EDITORIAL | SAVE 360 MOTORSPORTS PARK
Campaign launched to safeguard North Kerry testing and safety facility
Kerry Motorsport News is today launching an independent campaign to safeguard the future of 360 Motorsports Park in Kilflynn, highlighting the venue’s vital role as the only dedicated off-road testing, driver development, and motorsport facility in the south of Ireland.
While Kerry County Council has stated that it cannot comment publicly on the site as the matter remains sub judice ahead of a scheduled court hearing on October 14, preserving the Kilflynn venue is essential for regional road safety, youth driver education, motorsport development, and the local economy.
Trading as 360 Motorsports Park, the facility operated by Kerry Motorsport Park Ltd has served the region for nearly 40 years. Originally used by the South Coast Hot Rod Club and the Kingdom Hot Rod Club, the site has provided an entry-level stepping stone for generations of local competitors. In recent years, the upgraded track has proved instrumental in grass-roots driver development, with young Kerry drift stars cutting their teeth in Kilflynn before making names for themselves on the national stage at Mondello Park.
The venue also plays a direct role in off-road safety and crime prevention. Local elected representatives, including Cllr Deirdre Ferris and Cllr Sam Locke, have rightly tabled council motions tackling unruly driving on public roads and illegal quad bike usage on North Kerry beaches. Yet 360 Motorsports Park provides the exact practical solution to those issues by giving quad riders, scramblers, and car enthusiasts a legal, supervised, and fully insured venue away from public spaces. Closing such a venue is the equivalent of trying to stop dangerous skateboarding in Tralee Town Park while simultaneously shutting down the town’s skate park.
The loss of the Kilflynn facility would leave Kerry, a county with one of the highest concentrations of rally and motorsport competitors in Ireland, without any controlled testing or practice ground.
Beyond its sporting and safety benefits, the venue operates entirely without public funding or council subsidies while generating vital economic activity for local businesses, transport providers, and hospitality trade across North Kerry.
Kerry Motorsport News believes the closure of 360 Motorsports Park would deal a severe blow to regional safety initiatives, youth development, and local motorsport culture. As an independent media platform, Kerry Motorsport News will continue to advocate for solutions, including the recognition of long-standing site usage, to safeguard this vital facility for future generations.
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