Malta to host European Drag Racing Championship once Ħal Far drag track is completed

Malta could host the European Drag Racing Championship in April 2023 pending completion of the drag racing tack in the Ħal Far industrial estate.

Malta Motorsport Federation president Duncan Micallef announced the news during a press conference on Monday evening. He revealed that Malta could host its first international event if the works on the drag track are finished by November 2022.

“On the exact day we’re announcing the project, we’re already announcing an international event,” Micallef said in disbelief.

The European Drag Racing Championship is organised by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), with dragsters competing in a straight-line acceleration test.

FIA deputy president Graham Stoker was also present at the conference. He praised the investment, and noted that the track will be situated nearby a busy industrial estate.

On this, he suggested promoting  nearby industrial activity that connects to motorsports.

A €20 million project, the race track was announced on Monday (today), with a planning application already submitted in order to secure the relevant permits.

Three tracks will be built on site to accommodate motorsports races, drag racing, karting, and drifting.

Parliamentary secretary Alex Muscat mentioned that the track will generate 220 full-time jobs on the track, while no taxpayer revenue will be used to finance the project, as it is being fully funded by the National Development and Social Fund (NDSF).

Clifton Grima, parliamentary secretary for sports, praised Muscat for the help received by the NDSF, and added that more funds will likely be used to finance further sporting initiatives.

“We’re a government that invests in people,” he stated.

Grima added that the track is approved by the FIA for high-level international events.

He reiterated that the project will not take up agricultural land, and efforts were made to ensure that it is not built on outside-development areas.

Grima revealed that existing structures nearby will be fitted with sound barriers to help lower noise emissions from the track.