Dundrod Circuit is a motorsport street circuit used for the Ulster Trophy for Formula One and Formula Two cars from 1950 to 1953, the RAC Tourist Trophy for sports cars between 1950 and 1955, and for the motorcycle Ulster Grand Prix from 1953 onwards. It is situated near the village of Dundrod in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. The nearby Clady Circuit also in County Antrim was used for the Ulster Grand Prix between (1922–1952) before moving to the Dundrod Circuit.[2]
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| Location | Lisburn, Northern Ireland |
|---|---|
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) WEST (April–October, UTC+1) |
| Coordinates | 54°34′51″N 6°05′05″W / 54.58083°N 6.08472°W |
| Opened | 1950 |
| Major events | Grand Prix motorcycle racing Ulster Grand Prix (1953–1971) RAC Tourist Trophy (1950–1951, 1953–1955) Sidecar World Championship (1953–1954, 1956, 1969–1971) Dundrod 150 Killinchy 150 |
| Length | 11.910 km (7.401 miles) |
| Turns | 25 |
| Race lap record | 3:15.316 — 136.415 mph (219.539 km/h)[1] (Peter Hickman, BMW S1000rr, 2019 Ulster Grand Prix) |
History
The Dundrod Circuit (Irish: Dún dTrod) in Co Antrim, first used in 1950 for the RAC Tourist Trophy automobile race and the Formula One (non-championship) Ulster Trophy (1950–1953), was 7.416 mi (11.935 km) in length and later amended for the 1965 racing season to 7.401 mi (11.911 km) with the addition of the Lindsay Hairpin. For the 1953 racing season the Clady Circuit was abandoned for motor-cycle racing and the Ulster Grand Prix as part of the FIM Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship and was moved to the nearby Dundrod Circuit in Co Antrim. The circuit comprised public roads closed for racing including a section of the secondary B38 Hannahstown Road between Glenavy and Hannahstown, Co Antrim, the secondary B101 Leathemstown Road from Leathemstown Corner to Dundrod and the B154 Quarterland/Tornagrough Road from Cochranstown to the road junction of the B38 Upper Springsfield Road/Hannahstown Road at the Lindsay Hairpin. After 1955 cars stopped racing there due to no less than 3 fatalities during the 1955 TT race and safety concerns with the narrow, high-speed nature of the circuit, and since then it has only been used for motorcycle racing.
The photo below shows the original much tighter hairpin, with the modern hairpin, known now as the Lindsay Hairpin, being slightly further back up the road.
Speed and race records
The lap record for the Dundrod Circuit is 3 minutes and 17.928 seconds at an average speed of 134.614 mph (216.640 km/h) set by Dean Harrison riding a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R during the 2017 Ulster Grand Prix.[1] The race record for the Dundrod Circuit is an average speed of 133.180 mph (214.332 km/h) set by Bruce Anstey during the 2017 Ulster Grand Prix.[1]
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 (152.36 km/h) held by Mike Hawthorn driving a Jaguar D-Type set during the 1955 RAC Tourist Trophy.[3] 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 (142.14 km/h) 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/John Fitch driving a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR.
The 1971 Ulster Grand Prix held on the Dundrod Circuit was won by Australian Jack Findlay in what was the Ulster Grand Prix's last year as part of the FIM Grand Prix international motorcycle racing calendar. Findlay's victory on a Suzuki was also notable for marking the first 500cc class win for a motorcycle powered by a two stroke engine.[4][5]
Race lap records
The fastest official race lap records at the Dundrod Circuit are listed as:
| Category | Time | Driver | Vehicle | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Circuit: 11.910 km (1950–present)[6] | ||||
| Superbike | 3:17.928 | Dean Harrison | Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R | 2017 Ulster Grand Prix |
| 500cc | 4:08.600 | Giacomo Agostini | MV Agusta 500 Three | 1970 Ulster Grand Prix |
| 350cc | 4:13.600 | Giacomo Agostini | MV Agusta 350 3C | 1970 Ulster Grand Prix |
| 250cc | 4:21.400 | Kel Carruthers | Yamaha 250 V4 | 1970 Ulster Grand Prix |
| 125cc | 4:27.000 | Bill Ivy[a] Phil Read[a] | Yamaha 125 V4[a] | 1967 Ulster Grand Prix[a] 1968 Ulster Grand Prix[a] |
| Sports car racing | 4:42.000[7] | Mike Hawthorn | Jaguar D-type | 1955 RAC Tourist Trophy |
| Formula One | 4:44.000[8] | Giuseppe Farina | Alfa Romeo 159 | 1951 Ulster Trophy |
| 50cc | 5:17.200 | Ángel Nieto | Derbi 50 | 1970 Ulster Grand Prix |