Dundrod Circuit (Ulster Grand Prix)
Dundrod Circuit (Ulster Grand Prix) at a glance
- Location
- Lisburn, Northern Ireland
- Type
- historic circuit (defunct)
- Length
- 11.91 km (7.401 mi)
- Turns
- 25
- Surface
- asphalt (public roads)
- Opened
- 1950
- Address
- Dundrod
Track map and layout
The Dundrod Circuit is a 7.401-mile (11.91km), 25-corner lap of closed public roads in the hills south-west of Belfast, stitched together from the B38 Hannahstown Road, B101 Leathemstown Road and B154 Quarterland/Tornagrough Road. It is the longest and, by average lap speed, historically the fastest road-racing circuit anywhere in motorcycle racing, combining long, undulating straights with fast, blind crests and a mix of tight village-style corners such as the Lindsay Hairpin, added in a 1965 revision. Outside of race week the roads carry normal rural traffic like any other stretch of the Northern Ireland road network, with nothing permanent marking the lap other than the same road signs and hedgerows drivers see every day.
Named corners and sections
- Lindsay Hairpin. A tight hairpin added in the 1965 circuit revision, breaking up the circuit's otherwise very fast character.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Original layout (1950-1964) | 11.93 km | 11.935km, 25 turns |
| Current Grand Prix layout (1965-present) | 11.91 km | 11.910km, 25 turns, after the Lindsay Hairpin was added |
Events and race weekends
The Dundrod Circuit is best known as the home of the Ulster Grand Prix, a motorcycle road race dating back to 1922 that was part of the world championship Grand Prix calendar from 1949 to 1971 and later became the world's fastest road race, with Peter Hickman lapping at an average of 136.415mph in 2019. The Ulster Grand Prix has not been held since 2019, and there is no annual event on the circuit today; a provisional return under the International Road Racing calendar has been mooted for 2027 but was not confirmed as of late 2026.
Getting there and parking
Dundrod is a rural area roughly 15-20 minutes' drive south-west of central Belfast, easily reached from Belfast International Airport, which sits only a few miles to the north-west, or from George Best Belfast City Airport on the east side of the city. Because the circuit is entirely public road, visiting the area outside race week simply means driving or cycling the same B-roads as any other trip through the Antrim countryside.
- Belfast International Airport (BFS) · about 15 min drive
Parking
There is no event parking to describe with no race currently running; on an ordinary day, roadside parking is limited and drivers should treat the roads as live rural traffic routes.
Fans wanting to trace the lap can drive the loop via the Hannahstown, Leathemstown and Quarterland/Tornagrough roads, but should remember these are functioning public roads, not a closed track, at all times outside a race meeting.
Hotels and camping near Dundrod Circuit (Ulster Grand Prix)
With no race weekend currently running, there is no seasonal accommodation crunch around Dundrod; visitors are best based in Belfast, a short drive or taxi ride away, which has the full range of Northern Ireland's hotel and guesthouse options. When the Ulster Grand Prix last ran regularly, Belfast and nearby Lisburn absorbed most race-week visitors, since Dundrod itself is a small rural area with little accommodation of its own.
Where to look
Belfast city centre and Lisburn, both a short drive from Dundrod.
Camping
Trackside camping was a traditional part of Ulster Grand Prix race week in the past, though with no event running since 2019 there is no current camping programme to describe.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
There is no public track-day, ride-day or HPDE access to the Dundrod Circuit; it is ordinary public road at all times outside an organised, road-closed race meeting, and no such meeting has been held since 2019.
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outright (Superbike) | 3:15.316 | Peter Hickman | BMW S1000RR | 2019 |
| 500cc Grand Prix | 4:34.6 | Mike Hailwood | MV Agusta | 1963 |
| Sports car (pre-1956 car era) | 4:42 | Mike Hawthorn | Jaguar D-Type | 1955 |
Spectator guide
There is no current spectator event at Dundrod; when the Ulster Grand Prix ran, fans lined the public roads and hillside vantage points for free or low-cost viewing in the traditional Irish road-racing style, with grandstands only at the paddock and start/finish area.
Weather
- Aug: The race traditionally ran in August; Northern Ireland summer weather is changeable, with rain a frequent factor in past cancellations and delays
History of Dundrod Circuit (Ulster Grand Prix)
The world's fastest road race
The Ulster Grand Prix began in 1922 and moved to the Dundrod Circuit, a 7.4-mile loop of public roads south-west of Belfast, in 1953 after safety concerns closed the earlier Clady Circuit to bikes. Dundrod had already hosted car racing, including the RAC Tourist Trophy, from 1950, but three fatalities during the 1955 TT ended car racing there for good; motorcycles continued, and the Ulster Grand Prix became part of the inaugural 1949 world championship Grand Prix season, remaining a world championship round until 1971.
Record speeds on ordinary roads
A 1965 revision added the tight Lindsay Hairpin to break up the circuit's otherwise very high-speed character, producing the current 11.91km, 25-corner lap. Over the following decades Dundrod earned a reputation as the fastest road-racing circuit in the world, a status confirmed in 2019 when Peter Hickman lapped at an average of 136.415mph on a BMW S1000RR - faster than the outright lap record at the Isle of Man TT.
Collapse after 2019
That 2019 meeting turned out to be the last. Poor weather and thin crowds left the organising Dundrod & District Motorcycle Club with mounting debts, reportedly around £300,000, which led to a winding-up order in 2020 and the club's liquidation. The COVID-19 pandemic compounded the crisis, and unresolved prize-money disputes with riders, including Hickman himself, further soured relations. A 2022 rescue bid by Revival Racing, backed by an £800,000 funding package, collapsed when Tourism NI declined to support it, and the 2023 and 2024 events were both cancelled over insurance and funding problems.
Where things stand
As of late 2026 the Ulster Grand Prix has not run since 2019 and remains without an organiser or confirmed date. An announcement at the November 2025 Irish Motorbike Awards floated a provisional return in 2027 under the International Road Racing calendar, but nothing had been formally confirmed. The roads themselves remain in everyday use for ordinary Northern Ireland traffic, unchanged and driveable, waiting on the racing community to decide whether the world's fastest road race runs again.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Ulster Grand Prix still running?+
No. It has not been held since 2019 due to organiser debts, liquidation, insurance costs and funding problems; a provisional 2027 revival has been floated but was not confirmed as of late 2026.
Does the Dundrod Circuit still exist?+
Yes, physically - it is a lap of ordinary public roads (the Hannahstown, Leathemstown and Quarterland/Tornagrough roads) that remain open to everyday traffic; what no longer exists is an organised race meeting on them.
How long is the Dundrod Circuit?+
7.401 miles (11.91km) with 25 corners in its current (1965-onwards) layout, making it one of the longest road-racing circuits in the world.
Why did the Ulster Grand Prix stop running?+
The organising club built up roughly £300,000 in debts after a poorly attended, weather-hit 2019 event, entered liquidation in 2020, and subsequent rescue and insurance-funding attempts through 2024 all fell through.
What was the fastest lap ever set at Dundrod?+
Peter Hickman set the outright lap record on a BMW S1000RR in 2019 at 3:15.316, an average speed of 136.415mph - faster than the Isle of Man TT lap record.
Will the Ulster Grand Prix return?+
It has not been cancelled permanently: organisers floated a provisional 2027 return under the International Road Racing calendar at a November 2025 awards event, but no confirmed date or organising body had been announced as of late 2026.
Other tracks nearby
- Bishopscourt Racing Circuit · 35 km · road course
- Kirkistown Race Circuit · 42 km · road course
- North West 200 · 79 km · road course
- St John's Short Course · 103 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Billown Circuit · 109 km · public road circuit
- Clypse Course · 113 km · historic circuit (defunct)
Facts checked against 4 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.