1929-1950

The North West 200 was first held seventy eight years ago as a handicap event over the 11 mile public roads, Triangle circuit, connecting the Co Derry market town of Coleraine, and the seaside towns of Portrush, and Portstewart. At one o’clock on Saturday 20th April 1929, three riders pushed their machines into life from the starting point at Magherabuoy, and began the sloping, downhill run into Portrush. They were A McIntyre, (Abingdon KD), R B Patterson, (348cc O.E.C), and RM Osbourne (348cc Raleigh), the limit men, the riders who had been given the most generous handicap.

For most of the next hour the reminder of the thirty-one starters started off in intervals of varying length. By 1.53 PM the scratch men, Stanley Woods and H G Tyrell Smith, had begun their own swooping descent towards the picturesque seaside resort. As the sun shone down from a cloudless, blue sky, The Derry and District Motor Club’s long standing dream of running a high profile, International motor cycle road race finally became reality.

Without the addition of The Road Races Act to the Statute Book by the Northern Ireland Government in 1922, the Isle of Man would have remained, unchallenged as the domain of motor cycle road racing within the British Isles.

The exploits of the likes of the Collier Brothers, Alec Bennett, Wal Handley, and Stanley Woods, at the Isle of Man TT races had been creating World headlines since 1907. The renowned engineer, Harry Ferguson, the man who revolutionized agriculture with the Ferguson tractor, was quick to recognize the promotional and commercial possibilities of high profile car and motor cycle race meetings in Ireland. He enlisted the help of his friend Thomas Moles MP, the editor of the Belfast Telegraph. Together they exerted their considerable influence in an effort to bring about the necessary legislation, which would allow motor sport to be promoted and develop in the Province. By May 1922, County Councils in Northern Ireland had the powers to close public roads for the purpose of allowing car and motor cycle racing to take place. By October 1922 the first Ulster Grand Prix had been held on the 20.5 Clady Circuit, and declared a resounding success.

Unofficially, road racing, unheralded by the publicity that accompanied the first Ulster Grand Prix, had been held on Ireland’s roads, long before The Road Races Act came into force. One of the earliest examples was a 200-miler, officially listed as a “reliability trial”, held in July 1903.

The Ulster Center of the Motor Cycle Union of Ireland had been founded at a meeting in Hicks Metropole Hotel, College Square North, Belfast, on January 1903. By July that year their plans were well in place for running a road race. The organizers realized from the start that their planned trip at racing speeds through the countryside of Counties Antrim and Derry, would not receive official sanction from the authorities. They anticipated that if made public, their plan would be quashed, and so it remained a closely guarded secret.

No cheering crowds or throngs of press saw the fourteen starters on their way at 6am on July 11th 1903, from Belfast’s Donegall Street. Only five brave souls completed the bone-jarring 200-mile route from Belfast, through Carrickfergus, Larne, Cushendall, and Portrush, before turning inland to Derry. The route turned back from Derry to Belfast, and to the finishing point at the Crown and Shamrock Inn at Glengormely, on the city’s outskirts. J Burney headed the depleted field home on a Royal Enfield to claim a historic win, and commence celebrations in the near by hostelry. His son, J G Burney, in turn, enjoyed a distinguished racing career, with Stanley Woods as his mentor, and later, business partner, and finally, father in law.

The 1922 Road Races Act gave rise to the appearance of numerous motor cycle, road race events. Many were short lived, such as the Dungannon 100, 1924-1927, The Ballydrain 60, 1922-1932, and the Coleraine 100, held only once over five laps of a twenty mile roads circuit, outside Coleraine, Co Derry, in 1923.

The Temple road race, now known as the Temple 100, jumped the legislative gun, and started life as the Temple 50 in 1921. The Temple meeting proudly claims to be the oldest established event in the Irish racing calendar, although it did not take place in 2000, due to serious safety concerns regarding the narrow, twisting, switchback country roads track. It would seem unlikely, in the current climate of heightened concerns for improving safety in road racing, that the Temple 100 will be held again. The Banbridge road races were also first held in 1921. The event only ran on three further occasions up until its eventual demise in 1930. This small, now mostly forgotten meeting, has one lasting claim to fame. It was there, in 1921, that Stanley Woods made his road racing debut.

By 1929 The Derry and District Motor Club’s plans to organize and stage an event of International importance, were well on track, albeit somewhat changed from what had originally been envisaged. It seemed certain that if manufacturers were given the opportunity of an early season shakedown of machinery, then star names and works entries could be guaranteed straight away.

200 miles was not a distance commonly used in 1929, and expert opinion advised that a race ran over 100 miles would be more popular. In retrospect, the decision to run the event over the longer distance made it a rigorous pre-TT test of reliability factory teams couldn’t ignore. The decision to run the event on a handicap basis was also at odds with established formats at the time. The Continental Grands Prix, and the Isle of Man TT races were all raced on a scratch basis.

Vindication of the organisers choice of date and distance can be seen in that by 1930, the Leinster 100 meeting had moved from its usual date in August to May. By 1932 it had doubled in length to join its Northern cousin as a 200 miler.

Whilst the Derry Club built their plan around using a public roads circuit close to the Maiden City, some of the club’s members thought differently. To them it was clear that a course was required that had more to offer than what had been selected. The success of their meeting would, to a large extent, depend on presenting a circuit that offered many of the key elements and challenges of the TT circuit. They had become aware of one possibility that could not only do just that, but which could also incorporate long, machine destroying straights, reminiscent of the Continental Grands Prix.

History reveals that although the Club’s original choice of name for the race remained, their original choice of venue did not. The name has continued to generate some confusion amongst those who are unaware of the event’s origins. The inclusion of “200” simply indicates that the event was originally ran over a distance of 200 miles. “North West”, reflects the original intended, location of the race, i.e, on a public roads course in the North West of Ireland.

The morning of the 20th April 1929 broke brilliantly. As the minutes ticked towards 1pm, the appointed starting time, the sun shone from a cloudless sky. At the starting point at Magherabouy, almost exactly where the chicane is now situated on the course, on the downhill run into Portrush, a grandstand had been erected on the right hand side of the road. Directly opposite were the pits, where riders would stop to refuel throughout the race. A marquee selling refreshments was erected nearby, and a brass band entertained the gathering crowds.

As Harry Ferguson left to close the roads in the official car, a strong breeze blew from the direction of Ramore Head. Many of the spectators around the start/finish area elected to stay out of the exposed, elevated positions offered in the grandstand. As the day progressed, it would remain a sparsely populated, and poorly supported venture.

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