At the launch of this year's Fore Motorcycle Club's 'Race of the South' in Walderstown, from left, Michael Halpin (Fore Motorcycle Club chairman), Paul Fagan, Thomas Maxwell, Derek McGee, Raymond Halpin, Róisín Nolan (Fore Motorcycle Club president), Dermot McLoughlin, Sean Dolan, Jude Davitt, Trac

Fore Club launch 20th Walderstown ‘Races of the South'

When the motorcycles line up in Walderstown this July for the annual Races of the South, it will represent the 20th race at the venue since the shift from Fore, reveals Michael Halpin, chairman of the Fore Races committee, which runs the event.

Over the years some of the big names from the sport have raced at Walderstown – all the great racing Dunlops, Martin Finnegan, Richard Donlon, the Australian rider Cameron Donlon, not to mention the impressive Derek McGee, the Cullion man who is thrusting his way up the ratings.

What’s not as widely known is that even the colourful UK TV presenter and general motor and travel adventurer Guy Martin once participated at Fore, around 12 years ago.

“We get riders from England and Northern Ireland; we’ve had them from the Czech Republic,” says Michael.

Prior to being held at Walderstown, the Races took place at Fore, where they were first run in 1973, but at this stage, the 2.1 mile route at Walderstown is preferred to the trickier 3.5 mile route that was used at Fore, says Martin, explaining that there’s a lot more labour involved in setting things up over a route of that length.

“And in Walderstown there’s a good surface and it’s a good track,” he says.

There are nine different classes run at Walderstown, the biggest being the Open, which is for bikes of up to 1000cc: it’s the first and last races of the day – the Open first, with the Grand Final at the close of racing.

At the other end of the list is the Moto 3 for 250cc 4 strokes.

Numbers are restricted to 24 in each race.

The Race of the South is to take place on the weekend of July 13/14.