Organisers of the popular Tandragee 100 motorcycle road races have expressed their delight following an announcement today (Friday 11 October) by Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd that much needed resurfacing works will be undertaken on a section of road network utilised by the club.
North Armagh Motorcycle & Car Club (Tarmac Section) Ltd described the announcement as extremely welcome news.
Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd confirmed his intention to proceed with resurfacing work later this year on a stretch of the A51 to assist with plans for the Tandragee 100 Road Race in 2025.
Minister O’Dowd said:
“Over many years my Department has been working with race organisers to facilitate the safe conditions for the Tandragee 100 to take place. This has involved carrying out road surface and drainage repairs in advance of the event and that essential work will continue with the resurfacing of a small stretch of the road in preparation for next year's event.
“Our rural road network is at the heart of local communities and contributes to their connectivity and economy. The Tandragee 100 Road Race is part of a busy NI motorsport calendar and attracts many thousands of motorsport enthusiasts. It also generates opportunities for local businesses and tourism. I am committed to supporting and investing in our rural road network to enable local communities deliver local benefits.”
Clerk of the Course and Club Secretary Anne Forsythe said the Minister’s announcement “will enable us to progress our preparations for running the Tandragee 100 Motorcycle Road Races in 2025”.
She added:
“We are extremely grateful to all those who have continued to work hard behind the scenes since our last event in 2022, to the Minister and all those within DfI who have made this possible.
“This is just the beginning of the hard work for us; we will now focus our full attention on securing the necessary financial resources and putting everything in place to enable us to apply for a Road Closing Order and undertake all the hundreds of activities that are needed to get the event up and running.
“As a Club we are delighted, and we are, as we have always been, committed to doing everything we can to bring this awe-inspiring event back in 2025. We also wish to take this opportunity to thank all our competitors, sponsors, landowners, volunteers and spectators for their continued support.”
Today’s confirmation will come as good news for motorcycle road racing fans from near and far, with hopes that after the event was cancelled in recent years, the Tandragee 100 will make a return to the racing calendar for 2025.