North West 200 ‘full speed ahead’ - Whyte

Yesterday’s withdrawal of an £800,000 rescue package which has resulted in the cancellation of the Ulster Grand Prix may also have had a damaging effect on May’s North West 200, according to the Belfast Telegraph.

The headline ‘Lack of funding axes this year’s race and could spell the end of famous Dundrod meeting’[ was followed by “North West 200 also hit but is expected to be staged at a financial loss.”

But while this gloomy prognosis on the Ulster GP was shared by North West 200 boss Mervyn Whyte and an admission that it might put more pressure on the North West‘s finances, he was certain racing would be held on May 12 and 14.

He told bikesportnews: “It’s obviously very disappointing because the two events are major contributors to the economic value of Northern Island.

“It was approved by the two committees, economy and then finance, and then it came back to Tourist Board who manage the funds for larger events and they put as spanner in the works by telling us they had a maximum of £150,000 per event and they had no way of going beyond that.

And just when we were looking forward to reviving the Ulster, which had no money and having something for the North West.

“It’s a bit of a blow and a real setback but listen we’ll keep fighting on. We’re still full speed ahead for the North West.

“We’ve been working on it for the last six months and the funding would have been very nice to have but in the autumn we went through all the costs and we have made a number of reductions in order to keep our head above water because of the Covid times there was no money coming in.

“The ordinary racegoer will see no difference, we’ll still have our top class riders and teams in an entry which is as big as it has ever been.

“We’re not