In-depth look at the racers competing in this week's North West 200

And with Glenn Irwin, the winner of the last eleven Superbike races in a row at the Briggs Equipment North West 200, sitting out this year’s meeting, the three premier class races at Ireland’s biggest road race are more wide open than ever.

Local favourite Michael Dunlop said he wants to be a winner again around the 8.9 mile Triangle course after notching up a maiden victory on his new M1000RR BMW at the recent Cookstown 100.

The local favourite, who hasn’t won a race at Portrush since 2016, has made a major machinery change for 2025, switching from a Yamaha R6 to a Ducati V2 Panigale in the Supersport class and opting for BMW power in the Superbike and Superstock classes.

The Ballymoney man will debut a superbike-spec version of the M1000RR when qualifying for the three day event begins on Wednesday morning. With the weather forecast set for a fine, dry week the action will be hot and furious as Dunlop faces stern opposition in his victory quest.

Alastair Seeley, the north coast event’s most successful rider, will be one of his biggest challengers as he returns to the NW200 fray following a 2024 sabbatical when he was unable to secure suitable machinery. The 45-year-old will be mounted on a SMS/ Nicholl Oils Racing M1000RR BMW in the Superbike and Superstock classes this year plus a CD Racing by MSS Performance ZXR 636 Kawasaki in the Supersport races.

The all-time record holder at Ireland’s biggest road race will be chasing a landmark 30th victory at the seaside event where he won his first race in 2008.

"Sometimes a year’s wait can be worth it because it makes you even hungrier to put on a good show,” the Carrickfergus rider said. “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 has stood on the NW200 podium five times over the last two seasons but has not been able to break his victory famine around the high speed course. The Bradford man will line up in the Superbike, Superstock and Supersport classes this year with seven chances to make his 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 duo, Peter Hickman and Davey Todd, will also be chasing their first North West 200 Superbike victory. The duo will face an uphill battle however as they race against time to prepare their new Superbike and Superstock-spec M1000RR BMWs for the high speed encounter at Portrush.

Todd enjoyed a hat-trick of wins in the Supersport and Superstock races at last year’s event and Hickman scored a double in the Supertwin races aboard a Swan Yamaha. In the smaller capacity classes Todd will campaign a CBR600RR Honda in Milenco Padgett’s colours this year while Hickman will be aboard a Supersport-spec Triumph and a R7 Yamaha in the ‘Twins class.

But with the clock running down to the start of the road racing season, neither rider has enjoyed much testing or race laps on their new for 2025 mounts which is far from ideal preparation ahead of the NW200 speed fest.

Former North West winner Ian Hutchinson will line-up alongside Cork’s Mike Browne on another pair of BMWs in Michael Laverty’s newly formed team. Described as the busiest man in bike racing, the former British Supersport champion from Toomebridge, who is now a MotoGP TV pundit, looks set to be juggling a lot of plates at Portrush.

Former NW200 outright lap record holder and double British Superbike champion, Josh Brookes, is another leading name who will be trying to get his name on a NW200 Superbike trophy for the first time. Brookes will have a Jackson Racing Honda at his disposal in the premier class events this year.

"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,” Brookes said. “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.”

Each race is packed with talent and a host of riders who could make their mark on the 2025 NW200. Richard Cooper has become something of a Triangle course specialist since making his North West debut in 2019.

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 will return to the north coast with his KTS Racing squad after a three year break. Previously a podium finisher at Portrush, Coward will have his sights set on a similar result at least in the Supersport and Supertwin classes in particular.

Manxman Conor Cummins will be hoping to impress as he makes his NW200 debut with the RK Racing/Burrows squad team on BMW and Ducati machinery and Finland’s Erno Kostamo is always one to watch in the big bike events.

Two men who have well and truly served earned their NW200 stripes are veterans John McGuinness and Michael Rutter. Rutter will be aiming for his 100th race start this year having competed in 97 races since making his debut in 1992. Only Alastair Seeley and 15 times winner, Robert Dunlop, have been more successful at the North West 200 than the Englishman 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 for a similar result to last year when he received the loudest cheer of the day as he climbed on to the rostrum after finishing third in the CP Hire Superstock race.

Schedule

The action begins on Wednesday morning with roads closing between 9am and 3pm for Newcomer’s practice and qualifying. Final qualifying resumes on Thursday between 9am and 3pm before roads close again at 4.45pm and the racing begins with the Milwaukee Superbike event at 5.30pm, the Fraser Homes Supersport race at 6.30pm and the Amici Ristorante Superstock clash at 7.15pm.

All three races will be run over four laps with roads scheduled to re-open by 9pm.

On Saturday the roads are scheduled to close at 9am and the action set to begin at 10am with the Maxwell Freight Services Supertwin race (four laps) followed by the Briggs Equipment Superbike race, the Tides Restaurant Supersport race and the CP Hire Superstock race, all run over six laps.

The four lap JM Paterson Supertwin race over is the penultimate event with the six lap Merrow Hotel and Spa Superbike race bringing the curtain down on the high speed festival on Saturday evening with roads scheduled to re-open by 7pm at the latest.