bruce anstey crashing out at the ulster grand prix 04

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This video was filmed in Co. Antrim Northern Ireland
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The Ulster Grand Prix has had a long and chequered history since the first event, a handicap race, organised by the Ulster Motorcycle Club way back in 1922. This race was run over the 20.5-mile Clady Circuit utilising the Seven Mile Straight that ran from Muckamore Corner to Clady Corner, where machines ran flat out (could today's production based racing machines cope with seven miles flat to the stop action)?

Situated in close proximity to Belfast, massive crowds lined the circuit and the race soon became established on the world scene, eventually gaining international recognition in 1926 when the handicap tag was dropped in favour of 250cc, 350cc, 500cc and over 500cc classes racing ten laps of the Clady Circuit. Incidentally, the very first winner of the Prize was Hubert Hassal riding a Norton averaging 60mph.
The first event was held in 1922 by the Ulster Motor Cycle Club.

Some years later, in the 1930s a legend by the name of Stanley Woods dominated the 500cc class with four consecutive victories on his Norton, but a tale as familiar today as it was back then of economic decline, saw entries dwindle. So to alleviate this problem the event was granted the title of 'Grand Prix of Europe', which helped to fill the grids with riders and manufacturers from across the continent.

War across Europe curtailed racing, but by 1947 racing was underway again. The World Championships, as we know them today, were established in 1949 and the Ulster Grand Prix was chosen as one of the six rounds alongside the TT, Italian, Dutch, Belgian and Swiss GPs.

Les Graham (AJS) took the 500cc Ulster win and went on to become the first ever 500cc world champion. Manufacturers and riders began to question the bumpy Seven Mile Straight as being unsuitable for modern machines, plus dissatisfaction over practice periods, escalating costs and a reluctance to apply the road closing order, resulted in a move to the nearby Dundrod Circuit in 1953. This new option was about a third shorter than the Clady Circuit.

Cromie McCandless (Gilera) was the last winner on the Clady Circuit in 1952 while Werner Hass (NSU) had the honour of being the first UGP winner at Dundrod.
Racing then, like today, was split between Thursday and Saturday, albeit with crowds in excess of 100,000" all in awe of riders like Ray Amm, Ken Kavanagh, Bill Lomas, John Surtees, Luigi Taveri and Reg Armstrong on machines as diverse as AJS, Norton, NSU, Moto Guzzi, MV and Gilera.

The Italian manufacturers were joined by the might of Japan and Eastern European â€" Jawa and MZ in the 1960s, as the British manufacturers went into decline. The 1960, '64 and '65 races were to be the last of the half-litre races and they were eventually dropped in 1985.

1963 was a crisis year for the Ulster with a lack of manpower and increased running costs. The running of the event then switched to Ulster Centre Promotions, a body within the MCUI.

This was also the year that saw the formation of the Grand Prix Supporters Club whose aim was to raise funds, to ensure that the great race remained at Dundrod.

Circuit History
From humble beginnings in 1922 by the Ulster Motor Cycle Club, the Ulster Grand Prix has evolved from Clady to Dundrod throughout the years.
UGP 90th Anniversary
August 2012 will be a very special month for the members of Dundrod & District Motor Cycle Club organisers of the Ulster Grand Prix which this year will celebrate its 90th Anniversary.
The event was first promoted in 1922 by the Ulster Motor Cycle Club on a 20.5 mile Clady Circuit which was then raced on during the 1930's by the legendary Stanley Woods on his Norton.
Racing was very much curtailed during the war years but in 1947 racing at the Ulster Grand Prix was once again underway, this time on a new 16.5 mile Clady Circuit. Then in 1949 a new World Championship was established and the Ulster Grand Prix was to be chosen as a round of this Championship.
Over the years many of the greats raced on this circuit with Cromie McCandless aboard a Gilera the last winner over a bumpy Seven Mile Straight circuit as a decision was taken to transfer racing to a new 7.4 mile circuit at Dundrod The first winner at the new circuit was Werner Hass aboard his NSU.
Joey Dunlop, Robert Dunlop,

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