2023 North West 200
With Ben McCook
The North West 200 gets under way in Northern Ireland later today. After a winter of uncertainty that saw the event cancelled due to insurance reasons and then reinstated once issues were ironed out, the excitement on the Irish North Coast is cranked up to the max in anticipation of the event. Race-week begins with the Coronation bank holiday followed by practice the following morning. To say there’s a real holiday feel in the area would be an understatement. Of-course it certainly helps that ‘The world’s strongest line up of road racing talent’ is camped out in the paddock and raring to go…
The entry is a who’s who of BSB talent; a gathering of series leaders and potential champions mounted upon a dazzling arsenal of two-wheeled finery.
Topping the bill are Glenn Irwin and our own Josh Brookes who sit 1 and 2 at the head of the BSB standings, separated by 4 points after two rounds. Irwin has won the past six superbike races at the NW 200 and has to start favourite. After spells with Kawasaki and Honda, Irwin is now back with the PBM Ducati team that gave him his first 3 North West victories. The BeerMonster squad received a new engine from the Bologna factory especially for the North West this week…
“Oh Alvaro.. Muchas Gracias amigo.” tweeted Irwin in appreciation, indicating that it’s a World Superbike spec motor. On the 30th anniversary of Carl Fogarty’s North West 200 double on the thumping Moto Cinelli 888, it would be fitting if the Carrickfergus man could repeat his own 2022 SBK brace with Honda, only this time in red.
“The NW200 will always be the focus of my road racing. From day one this place has felt like home because it is home. I know the track like the back of my hand and I’m getting pushed harder and harder, but I still think there’s a hell of a lot of there and I have more to give.”
Josh Brookes bagged a podium with the PBM squad last year in the blue ribband 2nd Superbike race. However, that podium was a rare highlight for Brookes on the Ducati (now in Irwin’s hands) during the trying seasons that followed his title winning year in 2020.
Many thought the 40-year-old was finished. But they say that a ‘change is as good as a rest’ and now that the NSW born veteran has signed for FHO BMW, the old magic is back and few would rule out a 3rd BSB title. His rediscovered form has the locals licking their lips at the thought of Irwin and Brookes’ BSB rivalry spilling over onto the 320 KMH public roads circuit next Saturday.
“I’ve been riding and racing over the winter in Australia, so I’ve had some time to adapt to the BMW. The bike has a new engine this year which has very different characteristics…. The target has to be to win races. I was on the podium last year. Peter set a new outright lap record on the BMW and the bike is even better now so I don’t think that is unrealistic.”
It’s worth mentioning that Brookes broke the NW outright lap record in 2014 on a Milwaukee Yamaha. This year Alastair Seeley is armed with a TAS BMW, resplendent in those famous Milwaukee colours. Ian Hutchinson had been due to ride the TAS bike but suffered a stroke while training during the off-season and Seeley has been handed the reigns.
“Everyone knows how important the North West 200 is on my racing calendar. So, to be able to add a Milwaukee BMW M1000RR Superbike to my current deal is a dream come true. I tested the bike earlier this week and based on that, I now can’t wait to race it on the North Coast.”
While Seeley may not be battling with Irwin and Brookes in BSB, he has 27 North West victories (13 more than Robert Dunlop on the all-time winners list). The 43-year-old is back racing in the UK after a few years competing in the low-key local Irish championships.
Any thoughts that his hunger may have diminished during that time were quickly dispelled by the sight of Seeley boxing Alex Olsen in the sand trap at Oulton Park last week after Olsen ran them both of track.
Seeley is Mr. NW 200 and it will take something special to beat the ‘Wee Wizard’ this week. He also has a v2 Ducati for Supersport and the prospect of bagging his 30th win will only increase his motivation in all classes.
Davey Todd will be desperate to stand on top of the podium this year after the Saltburn-by-the-sea man finished runner-up on 4 occasions 12 months ago. For 2023, the reigning British Superstock champion now competes in Superbike and it’s fair to say he’s struggled a little so far this year. However, back on the roads, Todd should relish the familiar surroundings. The 27-year-old gave Irwin a real race last year in SBK 1 but was pulled from race 2 on safety grounds amidst the infamous Dunlop tyres controversy. Todd will be keen to get his season on track and kick the ‘bride’s maid’ tag to the kerb once and for all.
Peter Hickman was seriously impacted by Dunlop’s tyre issues last year. After he broke the outright lap record on the FHO BMW, his rear slick gave up on him- delaminating in a shocking manner that posed a major H&S conundrum for the decision makers.
“I was doing 197mph when the tyre let go.” He said.
In the end all Dunlop runners were pulled from race and Hickman left Northern Ireland frustrated with his showing.
“I want to win a superbike race here. I’ve come here so long now and never done it. We have the pace to win, we just need all the stars to align.”
Hickman’s main TT rival, Dean Harrison managed an impressive 10th at Oulton Park last week. ‘Deano’ may well go under the radar with his new found superbike form and chalk up some interesting results. As ever, he’ll be on the DAO Kawasaki for the big races but has joined up with BPE/ Russell to campaign an R6 alongside Richard Cooper. It’s possibly a game changer for Harrison.
“I rode the Yamaha during a test at Cartagena in Spain and I did my fastest ever 600cc lap around there.”
Richard Cooper comes into the event on top form, leading the F900 BMW cup series in BSB. The baby-faced 40-year-old had a mixed 2022 event. He lost a dominant double Supertwin win after his Ryan Farquhar prepared bike was disqualified for a technical infringement. To this day there is great discourse and debate surrounding the situation, with some rumours circulating that the results may yet be decided in court… It was a real shame as Cooper’s performance was faultless.
On the eve of the opening day of action this year, the sensational news broke that Cooper would be reunited with the JMcC roofing team to ride a Ryan Farquhar prepared Supertwin once again after a deal with Michael Rutter’s Batham’s team fell through at the last minute. Cooper and Farquhar will be out to take revenge and Cooper’s performance will surely prove once and for all whether last year’s bike gave him an unfair advantage or not.
Aside from that controversy, Cooper’s ride on the HAWK racing Superbike was also highly impressive last year. He was the only rider to keep Irwin within touching distance during the all-important final SBK contest.
Sadly, the Nottingham man has no 1000cc bikes at his disposal this year but he does have a BPE/ Russell racing r6 for supersport. As well as leading the F900 BMW cup in BSB, he’s also scored a couple of podiums in BSS on the R6 and it would appear that the diminutive rider is well fired up to ensure his name is written into and stays in the record books this week.
“The NW 200 is an established part of my season now. I’ve been there twice, been successful both times and gained experience in all weather conditions.”
Leading the BSS championship is Lee Johnston. The tiny Irishman has won a TT and racked up multiple race wins on 600cc machinery- he won the Saturday middleweight encounter last year at this event. However, he’s keen to shake off the class specialist tag.
“I would really love to win another big bike race at the North West 200. Everyone say’s I’m too small to do it but I know I can.” Said Lee Johnston.  Â
‘General Lee’ is back on Honda for SBK after a number of years on BMW. The Fireblade in question has been purchased from Honda Racing UK and is Glenn Irwin’s machine from last year. No doubt it will be good enough to win.
Honda Racing have John McGuiness (now in his 50s) and Nathan Harrison signed up to do their bidding. McPint proved in 2022 that he still has what it takes and you can bet that he will be ‘there or there-abouts’ to borrow his well-worn phrase. But it’s young team mate, Nathan Harrison who is perhaps the most interesting prospect on the grid. A factory rider for the first time, the young Manxman will be hoping to learn all he can from his older team-mate; put it to good use and make the step up to race winning contender.
But perhaps Honda’s best chances lie with Michael Dunlop. The Ballymoney man is back with the big H as he rides a fireblade for the same Hawk racing team who supplied his GSXR in 2022. Honda and Dunlop in the same sentence evokes all kinds of nostalgia and romance. Uncle Joey spent most of his career with the Japanese marque…. However, ‘the Bull’ won’t be interested in looking back, only forward. Like Dean Harrison he has been riding BSB in an attempt to hone his great talent even further for the roads. While he may not have set the world on fire racing in England, it must be remembered that for this out and out road racer, success in that arena will not have been the point of the exercise. There will not be a more popular victory around the triangle course if MD manages to win a race at this year’s event.
James Hillier had a forgettable 2022. When the news broke that he had signed for OMG Yamaha for 22 (ending a long-standing relationship with Kawasaki) there were many who thought it was a match made in heaven and just what Hillier needed to make the next step. But if anything, the Bournemouth racer dropped further away from the leaders than ever.
In the off season he spent a fortnight taking on the Dakar rally in Saudi Arabia… ‘A hard, hard two weeks’. It will be interesting to see if a refocused and remotivated Hillier can have an improved 2nd season on the OMG R1. The 2019 Superstock race winner might be a dark horse.
A supporting cast consists of 59 year old ex moto-GP star, Jeremy McWilliams, Davo Johnson, Conor Cummins, Mike Browne, Jamie Coward, Michael Rutter, ex AMA star – Cory West, Pierre Yves Bian and Macau GP winner Erno Kostamo. Each and everyone of these guys will feel disgruntled not be considered amongst the favourites but it won’t be long before they get the chance to prove their worth and fight for glory.
After a sun kissed bank holiday weekend, the outlook shows a week of showers up ahead. Perhaps the infamous Irish weather will level the field and allow the likes of Michael Rutter to put one over on the hot favourites.
2023 North West 200 Schedule
| 2023 NW200 Schedule | ||
| Tuesday 9th May – Practice Schedule (9.15am to 3.15pm) | ||
| Session | CLass | (Times are approx) |
| 1st | Newcomers Only | 0945 |
| 2nd | Supersport | 1030 |
| 3rd | Superbike | 1130 |
| 4th | Supertwin | 1230 |
| 5th | Superstock | 1330 |
| Thursday 11th May – Practice Schedule (9:15am To 3.15pm) | ||
| 1st | Supertwin | 0945 |
| 2nd | Superstock | 1045 |
| 3rd | Supersport | 1145 |
| 4th | Superbike | 1245 |
| Thursday 11th May – Race Schedule (5pm To 9pm) | ||
| R1 | Strain Engineering Supersport Race (6 Laps) | 1745 |
| R2 | Briggs Equipment Superstock Race (6 Laps) | 1830 |
| R3 | Milltown Service Station Supertwin Race (4 Laps) | 1915 |
| Saturday 13th May – Race Schedule (9:15am To 9pm) | ||
| R1 | Tides Restaurant Supersport Race (6 Laps) | 1000 |
| R2 | Anchor Bar Superbike Race (6 Laps) | / |
| R3 | J.M Paterson Supertwin Race (4 Laps) | / |
| R4 | Cp Hire Superstock Race (6 Laps) | / |
| R5 | Merrow Hotel And Spa Nw200 Superbike Race (6 Laps) | / |
