A weekend of unbroken sunshine saw tens of thousands of race fans flock to the north coast on Saturday for six races on the 8.9 mile Triangle course at the 2025 Briggs Equipment North West 200.
The opening Supertwin encounter saw Richard Cooper (Jack Reid Cars/KMR Kawasaki) take victory by 0.280 seconds from Adam McLean (Flitwick Motorcycles/SMV Yamaha). Veteran Jeremy McWilliams completed the podium a further 8.056 seconds back on the JMcC Racing Aprilia.
"Good to get the first race out of the way as everyone has come here to watch the racing!” Cooper smiled as he made it a Twins double following his Thursday evening victory in the same class at the event.
“I made a small mistake on the first lap coming into the start and finish chicane when I ran a little bit wide. There was a little damp patch and taking to the grass was the safer option. After that it was a fantastic race with Adam and his bike was working really well. I settled into the race but I knew Adam was strong in the last sector so needed to get ahead of him before then. I defended the line into Juniper and it's nice to get another win”
McLean, who led through the start and finish for two of the four laps, was left to rue his impatience on the final circuit.
"I showed my hand a wee bit early.” he said.
“Richard's riding really well but I tried to control the pace from the front. He played his cards well. He was always going to be tough to beat but I'm happy to have challenged for the win and be back on the podium.”
"I made a mistake at the start and going with longer gearing wasn't the way to go as I couldn't pull the revs.” 61 year old McWilliams explained.
“I'm happy with third. I love the class and it's a new bike so there's plenty to come."
A delay followed the four lapper when a crash at Quarry Hill brought out the red flag after the chequered flag had been waved.
Next up was the six lap Briggs Equipment Superbike race which ended in controversy after Michael Dunlop was declared the winner on the MD Hawk Racing BMW from 8Ten Racing BMW duo, Davey Todd and Peter Hickman.
Dunlop was battling for the lead on the opening lap with Peter Hickman when they both missed the entrance to Mather’s chicane. Hickman attempted to pull up in the stop box as Dunlop carried on through without stopping.
Although a ten second penalty was initially imposed on the Ballymoney man because of the Mather’s incident, it did not stand and Dunlop, who lost a lot of time to race leader Todd because of the incident before eventually closing him down, set the fastest lap of the race at 125.539mph and took victory by 1.984 seconds.
"It was a good ride but the other riders are complaining.” Dunlop said.
“I ran on at Mather's after Pete got deep and he jumped off the grass to go through the stop box which I thought was dangerous. I opted against that for safety reasons and didn't gain any advantage by not going through the stop box. You can't start swerving across the road so I made a decision and can't see what the fuss is. I caught everyone and won the race. It's just good to win Superbike races again in front of my home crowd."
Todd and Hickman took a different view
"As far as I'm concerned I won the race but it's his backyard isn't it?” Todd, who revealed he had mechanical issues with his M1000RR, said.
“Michael's riding well and P2 is the official decision but I've no words.”
"It's dead simple if you run on at the chicane, you stop in the stop box otherwise you get a ten second penalty.” Hickman, who refused to take his place on the podium, said.
“I stopped but Michael didn't so that's a ten second penalty. That's the rules. Aside from that, the 8TEN Racing BMW was running well but I was a bit slow at the beginning when the tyres were coming up to temperature. Michael's riding well, which is great to see, and he's got a full factory BMW from SMR like Toprak's, so fair play to him. He's got the best bike on the grid and it's great to be in the battle but I put my foot down in the stop box and did what you're supposed to do.”
The Tides Restaurant Supersport race was next up. Scheduled to run over four laps, it was red-flagged at half distance following an incident at Church corner. A non-racing emergency caused a further delay before Richard Cooper ran out the winner by 0.140 seconds on the BPE/Russell Racing Yamaha from Dean Harrison on the Honda Racing CBR600RR with Michael Dunlop in third place on the Milwaukee Ducati.
Cooper was delighted with his victory which was achieved after a frenetic dash involving all three frontrunners through Juniper chicane on the final lap.
"I thought to myself 'I'm having this one'.” Cooper smiled.
“Michael beat me fair and square on Thursday and he had that one but this one today, no way. If you are going to beat a man there is no better place to do it than in his back garden. I got through the chicane on the last lap and we come here to win. We're up against the best road racers in the world and I'm a part time racer but we beat the best. There was no other option at the chicane other than to go straight on and after that I was in the wrong gear but controlled myself, found the right gear and drove to the line, knowing it would take a brave man to pass me at the final corner. I enjoy winning Supertwin races but to win on the 600 is something special."
"I knew at the start it was going to be difficult as four-lap races always are and any time someone came by me, I got straight back past.” Dean Harrison explained as he claimed the first of three runner-up finishes on the day.
“Michael had a do at me at Metropole on the final lap and there was a bit of a coming together but then I had a go at Richard going into the final chicane. I tried to go up the inside but the front was protesting and if I'd squeezed the brake any more all three of us would have gone down. When you're battling like that on the track, there's nothing else like it."
"It was a great race and after everyone was squealing about my Ducati on Thursday, you could see today all the bikes are equal.” Dunlop said after the titanic tussle that saw the top three separated by just 0.294 seconds.
“The two boys went straight on at the final chicane and I knew they were going to make it. They gained a clear advantage over me but what do you say. Yes, I went straight on at a chicane in the Superbike race but lost time, they didn't, they gained time. It was always going to come down to the final chicane and I knew Dean was going to have a lunge. I knew what was coming but it was a frustrating end to the race."
Davey Todd (Milenco Padgetts Honda), Peter Hickman (Trooper Beer/PHR Triumph) and Alastair Seeley (CD Racing by MSS Performance Kawasaki) completed the top six as Jeremy McWilliams escaped uninjured from a crash at Mill Road.
The CP Hire Superstock race was an equally intense battle with less than a second covering the first three riders as 8TEN Racing teammates Davey Todd and Peter Hickman were separated by Honda’s Dean Harrison in the charge to the chequered flag.
"I'm over the moon with that one and I was really fired up after what happened earlier in the Superbike race.” Todd said after getting the verdict by 0.586 seconds.
“The way the day's gone has wound me up a bit and we've not had a lot of luck but the team have done a brilliant job to get the bikes together and we're testing all the time and making changes and improvements all the time. To have both bikes on the podium again is brilliant. It's great racing with Dean and Pete, hard but fair, and the Honda has some top speed on it. It nearly pulled the stickers off the bike. The Superstock's my strongest class and I'm as hungry as I've ever been."
"It's great for the team to have two bikes on the podium again.” Hickman, who set the fastest lap of the race at 124.236mph, said.
“Not quite a 1-2 again but good nonetheless. I was up into second at one point and braked earlier than normal at Metropole only to run on so I had to do it all over again. Overall, I'm really happy and I feel really strong on the bike, it's handling so good along places like the coast road, the Link road and at the Roundabout so that bodes well for the TT. It's a double podium again and as a team we can't ask for much more."
Harrison, who is still chasing his first win at the North West, said he was “hanging in there’ during the six lapper.
“I was struggling to keep Pete behind me but the Honda's so fast I was able to get back by him.” he explained.
“It was hard work and the race took a bit out of me but I'm enjoying riding the bike and it's just good fun out there."
Alastair Seeley (SMS/Nicholl Oils BMW) finished fourth, a further 6.792 seconds in arrears as a revitalised Ian Hutchinson took fifth on the MLAV Racing BMW. Paul Jordan completed the top six on the Jackson Racing Honda.
Richard Cooper and Adam McLean renewed their Supertwin rivalry in the JM Paterson sponsored event with McLean leading Cooper and setting the fastest lap before the pair collided at Juniper chicane and crashed out without injury on lap three. That left Paul Jordan in a commanding lead on the Jackson Racing by Prosper2 Aprilia, eventually claiming his first NW200 victory by 9.818 seconds from Michael Sweeney (MSR Aprilia) with Barry Furber (DC Autos Yamaha) 5.729 seconds further back.
"It's unbelievable.” a delighted Jordan said.
“We didn't have the best practice and had trouble again in the first race and I was struggling to stay with Richard and Adam. Obviously, I hope they're both OK but I'll take the win any day of the week. Paul Jordan- ‘International Race winner’-I can't believe it. It's great to see Micko on the podium too after all he's been through."
Sweeney was equally ecstatic as he banished all memory of his 2023 crash at the seaside event with the rostrum result.
"This is the stuff dreams are made of, it's something special.” the Skerries racer said.
“I've always dreamt of finishing on the podium at an international road race and to do it here, after my accident a couple of years ago, I can't believe it. We put the bike together ourselves and the last lap felt really special. People were waving at me from the Mill Road roundabout onwards and it's something I'll never forget."
South Africa’s Allan Venter (TH Racing/Hywel Griffiths Kawasaki) finished fourth ahead of Darryl Tweed (Novo Gen by FAO Racing Aprilia) and Jonathan Goetschy (Optimark Aprilia).
The feature Merrow Hotel and Spa Superbike race brought the curtain down on a scintillating week of road racing in unbroken sunshine along the north coast as Dunlop, Todd, Hickman, Harrison and Seeley renewed their rivalry in the premier class.
Hickman retired on the opening lap, leaving the remaining quartet to battle it out over the next three laps before Dunlop also retired on the fourth circuit at Mather’s chicane having posted the fastest lap of the race at 125.480mph. Todd and Harrison were locked in a scrap for the lead when the red flags appeared on the fifth lap after a rider crashed out at Quarry Hill. The rider, who suffered non-life threatening injuries, was treated at trackside before being flown to hospital by the NI Air Ambulance.
With the leading group having completed two thirds distance, Todd was awarded the victory by 0.398 seconds from Harrison with Alastair Seeley claiming a podium finish on his return to North West 200 competition in third. Ian Hutchinson (MLAV Racing BMW), Josh Brookes (Jackson Honda Racing by Prosper2) and John McGuinness (Honda Racing) completed the top six.
The race also saw North West 200 veteran, Michael Rutter, complete 100 race starts at the seaside event where he made his debut in 1992.
“I’m over the moon to get the feature Superbike race win, it’s the one I’ve been chasing for the last few years but has always eluded me.” Davey Todd said as he was also presented with the Robert Dunlop trophy as the Balloo Hire Rider of the Meeting award.
“The Superbike win on Thursday was great but what happened in the first one today when I ‘won’ but had it taken away from me fired me up for the rest of the day. I’m normally relaxed when I go racing but from that moment I was fired up. I don’t get angry, but I did today. I wasn’t able to get away in the race and Dean kept me honest all the way so hats off to him. It was fantastic to see all the fans and people have been cheering us on all week.”
