
