Farquhar believes we're in for another quiet year as concerns persist over road racing calendar

However, the event is hanging in the balance with the organisers admitting that the meeting is highly unlikely to run as planned from May 11-15. Alternative dates in August have been applied for, but it would seem the Coleraine Club is facing an uphill battle.

On Friday, it was confirmed that the Kells Road Races in Co Meath - scheduled for June 19-20 - had been cancelled as a result of the Covid-19 risk.

Last year, only the Cookstown 100 in Co Tyrone went ahead and there are concerns the calendar could be wiped out again.

Dungannon man Farquhar, who was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in October in recognition of his motorcycling achievements, has concentrated on running his KMR team since he was badly injured in a crash at the North West 200 in 2016.

The 44-year-old, who celebrates his birthday next month, said: "For me personally, it won't be happening this year in terms of running a team. If the North West was to somehow go ahead I would look at it, but I would have to secure financial help for that to happen.

"There are a lot of people involved in racing who are wealthy and have a good business, and the sport is a hobby to them. For me, that's not the case and any money I have made has come from racing.

"I'm not going to put my lights out just to put bikes on the grid for someone else, it's just not going to happen. I've got bikes there of course, but they don't run themselves.

"The only event I'd look at this year would be the North West, but it would depend on whether or not I could scrape some sponsorship together and see what package I could put on the table.

"It would have to suit the rider and it would also have to suit me, but who even knows what racing we'll get this year, if any. The TT has already been cancelled and I can't really see how the Classic TT will go ahead in August."

Farquhar said he sympathised with the dilemma facing race organisers, who have the unenviable task of trying to lay plans for race meetings that may not be able to take place dependent on Covid-19 restrictions in place at the time they are scheduled to run.

"I can sympathise with the organisers of the North West 200 and the situation that they're in," he said. "The last time I spoke to Mervyn (Whyte, former Event Director), he told me that basically they can only abide by what the scientific advice is from the Government. Their hands are tied and it's very challenging times.

"This is a situation we've never been in before and I've said it before, the longer this goes on then the more harm is being done to road racing. When you don't have a race for a year or two then it can be very difficult to get it back, and we've seen that in the past."

Sunday Life