Vehicle Transport to Kirkistown Circuit
Kirkistown is the oldest permanent race circuit in Northern Ireland, and it sits out on the Ards Peninsula in County Down, close to Cloughey and Portaferry and not far from the coast of Strangford Lough. It's a former airfield, so the surface is flat and quick, and it's run by the 500 Motor Racing Club of Ireland, whose club racing, track days, sprinting and motorcycle meetings keep the place busy through the year. Getting a car there from England or Wales is a bigger job than most of our runs because it means a ferry across the Irish Sea, usually into Belfast, then the A20 and the A2 down the peninsula past Kircubbin towards Portaferry. The last stretch is proper coast road, narrow in places and worth taking steady in a loaded trailer. Some locals hop the Portaferry to Strangford ferry to cut the corner round the lough, though with a trailer we tend to stick to the road. Cloughey and Kircubbin are the nearest villages for fuel or a cup of tea, and the lough is the backdrop for most of the drive down. Road-legal cars can be driven; anything that isn't road legal, or won't start, goes on a trailer and travels as freight on the ferry, which we sort out. We've done the crossing enough times to know how to book a trailer slot, what the loading ramps are like and how long the whole thing really takes door to paddock. For mainland racers who don't fancy the drive, it saves a long couple of days behind the wheel, keeps the mileage off the race car and gets it to the 500 MRCI paddock in one piece, ready for scrutineering. It's been the heart of club motorsport in the north for decades, and the sprint and bike meetings draw entries from both sides of the border.
Non-road-legal race cars over the water
A race car that can't touch a public road still needs to cross the Irish Sea, which is where it gets fiddly. We trailer it to the ferry port and book it on as freight, sorted so the ferry operator knows what's coming. On the Northern Ireland side we drive it down the A2 to Kirkistown and unload in the paddock. The car never has to be road legal, but it does need to be properly strapped and covered if the crossing is rough.
Race bikes to the 500 MRCI
The 500 MRCI runs a strong motorcycle programme alongside the cars, and a bike crossing the Irish Sea needs careful securing for the ferry. We carry bikes in the van or on a bike trailer with stands and warmers, tie them so the forks aren't stressed, and make sure nothing shifts on the crossing. Riders can travel with us or meet us at the circuit.
Multi-car team moves from the mainland
Club teams running two or three cars at a Kirkistown meeting usually come over from GB, and moving them all on one ferry sailing is far cheaper and simpler than splitting the job. We can take a driven car plus a tow car and trailer in one run, so the whole team crosses together, unloads once in the paddock and gets straight into scrutineering.
Paddock to paddock, mainland to NI
We collect from your workshop or home in England or Wales and hand the keys back in the Kirkistown paddock, then bring the car home again after the meeting if you want. It's one continuous move with the same person throughout, no depot and no third-party haulier taking over at the port. You know where the car is at every point, including while it's on the ferry.
Non-runners and sprint days
Sprinting at Kirkistown often means a car that's mid-build or waiting on parts, so we're used to moving non-runners and rolling shells. We'll bring a trailer and winch or push the car on if it needs it, then get it onto the paddock stands for your team. If the car isn't driving yet but you're entered, tell us when you book so we send the right kit for the ferry.
Timing around the 500 MRCI calendar
The 500 MRCI meetings and track days at Kirkistown run to a tight calendar, and the ferry sailing times set the whole schedule. We work backwards from your sign-on or scrutineering slot, book the crossing that gets us to the port with time to spare, and allow for the A2 down the peninsula. Book early if you can, because trailer space on the good sailings goes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get a car from the mainland to Kirkistown?
It's a ferry job. We drive or trailer the car to the port, usually Cairnryan for the Belfast sailing or Holyhead for Dublin, cross as booked freight or an accompanied vehicle, then come down the A20 and A2 to Kirkistown. If the car is road legal we can drive it on; if not, it goes on a trailer and travels as freight. We sort the booking and the paperwork so you don't have to.
How long does transport to Kirkistown take?
From the South West you're looking at a long day or an overnight run once you factor in the drive to the port, the ferry crossing and the road down the Ards Peninsula. We plan it as a proper journey with a driver rest stop, and we'll give you an honest door-to-paddock estimate when you book. Trailered cars add a bit of time at each end for loading and the ferry ramp.
Can you transport a non-road-legal race car to Northern Ireland?
Yes. Non-road-legal cars travel on a trailer and cross on the ferry as freight, which we book and manage. We'll ask about ride height for the ferry ramps and about securing the car for the crossing, because a rough Irish Sea can shift things. On the other side we take it down the A2 and unload it in the Kirkistown paddock ready for scrutineering.
Do you move race bikes to Kirkistown?
We do, and we carry them for the 500 MRCI's motorcycle meetings as well as the car racing. Bikes go in the van or on a bike trailer with stands, warmers and spares, tied down so the forks and bodywork aren't stressed, especially over the ferry crossing. The rider can come with us or meet us at the circuit.
Do you collect from my home or workshop and bring the car back?
That's the standard job. We collect from wherever the car lives in England or Wales, get it to Kirkistown for your meeting, and if you want we'll collect it after and bring it home again. It's one continuous move with the same driver throughout, and there's no depot or third-party haulier in the middle. You know where the car is the whole way, including on the ferry.
What if my car won't start?
A non-runner is fine, but tell us when you book so we bring a trailer and, if it needs it, a winch or an extra pair of hands to push it on. For a sprint day where the car is still being finished, we can collect the night before the ferry and have it in the paddock early. If it's a runner that just needs a jump, that's a smaller job and a different vehicle, so let us know which.