North West 200 shaping as much as be a pearler

2023 fonaCAB and Nicholl Oils North West 200

After nearly not occurring in any respect this yr, the 2023 North West 200 is now shaping up as a ripper with an excellent area of street racing expertise.

British Superbike Championship rivals, Glenn Irwin, Alastair Seeley and Richard Cooper are all confirmed to affix Highway Racing’s main names throughout Could 7-13 race week.

As the one between the hedges race the British championship trio at present compete in, their success across the well-known 8.9 mile course gives the Northern Eire occasion with a novel dimension not shared by any of the opposite main street race conferences.

Irwin, the winner of the final six superbike races at Portrush, has returned to the PBM Ducati squad for the 2023 British Superbike sequence. The Carrickfergus racer final raced with Paul Hen’s workforce in 2018, profitable 3 times on the NW200 on the Italian superbike earlier than scoring one other huge bike victory at Portrush in 2019 on a JG Speedfit Kawasaki. Final yr the 33 yr outdated scooped a Superbike double on the seaside assembly within the Anchor Bar and Merrow Lodge Superbike races on the Honda Racing Fireblade.

Alastair Seeley, the NW200’s most profitable rider with 27 wins, received three races finally yr’s occasion. After main the opposition dwelling within the Pressure Engineering Supersport and Turkington Superstock races throughout a moist Thursday night, the 43 yr outdated additionally sealed victory in Saturday’s CP Rent Superstock contest. Seeley has reunited with Philip and Hector Neill’s TAS BMW workforce for 2023, campaigning a Milwaukee liveried BMW within the British Superstock sequence. He may even race that machine plus a Superbike-spec model of the M1000RR in the identical colors on the NW200.

Richard Cooper made his North West 200 debut in 2019, ending second within the CP Rent Superstock race to say the main newcomer honours. The Nottingham rider crossed the end line first in each of final yr’s Supertwin races however was disqualified due to a technical infringement along with his machine. Cooper loved the comfort of ending on the rostrum of the Turkington Superstock race plus claiming second and third place finishes in each Superbike contests on a Hawk Racing Suzuki. The previous double British Superstock champion will return to Portrush in Could aboard a Boyce Precision Engineering by Russell Racing Yamaha for the 600cc races plus a nonetheless to be confirmed superbike-spec machine.

Over 100 entrants, together with a line-up of worldwide rivals from 13 nations exterior the UK and Eire, will participate within the Tuesday and Thursday qualifying classes at this yr’s North West 200 forward of a 9 race programme that features three occasions on Thursday night and 5 throughout Saturday’s foremost race day.

With Irwin, Seeley and Cooper all competing within the opening rounds of the British championship, they need to arrive on the north coast in razor sharp kind. Amongst the opposition awaiting them might be native favorite, Michael Dunlop. The Ballymoney racer will journey a Honda Fireblade within the Superbike class for the primary time since 2013 as he retains his seat within the Hawk Racing outfit which has made the swap from Suzuki energy this yr. The 33 yr outdated may even be Honda-mounted in his personal MD Racing colors within the Superstock class alongside a R6 Yamaha within the Supersport division.

Ashcourt Racing’s Lee Johnston, a Supersport race winner finally yr’s NW200, and KTS Steadplan’s Jamie Coward may even make the swap to Honda energy within the premier class.

The official Honda UK squad might be represented on the NW200 by veteran John McGuinness and new signing, Nathan Harrison.

The Milenco Padgett’s pairing of Davey Todd, a four-time NW200 runner-up final Could, and Manxman Conor Cummins, may even return to motion on Hondas within the Superbike, Superstock and Supersport lessons.

Peter Hickman laid down a brand new NW200 outright lap file aboard the FHO Racing BMW final Could. The Burton on Trent rider might be mounted on the identical equipment this yr in each the Superbike and Superstock lessons. He may even journey a 675cc Triumph within the Supersport races and a PHR liveried Aprilia within the Twins occasions.

Hickman might be joined by new FHO Racing teammate, Josh Brookes, in each 1000cc lessons. The Australian returned to the north coast occasion final season after an eight yr absence, ending on the rostrum within the characteristic Merrow Lodge Superbike occasion.

2019 NW200 Superstock race winner, James Hillier, will return to Portrush with OMG Racing Yamaha contemporary from his profitable completion of the arduous Dakar rally through the winter.

Kawasaki might be represented at this yr’s NW200 by DAO Racing’s Dean Harrison who claimed a podium end within the Superstock class final season. Harrison may even add some further spice to the Supersport area as he companions Richard Cooper within the Boyce Precision Engineering by Russell Racing Yamaha workforce.

31 years after making his NW200 debut, 14 instances NW200 winner, Michael Rutter is ready to thrill the north coast crowds within the Superbike races aboard the screaming RCV213-S Honda V4 machine in Bathams livery.

Irish favourites Adam McLean (JMC Roofing), Michael Sweeney (MJR BMW), Mike Browne (Burrows/RK Racing), Jeremy McWilliams (Bayview/ IFS Racing Paton), Paul Jordan (Prez Racing Yamaha and Kawasaki) and Brian McCormack (Roadhouse Macau BMW) might be within the combine throughout all of the NW200 lessons.

2019 Supertwin race winner, Stefano Bonetti from Italy and final yr’s Twins victor, Frenchman, Pierre Yves Bian, will return to the NW200 grid in 2023 alongside a powerful worldwide contingent of rivals from the European Highway Racing championship.

Finland’s Erno Kostamo and Germany’s David Datzer, the winner and runner-up of final yr’s Macau Grand Prix might be joined. by Optimark Racing’s Matthew Lagrieve from France, Switzerland’s Lukas Maurer, Austria’s Julian Trummer and Kamil Holan from the Czech Republic.

Final yr’s main newcomer at Portrush, Gary McCoy, may even be again on this yr’s NW200 grid alongside feminine rivals, Nadieh Schoots, Patricia Fernadez-West and Maria Costello.