Failing to protect Sunday as non North West race day erodes Christian principles

A recent post on this Blog highlighted the fact that the Northern Ireland Assembly was going to vote on opening the door to Sunday Racing. See here.

A letter from Rev Roger Higginson, minister of Coleraine Free Presbyterian Church, has been published in the Belfast Newsletter about this matter. It begins:

Recently there has been much consultation in Stormont regarding the extension of racing times during the North West 200.

This event is of great benefit to our community on many levels and is supported by people from not just the Province but also much further afield. It is the largest event to take place each year on the North Coast.

To read the rest of the letter click here

Stormont Assembly to vote on opening the door to Sunday Racing

Today in the Northern Ireland Assembly a Bill will be debated that will change the legislation governing motorcycle road racing in Northern Ireland.

The North West 200, one of the premier motorcycle road races held in Northern Ireland, was cancelled in 2013 due to torrential rain. This was the second occasion in three years that the North West 200 had to be cancelled due to bad weather. In addition, the Dundrod 150 motorcycle race in August 2013 and the Ulster Grand Prix in 2008 were also cancelled in similar circumstances.

It is not presently possible to re-schedule these races because the existing legislation does not permit that flexibility. Consequently alternative dates or times from those quoted in the road closing order made to facilitate the event can not be used.

The Department for Regional Development is proposing to insert one new clause into the existing legislation. This new clause will amend Article 3 of the Road Races (NI) Order to: provide that not more than two contingency days may be specified in a road closing order and that a contingency day must be one of the two days falling immediately before or immediately after a day specified in a road closing order.