Michael Dunlop, Alastair Seeley and Dean Harrison lead the charge for Superbike supremacy at North West 200
-Credit:STEPHEN DAVISON
Glenn Irwin's absence from the 2025 Briggs Equipment North West 200 means there will be a new Superbike winner at the Triangle circuit for the first time in eight years.
Irwin has dominated the class winning the last eleven Superbike races on the north coast but the Carrickfergus rider will not be participating in this year's event leaving the three premier class races at Ireland's largest road race wide open, with sunny weather predicted for the entire week with practice getting underway this morning.
Local hero Michael Dunlop has expressed his desire to reclaim victory on the 8.9 mile course, following his recent win on his new M1000RR BMW at the Cookstown 100.
READ MORE: Supersport race and meeting abandoned due to 'severe and catastrophic' 11-rider crash at first turn
READ MORE: North West 200 road closures for 2025 event
Dunlop, who hasn't tasted victory at Portrush since 2016, has made significant changes to his machinery for 2025. He has switched from a Yamaha R6 to a Ducati V2 Panigale in the Supersport class and chosen BMW power for the Superbike and Superstock classes.
The Ballymoney man is set to debut a superbike-spec version of the M1000RR when qualifying for the three-day event begins this morning. With the weather forecast promising a dry, sunny week, the competition is expected to be fierce as Dunlop faces tough opposition in his quest for victory.
Glenn Irwin celebrates his first NW200 Superbike win back in 2017 -Credit:Philip Magowan / PressEye
Alastair Seeley, the most successful rider in the history of the north coast event, is expected to be one of Dunlop's biggest challengers. He returns to the NW200 fray after a 2024 sabbatical as he was unable to secure suitable machinery.
The 45-year-old will compete in the Superbike and Superstock classes on an SMS/Nicholl Oils Racing M1000RR BMW, as well as the Supersport races on a CD Racing by MSS Performance ZXR 636 Kawasaki.
As the record holder at Ireland's premier road racing event, he is aiming for his 30th victory at the event where he secured his first win in 2008.
The Carrickfergus rider expressed his enthusiasm, stating: "Sometimes a year's wait can be worth it because it makes you even hungrier to put on a good show. I will be leaving nothing on the table now that we have bikes that are good enough to do the job."
Honda Racing's Dean Harrison, who has achieved five podium finishes at the NW200 in the past two seasons but has yet to secure a victory, will be competing in the Superbike, Superstock, and Supersport classes this year, with seven opportunities to make a breakthrough.
"I suppose not winning at the North West has been down to my lack of commitment on the coast road on the last lap," the Yorkshireman said.
"I need to be more aggressive, to get myself into the right place at the right time because you can be part of a big train slipstreaming on the straights and you can go from first to sixth on that last lap."
8TEN Racing's Peter Hickman and Davey Todd are also setting their sights on their first North West 200 Superbike victory. However, they face a race against time to get their new Superbike and Superstock-spec M1000RR BMWs ready for the high-speed showdown at Portrush.
Todd celebrated three victories in last year's Supersport and Superstock races, while Hickman took home two wins in the Supertwin races on a Swan Yamaha. This year, Todd will be riding a CBR600RR Honda in Milenco Padgett's colours in the smaller capacity classes, while Hickman will be on a Supersport-spec Triumph and a R7 Yamaha in the 'Twins class.
However, with the road racing season fast approaching, neither rider has had much time to test or race laps on their new 2025 mounts, which is far from ideal preparation for the NW200 speed fest.
Former North West winner Ian Hutchinson will join Cork's Mike Browne on another pair of BMWs in Michael Laverty's newly formed team. Known as the busiest man in bike racing, the former British Supersport champion from Toomebridge, who is now a MotoGP TV pundit, looks set to have his hands full at Portrush.
Former NW200 lap record holder and two-time British Superbike champion, Josh Brookes, is among the top contenders aiming to claim his first NW200 Superbike trophy. This year, Brookes will be riding a Jackson Racing Honda in the premier class events.
"I like the course, it's pretty easy to figure out and where the important bits are, but what I like the most is the mass start," said Brookes.
"That, for me, is what makes the NW200 both exciting and rewarding. I've been on the podium a few times and I've set lap records, but I want to win one and get that particular box ticked. It's a thorn in my side that I haven't won one. I like racing bikes and I like racing at the NW200, but I want to win as well so that's my focus for coming back in 2025."
The 2025 NW200 race is expected to be highly competitive with a wealth of talent and potential winners.
Richard Cooper, who has become a specialist of the Triangle course since his North West debut in 2019, is another name to watch.
The 42-year-old added a maiden win in the Fraser Homes Supersport race on Alastair Russell's R6 at last year's NW200 to his four previous Supertwin victories at the north coast event with Ryan Farquhar's KMR team and he is staying put with the same teams for 2025.
Jamie Coward is set to make a triumphant return to the north coast with his KTS Racing squad after a three-year hiatus. Having previously secured a podium finish at Portrush, Coward will be eyeing a similar outcome in the Supersport and Supertwin classes.
Conor Cummins, the Manxman, is gearing up to make an impression as he debuts at NW200 with the RK Racing/Burrows squad team on BMW and Ducati machinery. Meanwhile, Finland's Erno Kostamo is tipped as a contender in the big bike events.
MIchael Rutter, seen here leading James Hllier and Erno Kostamo at last year's Briggs Equipment North West 200, has 97 race starts at the north coast event and is set to hit the 100th milestone during 2025 race week -Credit:David Maginnis/Pacemaker Press
John McGuinness and Michael Rutter, two seasoned veterans, have certainly earned their NW200 stripes. Rutter is aiming for his 100th race start at this year's event, having competed in 97 races since his debut in 1992.
Only Alastair Seeley and 15-time winner Robert Dunlop have had more success at the North West 200 than Rutter, who will ride a BMW in the Superbike races and a R7 Yamaha in the Twins class this week.
Honda Racing's McGuinness, who made his debut two years after Rutter, will be hoping to replicate last year's success when he received the day's loudest cheer as he ascended the rostrum after finishing third in the CP Hire Superstock race.
Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wall Street Journal
4 hours ago
- Wall Street Journal
A Chinese-owned Battery Plant in South Carolina Halts Construction
A Chinese-owned company is halting construction of an electric-vehicle battery plant in South Carolina, in part because of the Trump administration's tariffs and a potential loss of federal subsidies for clean energy. Automotive Energy Supply Corp., or AESC, began construction of the $1.6 billion factory in Florence in 2023, after securing a deal with BMW to make battery cells for the German automaker. In a message to employees on Thursday afternoon, AESC's top U.S. executive said the company was pausing construction work because of 'economic uncertainty arising from current federal policy and tax issues.' 'Our intent is to finish construction of the facility once stability and predictability have returned to the market,' Knudt Flor, AESC's chief executive for the U.S. and Europe, wrote in the memo. While construction of the physical buildings is nearly complete, the work of installing equipment and assembly lines has halted, said current and former employees. Some of the employees said AESC would face a hefty tariff bill for the machinery if they imported it now, because it is mostly brought in from China. Tariffs on Chinese imports have fluctuated wildly since April, rising to as high as 145%, before falling again amid a truce between Washington and Beijing as the two sides try to come to an agreement. Separately, tariffs on steel and aluminum recently announced by President Trump, as well as on machinery containing the metals, only adds to AESC's costs, two of the people said. Battery plants were already under pressure before Trump's election, because carmakers had delayed or walked back their plans for new electric vehicles. Billions of dollars were poured into building new battery factories in recent years, spurred on by the subsidies from the Biden administration. Many of these factories were constructed in the Midwest and Southeast of the U.S., in a region that came to be called the Battery Belt. Now many of those subsidies are being targeted by Republicans at the same time regulations and tax credits aimed at driving EV sales are also at risk. The current version of a tax bill before Congress would end EV battery production subsidies a year early and make them unavailable to companies with ties to certain countries, including China. AESC's headquarters is in Japan, but it is majority-owned by China's Envision Group, which purchased the battery-making unit of Japanese automaker Nissan in 2018. 'AESC has invested over $1 billion into the Florence facility, and we anticipate being able to resume construction once circumstances stabilize. AESC fully intends to meet our commitments to invest $1.6 billion and create 1,600 jobs in the coming years,' the company said. The AESC factory is supposed to supply battery cells to a new BMW factory in Woodruff, S.C. Under the original deal, these batteries were to power the German company's EV models that are expected to go into production starting in 2027. BMW said its plans to open the Woodruff plant next year, as planned. It referred any questions about the AESC factory to that company. Write to Christopher Otts at
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
4 European Car Brands Named the Most Reliable of 2025
Americans tend to associate European car brands with luxury or performance — but not necessarily reliability. But some European automakers have made great strides in recent years on reliability, and therefore, worth for your money. Trending Now: For You: Try these four brands that combine a smooth ride and minimal maintenance. You can also read about the least reliable European car brands this year. Wait, what? For decades, Porsches had a reputation for spending six months out of the year in the shop. 'Porsche leads reliability rankings due to its reputation for excellent engineering practices,' explained Alan Gelfand of German Car Depot. 'The 911 Carrera stands out as a top model because of its outstanding performance results in technical inspection evaluations.' It's no exaggeration: Porsche ranked as the most reliable European brand in J.D. Power's 2025 dependability study. They also scored the title of 'Best Luxury Brand' in 2025 by U.S. News and World Report. Discover More: While they don't have the same power or pizzazz as Porches, Minis also don't come with the same price tag. The brand topped WhatCar's reliability rankings in 2024, and placed third on J.D. Power's list. If you're looking for an ultra-compact urban car, look no further than Mini. The 'ultimate driving machine' has started living up to its marketing. 'BMW pleasantly surprised the world by addressing tech issues and engine problems formerly synonymous with the marque,' notes Alex Black of car research platform EpicVIN. 'They, at last, perfected the blend of performance and dependability.' Sure enough, J.D. Power ranked BMW as the second most reliable European car brand. Black added that EpicVIN maintenance report statistics and user feedback show BMWs have achieved remarkable reliability improvements. While J.D. Power didn't offer Audi much love in their study, Consumer Reports ranked the German luxury brand first among European carmakers in 2025. The Audi Q2 tied for third most reliable car in the world for two-to-three year-old car recalls, in the 2025 TÜV Report. Among four-to-five year-old cars, both the Q2 and the A3 made the top ten list for fewest recall issues in the world. Check out Audi as a viable and reliable alternative to BMW among German luxury cars. More From GOBankingRates The New Retirement Problem Boomers Are Facing This article originally appeared on 4 European Car Brands Named the Most Reliable of 2025
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
BMW Charity Pro-Am raises over $16 million for S.C. charities
GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA) — At the BMW Charity Pro-Am golf tournament, their mission is all about giving back to local charities. For 25 years, the BMW Charity Pro-Am has been in 'full swing,' bringing a fun tournament to the Upstate while raising money for charities across the state. 'Oh, they love it,' Jeff Morris, Executive Director of Folds of Honor for the Palmetto State also said. 'They are calling me as soon as we are finished,' Chrystal Assadzandi, Charity and Volunteer Coordinator for the BMW Charity Pro-Am, said. 'I get a lot of calls saying 'how can we participate? How can we be a part?'' In 2001, the tournament was created to showcase the beauty of the South Carolina Upstate, while bringing locals, celebrities, and professional golfers together. It's aimed to raise money and awareness for South Carolina charities. One of those charities that has been impacted is Folds of Honor. 'I have had many veterans come up to me and they are so grateful to have the opportunity to come watch a golf tournament, come into the hospitality suite, interact with other veterans,' Morris said. 'It is amazing when you hear them, and they just go in there and they swap stories.' Morris said since Folds of Honor's involvement with the BMW Charity Pro-Am began in 2018, their group has been awarded around $250,000. The charity offers educational scholarships to the children and spouses of military and first responders. Funding for Folds of Honor, along with the more than 50 charities involved in this year's tournament, is raised in many ways, including through donations, ticket sales, and volunteer programs. BMW leaders said hundreds of charities have been impacted through this tournament over the past 25 years, and the money raised for them has not slowed down. 'We have given back in the past 25 years over $16 million to charities right here in the Upstate,' Assadzandi said. The BMW Charity Pro-Am will run through Sunday, June 8. For the final two days of the tournament, it's being held at the Thornblade Club in Greenville. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
