12 replies to this topic

[HistoricMustang]

Does anyone have any information on this former track?

Henry

[Hoofhearted]

I don't know what info you want. I raced there in the late 70s/early 80s. It wasn't much of a track. I believe it was a repaved RAF base that was used for air raids on Germany. I'm open to correction on that. I may have a photo or two filed away in the garage somewhere. I was a well used track and I'm sure there are many people here that could contribute useful info.

[IrishMariner]

Hi,

I think it's currently owned by Irish rally star Kevin Lynch (or his KPL Utilities company). It's used for testing and, I think, rallycross.

IM

[MoMurray]

My goodness I didn't think anyone on here would ever bring up that little place. What a great spot. Lousy track and generally piss poor weather as I recall...but a source of very fond memories. The corner before the finish line was known as Shithouse corner because...well if you fell there you crashed into the shithouse...literally! The best thing about Aghadowey was its proximity to Ballymoney and the hospitality of the local racing community. Every year there was an Easter double header (for the bikes) with Saturday at Aghadowey, Sunday to fix the sore head and Monday at Kirkiston. Fantastic times!

Mo.

[Hoofhearted]

Strange how funny places show up. I was going to mention shithouse corner but didn't know if this forum would allow such. Obviously they do. My only experience with that corner was in a 50cc race. Robert Dunlop was leading Don Carlisle second and me third. Penultimate lap Robert dropped it on that corner. He missed the building but his Kriedler made it into the gents. I hated the place. Bad weather seemed to be the order of the day.

[Darren Galpin]

Located near Kilrea in County Londonderry, Aghadowey is the home circuit of the Motor Cycle Road Racing Club of Ireland (MCRRCI) and was first used for racing in 1975, after the club was forced to vacate their pervious circuit at Maghaberry to make way for a new prison development.

[Squire Straker]

Joey Dunlop once drove an old Formula Atlantic Modus belonging to Brian McGinley there in a sprint in the early 1980s. The great man struggled and did not pursue his motor racing career any further. The only other vehicle he had driven was a 10 year old Ford Transit running on red diesel.
SS

[HistoricMustang]

I am of the belief that these types of facilities need to be documented, perhaps more that the Spa's of the world. The more popular former tracks will be around for a very long time through documentation. The out of the way places like Aghadowey may slip into forgetfullness is we do not work at finding them.

Located a long list of these out of the way tracks and will try to get more up as time permits.

Henry

[Richard Young]

Aghadowey is still in use........
In addition to a handful of 'bike races it's used for at least one round of the NI Sprint Championship, normally in March and run by the North Ulster CC, although for some years the venue didn't have any car track licence due to the presence of barbed wire fencing close to the track.
Additionally, 'unofficial' (i.e. non-MSA races) have been held at the venue which is now in a poor state of repair.
During the 70s, a short oval situated beside the current circuit was operated by a local promoter. This also formed part of a short-lived rallycross circuit. The remains of this now form part of the paddock.

[Dutchy]

Apparently it's now closed due to the poor condition of the surface.

[rx-guru]

Originally posted by Richard Young
During the 70s, a short oval situated beside the current circuit was operated by a local promoter. This also formed part of a short-lived rallycross circuit. The remains of this now form part of the paddock.

My friend/colleague Ian Lynas from Portadown wrote this for my 'Rallycross Yearbook 1981', published in the spring of 1981:

OUTSIDERS – A look at the RX scene in Northern Ireland
"[…] A few months ago Kirkistown on the Ards peninsula, the only permanent motorcircuit of Northern Ireland, was closed for Rallycross. Only two tracks remained. In 1981 there will be six races counting towards two different championships. The first track is in a little place called Aghadowey, in the northern part of the province. Part of its course has been taken out of the Aghadowey Stock Car Stadium and the circuit in its present shape only exists since early 1980. The other Rallycross track, named shortly after the director’s mame »Boyd’s« lays at the northern border of Belfast and was made in a quarry. Derek Boyd, former works-rallydriver for British Leyland, has opened up these grounds for Rallycross purposes […] In 1981 the North Ulster Car Club will organise three races in Aghadowey. These races not only count towards the North Ulster Car Club Championship, but also towards the Northern Irish Championship […]"

Already for my 1982 yearbook I did not get any new dates for RX events at Aghadowey. Therefore I’m quite certain they did just two years, 1980 and 1981, RX events at the venue.

[Hoofhearted]

Originally posted by Dutchy
Apparently it's now closed due to the poor condition of the surface.

The surface never was too good. I can remember one meeting where there was a sink hole just past the start finish line. When we went out for pactice we were told to go righ or left on the straight but no down the middle.When we lined up for the race the middle of the grid was empty. We were lined up single file on each side of he hole. But sure as shootin' somebody in the 250 heat forgot. I was at the pit gate and looked up to see a 250 Yamaha cartwheeling down the track. Glad I wasn't a sponsor!

I believe the original surface was concrete but had a couple of inches of asphalt laid over it. At the hairpin there was a few inches of drop if you went off the surface. A friend on a slowing down lap let his front wheel drop off. He wound up with a broken collar bone. We drove him to the hospital and I am embarrassed to say now, all he got in the line of sympathy was a verbal "slagging" for dropping a bike on a slowing down lap!

[Jambo]

Rallycross started at the track and the surface got destroyed at the points where the cars rejoined the tarmac.