North West 200 Preview
Final preparations are underway for the North West 200, which kicks off with the opening practice session on Wednesday morning. The Northern Irish north coast has enjoyed Mediterranean conditions over the past few days, and that is set to continue right through the week. However, despite the flag-splitting sunshine, set up in the paddock took place today under a cloud as the racing world attempts to make sense of the tragic loss of Owen Jenner and Shane Richardson at the opening round of BSB on Monday.
Many of the teams and riders taking part in the North West were also competing at Oulton Park and travelled through the night across the Irish Sea, arriving in the ‘pits’ this morning, tired and still shaken by the catastrophic events at the Bank Holiday meeting.
Honda racing’s Dean Harrison was the first to arrive, followed by John McGuinness, Peter Hickman, Michael Rutter and Davey Todd. It wasn’t long before awnings were being assembled and bikes unloaded as things began to take shape.
The 2025 addition of this historic race is a bookies nightmare due to a silly season that has been sillier than usual, throwing up many unknowns and uncertainties.
Firstly, Glenn Irwin will not take part this year. The Carrickfergus man has been literally unstoppable in the Superbike class since 2017, winning 11 races in a row. But after a mechanical issue caused a spectacular crash at Brands Hatch in BSB towards the end of last year, the North West’s most successful Superbike rider called time on his public road racing career.
That leaves a baying mob of hungry contenders, keen to take up the mantle. But almost each and every one of the potential heirs to the throne have made changes of some sort during the off-season that means the form book carries little weight.
As one dominant Carrickfergus man bows out, another makes his comeback. Alastair Seeley makes his return after missing last year due to a lack of competitive machinery. The ‘Wee Wizard’ rides BMW in Superstock and Superbike for SMS/Nicholl oils and returns to Kawasaki for Supersport. Seeley is ‘Mr. NW200’ and sits at the top of the all-time winner’s tree with 29 wins. There are few who would bet against him making it at least 30 by the close of business.
Davey Todd took a hattrick of race wins (2 Superstock and 1 Supersport) last year and shadowed Irwin home in all three of the Superbike races. However, over the winter months he left the comfort of the TAS team behind to initially sign for FHO BMW before sensationally parting ways with the outfit. Instead, Peter Hickman and himself formed their own 8-ten BMW Motorrad team and went their own way- a huge undertaking. Todd will hope he can continue on in the same rich vein of success he enjoyed in 2024 when he won at every road-race meeting he took part in.
The Saltburn man is also back with Padgetts for Supersport and will be keen to replicate the Supersport double he scored in 2023 with the Batley concern. He campaigns a CBR600RR in the middle-weight class.
Peter Hickman will be hoping that the new 8Ten venture will bring him Superbike success after a frustrating few years in the post-Covid era. In 2022, he suffered delamination issues at the rear tyre after breaking the lap record. In 2023, his FHO bikes were removed pre-race from the event by team owner, Fay Ho after it was deemed that the carbon wheels used by the team were illegal. 12 Months ago, he campaigned his own PHR Performance machinery but struggled with fuel issues. Neither himself or Todd made the brightest of starts in BSB at the weekend, but that can all change once the team gets going on the triangle circuit. Hickman sticks with Triumph for Supersport and the Swan Yamaha that delivered a Supertwin success in 2024.
Local hero, Michael Dunlop has also made great changes during the off-season. The TT’s most successful rider has also thrown his hat in with BMW for Superbike. It’s been a number of years since Dunlop has campaigned one of the big German bikes, but it should be noted that his last North West win came riding a BMW in 2016.
Dunlop comes into the event off the back of a hattrick of wins at the recent Cookstown 100 road races but has complained that parts are arriving later than he would have liked.
MD has switched to Ducati for Supersport and there is great intrigue as to whether he can be as successful on the Italian machine as he has on his beloved Yamaha R6. Having already raced at Daytona and won at Cooktown on the Ducati, it’s fair to say that he’s already well acquainted with the next-gen Supersport bike. But most importantly, Dunlop starts this year uninjured- a luxury he didn’t enjoy 12-months ago.
John McGuinness starts the 1000cc races sporting the number 1 plate, once again resplendent in Honda Racing colours. Despite approaching his mid-50s, the Morecambe missile is showing no signs of slowing down. A Superstock podium last time around lays testament to that. Now in his 31st year of racing at the triangle circuit, expect McPint to challenge the podium again this year.
John McGuinness – MBE
“My first North West 200 was 1994 and I’ve loved it ever since. Really, it’s difficult to get across how good the event is: the people are so hospitable, it’s a stunning part of the world, everyone’s so enthusiastic and you can’t help but look forward to it. As a rider, it’s incredible to be there at over 200 mph wheel-to-wheel with the best road racers in the world. We nibbled onto the podium last year and that’s got to be the target once again. Everything has gone well in testing, I’ve been setting personal best times – but then so has everyone else! It’s good that I’m still going forward, and to ride a full-on Superbike this year is really special. Have I got the pace to win it? We’ll see. Realistically, I’m desperate for Dean to win and I’d love to be up on the podium with him. We’re in a good place I think.”
Honda Racing teammate, Dean Harrison might just be the man to beat. On the eve of the event last year, Honda announced that due to lack of parts, they had only brought Superstock bikes with them. Never-the-less, Harrison gave a great account of himself, scoring a podium in the opening SBK race. 12 Months on, Harrison is settled in the Honda camp and has a full arsenal of works bikes at his disposal. It might just be that the Bradford man is the one with all the ‘I’s dotted and ‘t’s crossed.
Dean Harrison
“Last year was good, we made the best of what we had available and put on a good showing. This year, of course, we will be taking the Superbikes as well as the Supersport and Superstock machines, so it really is a full effort and that’s going to be really exciting. I really can’t wait to get going with all of the different Hondas and they’ve all felt good in testing, that’s confidence inspiring, so I’m feeling confident they can give a good roar when we get to the event. The North West 200 is really important in so many ways, it’s the first major road race of the year and it draws a huge crowd of people, more than 100,000, who give it an amazing atmosphere. You’re out there in front of them at 200 mph for several miles at a time and that’s really what makes it so special. I can’t wait to get going.”
Harrison’s shown some great form in the British supersport class over the past season and he’ll be keen to put that experience to good use and take his first North West win.
Josh Brookes makes his return to the Triangle circuit after missing the event entirely in 2024 and only practicing in ’23. (Like Peter Hickman, Brookesy fell victim to the FHO wheelgate debacle when FHO withdrew).
This will be Brookes’ first time back on the roads since his fantastic podium in the Senior TT last year. Like Harrison, he will race Fireblades in the big-bike races and a CBR600RR in Supersport and will be keen to make his mark on the Jackson racing Hondas.
Fellow Aussie, Davo Johnson returns with the Lee Hardy racing squad riding Kawasaki UK backed Platinum club racing ZX10s. Last year, Johnson felt that he suffered greatly with a lack of testing in the lead up to the race. He then went onto the TT where he had a huge get-off at ‘Conker trees’ on the final lap of the Superbike TT. Hopefully, a year on, Johnson will start-off on a firmer footing.
16-time TT winner, Ian Hutchinson is another rider who will hope to build upon a shakey 2024. Last year, Hutchy was (one again) on the comeback trail after suffering a stroke. The Bingley Bullet had to learn to speak again, but somehow made it to the grid, riding for Padgetts. This time, he moves to the newly formed MLav racing, along side Mike Browne. But again, it’s anyone’s guess how team and rider will perform and only time will tell.
Richard Cooper rides again for BPE Russell racing in Supersport and Ryan Farquhar in the Twins races. Coops no longer takes part in Superbike but the 5 times winner is showing no signs of slowing down and will surely be in the hunt once again.
Hutchy’s stablemate in the MLav team, Mike Browne is paired with Cooper for Supersport and it could well be that this is the time when the Cork dairy farmer bags his first international win. He’s been knocking on the door for some time now and has shown plenty of promise.
Other rider’s to keep an eye on are Conor Cummins on the RK racing/ Team Burrows BMW, Finland’s Erno Kostamo, Josh Brookes’ teammate Paul Jordan and Padgett’s racing’s Kiwi newcomer, Mitch Rees.
The last time a high-profile Kiwi made his debut at the North West, he won the Superstock race. That was Bruce Anstey and while Bruce is a massive name to follow, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that Rees could follow suit, given his performances against Todd and Hickman in the NZ Suzuki series just a few months ago.
With just a few hours to go, we don’t have long to find out how the cards will fall into place.
