Roy Adams’ North West 200 preview

As I don’t as yet have an entry list, I can’t give a roundup of whos racing, but the grid, if previous years are anything to go by will be filled with a fair smattering of our own top road racers, a load of BSB riders as well as a few Europeans, many of whom use the North West as a shake down for the TT, which gets under way the following week. In the Superbike class Guy Martin will be backed up by his team mate Josh Brooks, with the Australian attracting a fair bit of attention recently. The BSB front runner is upbeat, but says that he’s sure, given decent practice conditions, that he can be competitive. Add to that John McGuinness, who will line up with Michael Rutter, Simon Andrews and Michael Dunlop in the Honda Legends team, Alistair Seeley, who’ll have his first North West for Gearlink Kawasaki, on a specially built ZX10, Cameron Donald on Wilson Craigs Hondas, which are arguably the best set up privateer Hondas available, Gary Johnston, who’s running his own team this year, William Dunlop on the Milwaukee Yamahas, Bruce Anstey on Padgetts Yamahas and even circuit newcomer Karl Harris, who will ride the Ducati Panigale that has been relinquished by Lee Johnston. Johnston, who won in his first ever road race at the Ulster Grand Prix last year, broke a leg just 4 weeks ago at BSB, and has admitted that the big Ducati might be just too big a handful for him. He will, however, ride in the Supersport 600 races and the Supertwins races on a Ryan Farquhar prepared ER6. Lee, who’s little over 5 foot tall, joked that the KMR ER6 is a tall bike and that he hoped to qualify near a kerb, so he can put his foot on it. In 2010 Seeley set a lap record, 121.875mph, that given decent conditions could well go. Alistair Seeley, this time on a Gearlink Kawasaki, must start as a favourite for the Supersport races, given his pedigree there over the last few years it would be hard to see him far from the podium. William Dunlop will have a score to settle with Seeley after last years last lap barging incident, after which the elder Dunlop brother refused to shake hands with Seeley on the podium. Seeley will also rekindle the rivalry with Stuart Easton, the man who almost lost his life at the North West 2 years ago. They have changed paint a few times in the BSS championship already this year, and Seeley will definitely not back off from any challenge. I’m not sure if Michael Dunlop is down to ride in the Supersport races, but I would imagine that he is. If so, then I can see him running at the front, and maybe even threatening Keith Amor’s lap record of 116.329mph. With the retirement of Ryan Farquhar, the Supertwins races are wide open, and with Ryan turning out a few of his very potent KMR ER6’s it might well be one of those that takes the win. Last year he drafted Jeremy McWilliams into his team, and the former GP winner finished on the podium. This year I can see Jamie Hamilton well in the running on one of Farquhars bikes, but he certainly won’t get things easy. Hamiltons team mates are McWilliams and Michael Rutter, a multiple North West winner. I honestly can see McWilliams, the Supertwins lap record holder, in the hunt for a race win this year and given that Rutter is still recovering from a fairly nasty leg break, I don’t think that the Englishman will stick his neck out. This year there’s 2 Supertwins races, one on Thursday and the other on Saturday. The lap record, given a dry road on either day, will certainly be broken, as last years race, which was the first year of the Supertwins at the North West, was held on a wet track. In the Superstock races Alistair Seeley could be a front runner, as could Bruce Anstey, for a few years he was the man to beat in the class at the North West. Its true Anstey hasn’t had a win for a few years, but I think that might just make him all the more determined. Guy Martin, long overdue for a decent International road race win, wants a North West win so badly it’s untrue. Both he and his team will not want a chance to slip away from them. Roads close today, Tuesday, at 9.30am, re opening at 2.30pm. Thursday is the first race day, although there is a planned practice session from 9.30am until 2.30pm. The roads will again re open at 2.30.They will close again at 5.15 until 9pm for the first 3 races of the week. The first is the Supersport 600, then the Supertwins and then the first Superstock event. On Saturday morning the roads close at 10am, re opening at 6.30pm or before.