The race is on to save Cookstown 100

The race is on to save the Cookstown 100 – a motorcycle competition that for 100 years has been one of the most popular sporting events in Tyrone.

Following last week’s announcement that a huge insurance hike threatened to cancel most motorcycle racing across the North in 2023, a GoFundMe page has been opened to raise money to save many of the sport’s most high-profile events.

Speaking with the TyroneHerald, John Dillon, chairman of the Cookstown 100, said, “This will be the 101st year of the Cookstown 100, and to lose it would be a huge blow not only to the world of road racing, but to the people and businesses of Cookstown, and Mid Ulster, more generally.”

With over a century of local history behind it, the Cookstown 100 is one of the most famous – and economically lucrative – sporting events to be held in Tyrone each year.

insurance

However, last week, the North’s major motorcycle racing governing body, Motorcycle Union of Ireland (Ulster Centre), said that a massive rise in the cost of public liability insurance had made the staging of motorcycle road-racing, short circuit racing and trials unaffordable for 2023.

The Tyrone Herald also spoke with Steven Lyons, father of Omagh’s highly-successful short circuit rider, Jamie Lyons, to find out what forces and influences have conspired to jeopardise so much of this year’s racing calendar.

“When the MCUI (UC) tried to renew their insurance this year, the broker increased their quote a few hundred per-cent.

“What cost £100,000 last year, was going to cost £400,000 this time around,” said Steven. “And, on top of that, they were talking about another £400,000 excess fee. The MCUI (UC) did not see that as affordable,” said Steven, who is an MCUI delegate with Enniskillen and District Motorcycle Club.

However, all hope is not lost. As John Dillon explained, there is a chance that a collective fundraising effort could come up with the funding necessary to cover the insurance, and see the Cookstown 100 run on its 101st year.

“Motorcycle clubs cannot come up with the money on their own,” said John, ”and the last thing we want is to make the riders shoulder the extra costs. That would not be feasible anyway.

“However, there is another way.”

‘a small amount’

John said that the racing community is quite large, and that if everybody gave a small amount, it is conceivable that enough money could be produced to cover the climbing insurance costs.

“Even if it was only a fiver or a tenner, all that money would add up. At the minute, over £40,000 had been raised,” reflected John.

Negotiations, however, remain ongoing, as the MCUI (UC) try to find a broker willing to make a better offer.

“The reality is that this is not going to be easy.

“The prices being tabled by insurance firms for the collective insurance is ridiculous, but it is even more ludicrous when – as I have – you seek insurance for a standalone event,” he said.

This means that for the Cookstown 100 to run, the MCUI (UC) will, in all likelihood, have to come up with the money to pay insurance for all events.

“The loss of the Cookstown 100 would be bad for everyone,” said John.

“It would be bad for the economy, it would be bad for the riders, and it would bad for all those people for who racing represents the best part of their life.”