Kirkistown Racing Circuit

Kirkistown Circuit is Northern Ireland's only MSA-licensed permanent race track, located between the villages of Kirkistown and Portavogie on the Ards Peninsula of County Down. The circuit was opened in 1953 on the site of the former RAF Kirkistown Royal Air Force airfield and is owned and operated by the 500 Motor Racing Club of Ireland (500 MRCI), which continues to manage the facility today.

The main circuit measures 1.512 miles (2.433 kilometers) in length and runs clockwise, featuring four main corners and a 1,000-yard (910-meter) main straight. During the 1970s, a right-left chicane was constructed approximately one-third of the way along the main straight to reduce approach speeds to the Maguires Hairpin turn. The circuit's lap record stands at 50.782 seconds, representing an average speed of 107.184 mph. Kirkistown hosts various motorsport events including car racing, motorcycle racing, karting, rallying, and track days, serving as an important motorsport venue for Northern Ireland and the surrounding region.