Who will succeed Irwin as North West 200 Superbike king?

BBC News

05-05-2025

Glenn Irwin has dominated the Superbike class at the North West 200 in recent years, the Northern Ireland rider racking up an incredible 11 wins in a row in the feature blue riband category of the meeting.That remarkable sequence, stretching from race two in 2017 right through until 2024, saw the 35-year-old become the most successful Superbike rider ever over the Triangle circuit, eclipsing the previous record of nine wins achieved by Michael Rutter and the late Joey Dunlop.With Irwin announcing his retirement from road racing in October, an opportunity opens up for other leading riders to occupy the top step of the podium at this year's event.As was the case for the first time last year, three 'big bike' races will be staged this time around, one on Thursday night and a further two on Saturday.BBC Sport NI assesses some of the potential contenders to assume Irwin's crown as the king of the Superbike class in 2025.
Davey Todd
Davey Todd ensured that Irwin did not have things all his own way in the Superbike events in 2024, the Yorkshireman coming a close second to his rival in each of the three races.The 29-year-old remains on BMW machinery this year but has swapped the colours of the Milwaukee by TAS Racing team for his new 8Ten Racing Team as he aims to add to his six race wins and 16 rostrum finishes to date.The two-time British Superstock 1000cc champion has moved up to compete in the feature British Superbike class on short circuits this term and is having his first competitive outing in the opening round at Oulton Park over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend.Todd's three victories at last year's NW200, two in Supersports and one in Superstocks, doubled his career tally of successes at the meeting, his maiden triumph having been achieved in the Supersports in 2019.With his burgeoning CV also including Senior TT and Superstock TT wins, few would bet against the Saltburn-on-Sea pilot achieving a first Superbike win around the Triangle this week.He currently sits as the second fastest rider ever around the 8.9-mile course with a lap speed of 125.673mph, set 12 months ago.
Michael Dunlop
Michael Dunlop will aim to bridge a nine-year gap since his last North West 200 win when he takes part in this year's races, his stable of machinery including a Hawk Racing-backed BMW.The Ballymoney rider is most renowned for his record 29 victories at the Isle of Man TT but has also accumulated five successes at the North West, including wins in the Superbike class in 2014 and 2016.A former lap record holder for the Triangle circuit, Dunlop reinforced his pedigree in the feature class by taking two third-place finishes and a fourth in last year's big bike races.He achieved three further third positions 12 months ago - two in Supersports and one in the Superstock category.Dunlop's credentials are further strengthened by the fact that he currently holds the Superbike lap record for the Isle of Man Mountain Course, albeit a very different circuit to the Triangle, and boasts five Superbike race wins and three in the blue riband Senior event at the TT.Dunlop's fastest lap of the course stretches back to 2016 - 123.207mph.
Alastair Seeley
All-time North West 200 wins record holder Alastair Seeley returns to the event this year after sitting out the 2024 edition because he was unable to acquire suitable competitive machinery.The 29-time winner will ride an SMS/Nicholl Oils BMW in the trio of Superbike outings as he aims to add to his tally of four victories in that class so far, his most recent in 2017.Seeley's accomplished CV also includes a benchmark 13 Supersport wins at the North West and 10 in the Superstocks, also a record.The 45-year-old is a former British Superstock and Supersport champion and holds the record for the number of podium finishes at the North West with 43, those rostrum spots gathered over a 15-year period between 2008 and 2023.He rides the BMW he rode as part of the TAS Racing set-up on his last North West appearance in 2023.His fastest lap to date is 124.484mph set in 2023.
Peter Hickman
Isle of Man TT course lap record holder Peter Hickman targets a first North West Superbike win to add to the two Superstock wins he has achieved so far and his 2024 Supertwins double.The 38-year-old returns to the international meeting with a fleet of machines which include 8Ten Racing BMWs for the big bike classes.The Lincolnshire rider's career to date includes finishing in the top six in the overall British Superbike standings on four occasions.He has 14 TT wins to his name, including three in the Superbike race and three in the Senior.Hickman is also a four-time winner of the Macau Grand Prix and secured a record seven wins at the most recent running of the Ulster Grand Prix in 2019, when he also set the course lap record.Hickman has stood on the podium 10 times already at the North West, holds the Supersport lap record and his best lap speed of 124.799mph sees him sit fourth in the all-time list of fastest laps.He is again contending the British Superbike Championship in 2025.
Dean Harrison
Dean Harrison is in his second season as part of the Honda Racing team and despite 10 North West podiums is still chasing his first victory at the event.In 2024, the Yorkshire rider, now resident in the Isle of Man, had a best finish of second in Thursday's Superstock race, followed by a third place in one of Saturday's Superbike races.He sits third in the all-time list of fastest laps at the North West with a speed of 124.973 set in the feature race of the meeting in 2024.The 36-year-old was a regular on the grid in the British Superbike series in recent years but has switched to compete in the Supersport class at the end of the 2024 season and for 2025.A three-time Southern 100 Solo Championship winner on the big bikes, Harrison's best Superbike result at the North West to date is a second place in 2018.He was the victor in the Senior TT of 2019, one of his three triumphs at the annual Isle of Man road race, in which he has racked up 30 podiums.
Josh Brookes
Australian Josh Brookes possesses the pedigree to compete at the sharp end of any race meeting.Brookes was crowned British Superbike champion in 2015 and 2020 and is having another tilt at the championship this year on board a Honda Fireblade with the DAO Racing team.The 42-year-old teams up with Jackson Racing on Hondas for the North West as he takes part in the Triangle races for the first time since 2022.The Sydney rider began his NW200 career in 2013 and set a new lap record for the circuit 12 months later in finishing second to Michael Dunlop in a Superbike race, his best result at the event to date.In 2024 Brookes secured his first rostrum finish at the TT courtesy of his second place in the blue riband Senior TT finale.His fastest lap of the Triangle circuit is 123.141mph set in 2022.