Grand Prix coup for desertmartin

This is a tremendous coup for the Cub after their successful hosting of the British Championships in 2017 and 2018 and will be the first time since 1980 that World Championship Sidecarcross has come to Ireland.

It is also the first World Championship event in Ireland for over a decade.

Speaking on behalf of the club Malcolm Beattie said: “Sidecarcross is an exciting off road discipline with a tremendous following in Europe, particularly Belgium and the Netherlands, and is growing enormously with the crews getting younger and younger and the racing getting faster and more exciting.

“The Club are promoting the event to showcase the sport and hopefully encourage the growth of Sidecarcross in Ireland and even Great Britain by showing Sidecarcross at its best.

“This event will be a great family experience with close exciting racing, accessible crews and riders.

“It will be a great event and we would encourage everyone to come along and support us in July 2021.

“The Club are delighted to have been awarded the opportunity to bring this exciting sport to the island once again.

“Particularly as one of our Club members is a regular competitor on the World Championship trail, a regular top ten finisher and British Championship runner in Lisburn man Gary Moulds, who achieved his debut British Championship win at the Clubs maiden British Championship round is 2017, maybe he can repeat this feat next year.”

Twenty-four-year-old Moulds can’t wait for the Grand Prix to return to home soil.

The last time the event took place in Northern Ireland was back in 1980 at Whitehead, fifteen years before the multi Ulster and Irish champion was even born.

Moulds who is in Holland at the minute testing for the new Grand Prix season was delighted with the news.

“It is unreal and really special for the Grand Prix to be run on our doorstep and especially Desertmartin, the best track in the world in my opinion,” he said.

“I’ve raced all over Europe and there isn’t a track that compares.

“Desertmartin holds special memories for me as back in 2017 at the opening round of the British championship I raced and beat English rider Stuart Brown, and he won the last GP of the 2019 season, so I say bring it on in 2021.

“I will have another full season of Grand Prix behind me and I believe I will be on power with the best in the world.

“The fans will love it every bit as much as the competitors.”

The promoter, Martin Bena from the Czech Republic, was visiting Northern Ireland for the first time and was delighted with what he saw at Desertmartin.

“This is my first visit here and it is an amazing track with brilliant facilities,” he said.

“The crew and the organisers at Desertmartin are very open minded and for me it is an honour to speak to these people and I am absolutely delighted to be working with them.

“The plans are to run the World Sidecarcross championship together with the European Quadcross championship on 23rd and 24th July 2021 and after the success of the GP bring the sidecarcross of nations in 2022 or 2023.

“I can promise the fans the Grand Prix in 2021 will be something special.”