Dundrod Circuit
Encyclopedia
Dundrod Circuit is a motorsport
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...

 race track
Race track
A race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...

 based on public roads used for the RAC Tourist Trophy
RAC Tourist Trophy
The International Tourist Trophy is an award given by the Royal Automobile Club and awarded semi-annually to the winners of a selected motor racing event each year in the United Kingdom. It was first awarded in 1905 and continues to be awarded to this day, making it the longest lasting trophy in...

 for sports cars
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....

 between 1950 and 1955 and for the motorcycle Ulster Grand Prix
Ulster Grand Prix
The Ulster Grand Prix is a motorcycle road race that takes place on the Dundrod Circuit near Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first races took place in 1922 and in 1935 and 1948 the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme gave it the title Grand Prix d'Europe...

 from 1953 onwards. It is situated in County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...

, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

. The nearby Clady Circuit
Clady Circuit
Clady Circuit situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland describes a motor-cycle road racing course used for the Ulster Grand Prix. The Clady Circuit was used between 1922 and 1939 and an amended shorter circuit between 1947 and 1952.-History:...

 also in County Antrim was used for the Ulster Grand Prix between (1922–1952) before moving to the Dundrod Circuit.

History

The Dundrod Circuit, first used in 1950 for the RAC Tourist Trophy
RAC Tourist Trophy
The International Tourist Trophy is an award given by the Royal Automobile Club and awarded semi-annually to the winners of a selected motor racing event each year in the United Kingdom. It was first awarded in 1905 and continues to be awarded to this day, making it the longest lasting trophy in...

 automobile race was 7.416 miles (11.934 km) in length in Co Antrim and later amended for the 1965 racing season to 7.401 miles (11.910 km) with the addition of the Lindsay Hairpin. For the 1953
1953 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1953 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 5th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of nine Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 500cc...

 racing season the Clady Circuit was abandoned for motor-cycle racing and the Ulster Grand Prix
Ulster Grand Prix
The Ulster Grand Prix is a motorcycle road race that takes place on the Dundrod Circuit near Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first races took place in 1922 and in 1935 and 1948 the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme gave it the title Grand Prix d'Europe...

 as part of the FIM
Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme is the governing body of motorcycle racing. It represents 103 national motorcycle federations that are divided into six regional continental unions....

 Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...

 and was moved to the nearby Dundrod Circuit in Co Antrim. The Ulster Grand Prix event held on public roads closed for racing including a section of the secondary B38 Hannahstown Road between Glenavy
Glenavy
Glenavy is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, 17 kilometres north west of Lisburn on the banks of the Glenavy River. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 1,069 people. In early documents it was known as Lenavy.-Demographics:...

 and Hannahstown, Co Antrim
Antrim, County Antrim
Antrim is a town in County Antrim in the northeast of Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Six Mile Water, half a mile north-east of Lough Neagh. It had a population of 20,001 people in the 2001 Census. The town is the administrative centre of Antrim Borough Council...

, the secondary B101 Leathemstown Road from Leathemstown Corner to Dundrod
Dundrod
Dundrod is a small village and townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 63 people. It is within in the Lisburn City Council area.- Buildings :...

 and the B153 Quarterland/Tornagrough Road from Cochranstown to the road junction of the B38 Upper Springsfield Road/Hannahstown Road at the Lindsay Hairpin.

Speed and race records

The lap record for the Dundrod Circuit is 3 minutes and 18.870 seconds at an average speed of 133.977 mph set by Bruce Anstey
Bruce Anstey
Bruce Anstey is a professional motorcycle road racer. He is now signed to race for Padgett's Honda, having previously ridden for Relentless Suzuki which is based in Ireland. He made his Isle of Man TT debut in 1999, he completed his first race in the Lightweight 250 class, finishing 7th...

 riding a 1000 cc Suzuki
Suzuki
is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...

 during the 2010 Ulster Grand Prix
2010 Ulster Grand Prix
2010 Ulster Grand Prix races were held on the Dundrod Circuit between 9–14 August 2010 in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.-Practice Times & Leaderboard UGP Superbike Class:-Race 1; 2010 1000cc Superstock race final standings:...

. The race record for the Dundrod Circuit is an average speed of 132.029 mph also set by Bruce Anstey during the 2010 Ulster Grand Prix.

The lap record for the RAC Tourist Trophy on the Dundrod Circuit is 4 minutes and 42 seconds at an average speed of 94.67 mph (152.3582 km/h) held by Mike Hawthorn
Mike Hawthorn
John Michael Hawthorn was a racing driver, born in Mexborough, Yorkshire, England, and educated at Ardingly College, West Sussex.-Racing career:...

 driving a Jaguar D-Type set during the 1955 RAC Tourist Tophy. The race record for the RAC Tourist Trophy on the Dundrod Circuit is 7 hours, 3 minutes and 12 seconds an average speed of 88.32 mph (142.139 km) for 84 laps (622.96 miles/1002.518 km) during the 1955 RAC Tourist Trophy race held by the works Daimler-Benz entry of Stirling Moss
Stirling Moss
Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss, OBE FIE is a former racing driver from England...

/John Fitch
John Fitch (driver)
John Cooper Fitch is a racecar driver born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was the first American to race automobiles successfully in Europe in the postwar era...

 driving a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR
Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR
The Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR was a sportscar racing car for the 1955 World Sportscar Championship season, which it won.-Technical highlights:...

.

External links

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