Alastair Seeley takes North West 200 hat trick

Alastair Seeley takes North West 200 hat trick with three out of four

The North West 200 on the Triangle course between Portstewart, Portrush and Coleraine in Northern Ireland marked the first major international road race event of the year.

The season kicked off for the BMW riders and BMW Motorrad Motorsport experts with fantastic results in the 1000cc categories races.

Alastair Seeley - Image by Tim Keeton/Impact Images — Alastair Seeley – Image by Tim Keeton/Impact Images

Man of the meeting was Alastair Seeley (GBR) who extended his NW200 wins record to 21. Seeley won three of the four 1000cc races on his Tyco BMW S 1000 RR.

John McGuinness had crashed at Primrose corner during the Superbike practice session at the Vauxhall International North West 200 overnight and was injured, undergoing surgery and forced to withdraw. You can read the full release here.

Race action at the NW200 began on Thursday evening with the first Superstock race. With an impressive performance and a new lap record, Seeley secured his first win of the meeting. Lee Johnston (GBR / East Coast Construction) joined him on the podium in second, while Ian Hutchinson (GBR / Tyco BMW) and Martin Jessopp (GBR / Riders Motorcycles) crossed the line in fourth and fifth.

Saturday was the main race day at the NW200 – and it brought rain and difficult conditions but also more success for the BMW racers. The first Superbike race saw another 1-2 result for the RR – Seeley took the win, followed by Michael Rutter (GBR / Bathams SMT Racing) in second. Peter Hickman (GBR / Smiths Racing) was fifth.

The second Superstock race turned out to be a real thriller, with five BMW racers fighting closely at the front and securing a top-5 lock-out for the RR. Seeley won again, while Hutchinson and Rutter were second and third. Johnston and Hickman followed in fourth and fifth.

The final race, the second Superbike heat, was another exciting affair. This time, Seeley and Hutchinson were second and third on the podium. Rutter completed the top-5.

Alastair Seeley

“I can’t be disappointed with that can I? To come to the North West 200 and take one win is a big achievement, but to come away with four – three on Tyco BMW machinery – is something you can only dream of. The conditions were far from perfect today, but credit to the boys in the team, they gave me bikes that worked for all conditions; I can’t thank them enough. It’s been another memorable day and I feel proud to have given Tyco, BMW and all the other team sponsors three wins and a few other podiums to celebrate alongside Hutchy.”

Ian Hutchinson

“It was a tough day with difficult conditions and although I didn’t manage to grab a win, it has been a great day for the team. We spent a lot of time this week working on set-up, having changed tyre manufacturer for the roads, but from the opening practice session to the final race, we have made giant strides – which leaves us in good shape now heading to the Isle of Man TT on my Tyco BMWs.”