The world’s strongest field of road racing talent is set to assemble on the grid of the 2023 fonaCAB and Nicholl Oils North West 200 with leading British championship competitors, Glenn Irwin, Alastair Seeley and Richard Cooper joining all of the sport’s leading names during May 7-13 race week.
As the only between the hedges race the British championship trio currently compete in, their success around the famous 8.9 mile course provides the Northern Ireland event with a unique dimension not shared by any of the other major road race meetings.
Home Favourites
Irwin, the winner of the last six superbike races at Portrush, has returned to the PBM Ducati squad for the 2023 British Superbike series.
The Carrickfergus racer last raced with Paul Bird’s team in 2018, winning three times at the NW200 on the Italian superbike before scoring another big bike victory at Portrush in 2019 on a JG Speedfit Kawasaki.
Last year the 33 year old scooped a Superbike double at the seaside meeting in the Anchor Bar and Merrow Hotel Superbike races on the Honda Racing Fireblade.
Alastair Seeley, the NW200’s most successful rider with 27 wins, won three races at last year’s event. After leading the opposition home in the Strain Engineering Supersport and Turkington Superstock races during a wet Thursday evening, the 43 year old also sealed victory in Saturday’s CP Hire Superstock contest.
Seeley has reunited with Philip and Hector Neill’s TAS BMW team for 2023, campaigning a Milwaukee liveried BMW in the British Superstock series. He will also race that machine plus a Superbike-spec version of the M1000RR in the same colours at the NW200.
The Challengers
Amongst the opposition awaiting them will be local favourite, Michael Dunlop. The Ballymoney racer will ride a Honda Fireblade in the Superbike class for the first time since 2013 as he retains his seat in the Hawk Racing outfit which has made the switch from Suzuki power this year.
The 33 year old will also be Honda-mounted in his own MD Racing colours in the Superstock class alongside a R6 Yamaha in the Supersport division.
Richard Cooper made his North West 200 debut in 2019, finishing second in the CP Hire Superstock race to claim the leading newcomer honours.
The Nottingham rider crossed the finish line first in both of last year’s Supertwin races but was disqualified because of a technical infringement with his machine.
Cooper enjoyed the consolation of finishing on the podium of the Turkington Superstock race plus claiming second and third place finishes in both Superbike contests on a Hawk Racing Suzuki.
The former double British Superstock champion will return to Portrush in May aboard a Boyce Precision Engineering by Russell Racing Yamaha for the 600cc races plus a still to be confirmed superbike-spec machine.
Over 100 entrants, including a line-up of international competitors from 13 countries outside the UK and Ireland, will take part in the Tuesday and Thursday qualifying sessions at this year’s North West 200 ahead of a nine race programme that includes three events on Thursday evening and five during Saturday’s main race day.
Ashcourt Racing’s Lee Johnston, a Supersport race winner at last year’s NW200, and KTS Steadplan’s Jamie Coward will also make the switch to Honda power in the premier class.
The official Honda UK squad will be represented at 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 last May, and Manxman Conor Cummins, will also return to action on Hondas in the Superbike, Superstock and Supersport classes.
Peter Hickman laid down a new NW200 outright lap record aboard the FHO Racing BMW last May. The Burton on Trent rider will be mounted on the same machinery this year in both the Superbike and Superstock classes. He will also ride a 675cc Triumph in the Supersport races and a PHR liveried Aprilia in the Twins events.
2019 NW200 Superstock race winner, James Hillier, will return to Portrush with OMG Racing Yamaha fresh from his successful completion of the arduous Dakar rally during the winter.
