Kirkistown

Circuit guide by Chris Pollitt · dates updated 2 November 2026

Kirkistown sits on part of the old RAF Kirkistown airfield, opened in 1941, near the bottom of the Ards Peninsula in County Down. The 500 Motor Racing Club of Ireland held its first meeting here in 1953, with race control in an old double-decker bus, and the club still owns and runs it. It's Northern Ireland's only permanent licensed race track, and over the years it has seen everything from 500cc specials to an International F3 race in 1971.

The lap is about 1.5 miles of old runway and perimeter road. It's flat, bumpy in places and very exposed to the wind off the Irish Sea, with a long straight that makes slipstreaming a big part of racing here. Trackskills run car track days and Kirkistown Track Days look after the bikes, and prices are noticeably cheaper than Mondello. It's a friendly, low-key club circuit and a good place to learn, since there are only five proper corners to get your head around.

A lap of Kirkistown

Layout: Main Circuit, 2.433 km (1.51 miles)

From the start line, the first corner is Debtor's Dip, a fast left. The brave take it flat in top gear, and you'll hear people at the club say the foolish do too. Build up to it, because the car goes light and there's not much time to correct a mistake before you're on the brakes for the next one. Nobody at the circuit seems to know where the name came from.

Colonial One follows, a right-hander that comes after the heavy braking from Debtor's Dip. It's taken at around 60mph in a quick car. It was moved and eased years ago to make it faster on the approach, and there's a decent run-off if you get the braking wrong. Get it settled, then let it run out to set up Fisherman's.

Fisherman's is a long, sweeping right, named after the Portavogie fishermen who used to dry their nets on the hedge. The key here is a very late turn-in. Go in too early and you'll be stuck on the inside, scrubbing speed for the whole corner before it spits you out onto the long straight. A good exit is worth a lot, because the straight is around 1,000 yards long.

About a third of the way down the straight, you hit the Crosslé Chicane, a right-left named after John Crosslé of Crosslé Cars and added in the late 1970s to cut the speeds. Take it straight and tidy over the kerbs and get back on the power. Then it's down to Maguire's Hairpin, named after an early member who crashed there. It's tight, it's the best overtaking spot on the lap and it leads you back onto the start straight. Brake in a straight line and focus on a clean exit.

Track day tips

• The surface is old airfield tarmac and can be bumpy. Expect the car to move about under heavy braking into Colonial and Maguire's.
• Being on the coast, it's very exposed. Wind can affect braking points and top speed down the straight, so recheck your markers if it picks up.
• Fisherman's rewards patience. Turn in late and you'll carry far more speed onto the long straight.
• Don't try to take Debtor's Dip flat on your first lap. Work up to it over a session.
• Check kirkistown.com/events for the latest dates, as the club runs a mix of race meetings, test days and track days.
• Facilities are club-level, so bring food, drink and warm layers, especially outside summer.

Getting there

The circuit is at 130 Rubane Road, Kircubbin, BT22 1AU, near the southern end of the Ards Peninsula between Kircubbin and Portavogie. From Belfast, take the A20 through Newtownards and down the east side of Strangford Lough, which takes about an hour. From Great Britain, the ferries from Cairnryan or Liverpool to Belfast are the obvious routes if you're bringing your own car or bike. George Best Belfast City Airport is the nearest airport. Newtownards has the most hotels nearby.