The first time IRGP almost never happened

Date posted on November 11, 2020

The IRGP or Inside Racing Grand Prix is the biggest annual motorcycle road race in the country for more than a decade since 2007.

It is the event where many local motorcycle enthusiasts got a first taste of the excitement of racing and the motorcycle lifestyle.

It was the first time that they were able to watch the heroes of Philippine motorcycle road racing. It captured the imagination of the local racing world and is now the most awaited year end event.

Year on year, the IRGP was able to elevate the standards of how local racing events should be done and it never fails to set new raceday attendance records.

Last year, in its first event at the big Clark International Speedway, and the first outside Carmona, the IRGPXIII was able to set a record race attendance and was able to fill up the big grandstand, a first for the venue. It also generated a record number of race participants.

But did you know that the IRGP almost never happened twice before already?

The first was 2009. Our office and most of the staff’s houses were ravaged by Typhoon Ondoy in September. All our equipment were submerged in that great flood.

Our lives were stalled and we couldn’t operate until the middle of October. We were lucky that there were no injuries but it hit us real hard operationally. We cancelled all our events…except IRGP3. It took us only a month to prepare for this big event…and fortunately, with the IR fans and partner’s support we were able to pull it off.

The second time was in 2 years later in 2011 when the sport and the racetrack was embattled to continue after the fatal accident of Maico Buncio. Fortunately, with the help of newly formed USRA and Congress clarification, IRGP5 happened.

Sadly, it will not be the same this 2020.

This time, the situation is beyond our control with no clear solution that will allow massive mass gatherings in the near future.

The Pandemic has affected everyone’s lives and the IRGP is simply not be a priority during this difficult time.

While smaller one-day events with no spectators can be done following set protocols, big events such as the IRGP is not yet possible. The very thing that makes IRGP epic is the people that come together to celebrate and that includes the thousands of IR fans.

They line up as early as 2 a.m. to enter the gates waiting in line, standing regardless of the weather. It will just be not the the same without our beloved fans cheering from the grandstands. It will not be an IRGP without them. It is not the IRGP we want.

“Therefore, with a heavy heart, I have to formally announce that our beloved IRGPXIV or IRGP14 will have to wait until next year,” said IRGP Organizer Al Camba, who until the very blast moment is trying to find a solution to stage the race that so many are looking forwrd to.