Latest news with #Cookstown100
Belfast Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
I wouldn't come to Isle of Man TT if I didn't think I could win more races: Michael Dunlop
Practice is scheduled to start on Monday morning, but rain in the forecast later in the afternoon and evening could have a detrimental impact on the first day of the 2025 festival. Dunlop won four races around the 37.73-mile Mountain Course in 2024 to take over from his idolised uncle Joey as the most successful racer in the event's history. The 36-year-old extended his tally of victories to 29, three more than Joey's previous record of 26, which he set with a final treble in 2000. Dunlop began the road racing season on a winning note with victories at the Cookstown 100 before impressing at the North West 200 where the Ballymoney legend returned to winning ways on the north coast for the first time since 2016. Dunlop powered to Superbike success on his new BMW machine and won on his new BMW Superstock and Ducati Supersport bikes for a hat-trick. His performances turned heads at Ulster's top motorcycle race and he goes into the TT on a high. 'The preparations are going quite good, we had a good North West and we were on the money,' said Dunlop, who now has a section of the TT course named in his honour on the approach to the 27th milestone, with a previously unnamed left-hand bend known as MD's. 'We won three races and broke down in a couple, and I'm feeling really good. 'I wouldn't be coming here if I didn't think I could win more races, and I feel like I'm as fast as I ever was. 'We just need a bit of practice, hopefully, to dial them (new bikes) in, but the team's working hard and we're going to push on for them.' Dunlop may be the slight favourite before race week is scheduled to begin on Saturday with the first of two Supersport races, but he faces a formidable challenge from 8TEN Racing BMW riders Peter Hickman and Davey Todd and official Honda Racing UK contender Dean Harrison. Hickman remains the outright lap record holder at the TT after recording a blistering 136.358mph in 2023 on his BMW Superstock machine. The English rider won the Superbike race last June for his 14th victory after Dunlop's dominant lead was eradicated when he had to stop after his second pit stop to fix his visor, which hadn't been correctly fastened in the pitlane. Todd made a huge breakthrough when he won his first TT races in 2024, taking Superstock and Senior victories. The Saltburn man is hungry for more but hasn't enjoyed the best preparation for the TT, with Todd and Hickman – who co-own 8TEN Racing – pulling their team together in just a few months. The 29-year-old is yet to completely gel with his BMW Superbike, and Todd hasn't ruled out riding a Superstock machine at the TT. Roads around the Mountain Course on Monday are due to close at 10.00am with a Newcomers Speed Controlled lap from 10.40am. With adverse weather forecast, all classes will be given two laps of untimed practice and all roads are due to be reopened by 2.45pm. Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi won the British MotoGP on Sunday at Silverstone for the factory Aprilia team. Italian Bezzecchi delivered Aprilia's first victory of the 2025 season as the manufacturer returned to the top step in the premier class for the first time since the Grand Prix of the Americas in 2024. Johann Zarco (LCR Honda) finished second, while Championship leader Marc Marquez (Lenovo Ducati) pipped Franco Morbidelli for third. The race was restarted because of an oil spill, with Marquez and his brother Alex (Gresini Ducati) both crashing while leading. Frenchman Fabio Quartararo retired with a bike problem. The Second Round of the British Talent Cup series was held on the MotoGP undercard and there was jubilation for Northern Ireland teenager Peter Willis, who won his first race in the class.
Irish Independent
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Independent
Kerry racer Darragh Crean to make North West 200 debut this week
After being forced to miss the Cookstown 100 two weeks ago due to a delay in getting crucial parts, Tralee motorcycle racer Darragh Crean is finally set to make his long-awaited debut at the North West 200 this week.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
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
BBC News
28-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Riders suffered fractures in Cookstown 100 crashes
A number of riders are recovering after suffering fractures in incidents at Saturday's Cookstown 100 road races at the Orritor competitor Donald MacFadyen came off during the Open B race and was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital by air on Facebook, MacFadyen said: "Thanks for all the help, kind messages. Getting looked after great here."Latest is I have 2 stable spine fractures, broken wrist and 8 broken ribs."Noel Carroll from county Laois sustained fractures in the same race, a spokesperson for the Cookstown 100 club organisers air ambulance was also deployed to carry Republic of Ireland rider Damian Horan to hospital following a crash in the Open A race later in the organisers confirmed that the Athlone man had suffered races were halted by red flags after the incidents happened.
BBC News
26-04-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Dunlop and McGee clinch wins at Cookstown 100
Michael Dunlop and Derek McGee have taken wins at Saturday's Cookstown 100 road riding a V2 Ducati, led from start to finish in the Supersport race, run in dry conditions over nine laps of the 2.1-mile Orritior on an ex-Ten Kate World Supersport machine, pushed Dunlop for much of the race but trailed by four seconds at the chequered flag in finishing Sweeney, Darryl Tweed and Kevin Keyes made up the top rider McGee was a convincing winner of the Moto3 class, coming home 18.75 seconds ahead of Manxman Dan Sayle, with Nigel Moore a former Irish Superbike, Supersport and Supertwin champion, is now based in the Netherlands and is making his first appearance at the Cookstown races since will ride a KMR Kawasaki in the Supertwins race later on Saturday, with an Open race and the feature Cookstown 100 race also on the action was restricted to free practice sessions because of the wet and windy weather at the county Tyrone course.
