Third MSS star enters NW fray

It was revealed last week that Crumlin’s Stephen Thompson will join Ulster maestro Ryan Farquhar in the official MSS Kawasaki colours in the Superbike class at the prestigious road race on the Causeway Coast.

Now BSB hopeful Andrews - who finished seventh on his debut at the Macau Grand Prix on the Team of Paris/AXA Racing Kawasaki in November - is in the frame to ride a third MSS Kawasaki ZX-10 at the international showpiece in less than three months’ time.

Andrews (25) finished sixth for Morgan’s outfit in the BSB series last year, despite being wiped out while leading at Mallory Park and missing five races as a result of the injuries he sustained in the incident.

With BSB title tip Stuart Easton (Swan Honda Fireblade) already signed up for the North West, the successful completion of a move to cement Andrews’ position on the Superbike grid in Portstewart would be another feather in the cap of the organisers.

Last night, Morgan told News Letter Sport: “I’m committed to bringing Simon [Andrews] over to the North West 200. I’ve already spoken with Mervyn [Whyte] and he’s said that he will try and accommodate us on the deal.

“It would be something special to have three MSS Colchester Kawasaki riders in the Superbike races at the North West. Over the past few years, it’s become something of the Honda show there, and I felt it would be nice to have a big Kawasaki presence at the event this year.

“Simon is keen to do it and I’ll be doing what I can to make sure that it happens. He made his debut at Macau and put in an awesome effort for his first time there.

“I think he’d go well at the North West and with Ryan [Farquhar] and Stephen [Thompson] already on our bikes in the Superbike races we’d have a good chance of challenging for the podium.

“We’ve never really had a brilliant run in the Superbike races at the North West 200 before, but now we have a good few years’ more experience under our belts with the big bikes and that should give us a fighting chance, although you never can tell at the North West because it’s so unpredictable.

“I’m optimistic we can reach a deal to bring Andrews over for the event.”

Farquhar notched a Supersport win for MSS Kawasaki at the North West 200 in 2005, while Thompson finished in fifth place at the Macau Grand Prix for Morgan’s team later that year.

The MSS boss added: “We’re concentrating on the internationals with Ryan this year at the North West, Isle of Man TT and Ulster Grand Prix. He’ll have his own MSS Superbike for the whole season, which has been specially prepared for him.

“Stephen will ride one of our BSB machines at the North West and although we’re concentrating on the Superbike races, we might be able to sort him out with a Superstock Kawasaki as well.”

Thompson is determined to seize the opportunity with both hands and has set himself a target of finishing inside the top six in the blue riband class at the North West.

“I’ve got a great team behind me and a strong Superbike, which makes a big difference,” he said.

“I don’t want to sound big-headed, but I’m setting myself a target of trying to finish in the top six in the Superbike races. It’s going to be really hard, because I could rhyme off ten riders that have a great chance, but that’s what I’m going for.

“Ideally I’d love to get a third ride in the Superstock race, but I’ll wait and see if Nick is able to sort something out for me.”