Drag racing association official blasts slow progress on quarter-mile track

The secretary general of the Malta Drag Racing Association has publicly lashed out at the slow pace of works on the Quarter Mile Track project, claiming that only around 40% of the job has been completed a year after his initial warning.

In a Facebook post marking “365 days later” from a previous complaint, Clint D’Amato said progress on the track at Ħal Far had been minimal. “Lots of promises, zero substance,” he wrote, accusing those responsible of misleading the motorsport community and abandoning the project. He described Maltese motorsport as having been “betrayed”, adding that enthusiasts had effectively become a “sacrificial lamb” in what he called a mishandled situation.

D’Amato’s comments were later cited by the Nationalist Party, which issued a statement accusing the Labour government of failing to deliver on its commitments to car and motorcycle enthusiasts. The PN said the Quarter Mile Track was meant to be completed by November 2025, yet more than three months after the target date, less than half the works had been carried out.

The Opposition argued that repeated promises to the motorsport sector had remained “on paper”, saying the results fell far short of what had been pledged. It said the sporting community deserved serious planning, transparency and respect, particularly towards voluntary organisations that had helped build the sector over the years.

The PN also criticised the government over a separate long-promised €78 million full-scale car racing track, saying the project had been pledged election after election but remains undelivered. According to the party, the delays show a lack of vision and leadership that is depriving Maltese motorsport of opportunities.

Despite his anger, D’Amato ended his post by saying the track would be finished “some day”, while insisting he had no problem telling authorities to their face that Maltese motorsport had been traded away.