NW200 2010 DATE = Saturday 15th May -Race Director Mervyn Whyte MBE confirmed the 2010 race will run on May 15th, preceded by the May Bank Holiday race at Oulton Park (1st – 3rd May), and followed by the next round of the MCE Insurance BSB Championship at the popular Cadwell Park circuit in Lincolnshire from 21st to 23rd May. The 2010 NW200 will be officially launched at the Belfast Waterfront Hall on Tuesday 12th January.
Highlight of the year 2009 - For us at the NW200.COM has to be 22 year old Michael Dunlop sensationally winning his first IOM TT title, taking the Supersport race from Bruce Anstey on the privately run Street Sweep / Marlowe Constuction 600cc Yamaha. It is historic in many ways, and Street Sweep owner Gary Ryan was over the moon with the bike, the team and his rider's epic performance. Well done lads from www.nw200.com! See Michaels after race interview from our friends at the BBC Sports department: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/8093367.stm . Send your favourite 2009 moment to info@nw200.com .
NW200.com wish all our readers and Gary Ryan's STREET SWEEP 600cc team Michael Dunlop #11, Mark Lunney#47 & Michael Sweeney#69allthe best for 2010!
NW200.com 2010 81st Race-day Saturday May 15th NW200.com 2009 80th Anniversary Race-day Saturday May 16th . Roads closed 10am, first race 11am, re-open at 7pm. Times approx: Race1. 1100 250cc (get there on time, no-one will ever forget last year's race - 5 laps) Race2. 1145 Superbike (5 laps) Race3. 1245 Supersport 1 (5 laps) Race4. 1345 125cc (4 laps) Race5. 1500 Superstock (5 laps) Race6. 1600 The NW200 Superbike Race (6 laps) Race7. 1715 Supersport 2 (5 laps) Practice nights Tuesday 12th and Thursday 14th May, roads close 5pm, re-open 9.30pm. BBC Sport NI website for live streaming of NW200.com at www.bbc.co.uk/nw200 Also check us out at :http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/nw200/interactive/links.shtml LATEST NEWS: * RACE DAY Sat 16th (results later) - Race day was dominated by many events outside the control of the organisers. Only 5 of the 7 races were run, with 2 races reaching the chequered flag, and the remaining 3 races red-flagged. The last two cancelled races were the feature NW200 race, and the seventh/last race the 600cc Supersport Race2 - this was due to a combination of time constraints and the inclement weather left many wondering about the safety of running machines on soft-compound wet tyres but on roads that were wet in places / drying fast after heavy showers.
The opening 250cc race saw one of Ireland's best-known motorcyclists, Mark Young (22) from Cookstown, come off at Mather's Cross. After initial treatment, he was transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast where he subsequently passed away. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mark's many friends and family at this difficult time. In another unrelated incident, a Welsh man died following a motorcycle crash in Portrush after racing. Christian Elkin sustained a broken leg in an incident, and Antrim man John Anderton remains critical after injuries sustained at the Tuesday practice.
* Weather Fri15th - Previous raceday rain forecasts have been withdrawn, with everyone hopeful of a dry, sunny and safe day! * Thursday Practice 14th May - Called off after one race due to rain and fading light. * Tuesday Practice 12th May - Great evening's practice with the local Irish, a Scot and two OZ/NZ'S showing the way. Kiwi Bruce Anstey set the pace in the Superbike practice with a blistering 121.6 mph lap, followed by John McGuinness, Keith Amor and Steve Plater.Alistair Seeley took his Suzuki to pole position in the Superstocks, closely followed by Cameron Donald, Bruce Anstey and Ryan Farquhar. In the Supersport600cc it was local hero Michael Dunlop riding Gary Ryan's Street Sweep Yammie, followed by Steve Plater, Keith Amor and Anstey. Micheal also has taken second on the grid on the 250cc grid, and will be looking to repeat his epic win from the 2008 race. * Lap record - Steve Plater holds the lap record of 124.11mph set in 2006 when he wore the HM Plant Honda team leathers. See picture above of team mate Michael Rutter who registered a world record 201+mph straight line speed at Black Bridge (between Station and University) in the same race. The NW200 is Ireland's largest outdoor sports event with annual Saturday raceday crowds of over 150,000 crowding the 8.998 mile course. * IOM TT - MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi will visit the Isle of Man TT this year for his first visit, and will do a parade lap.
♣GETTING THERE - From Belfast take M2 Northwards. Leave M2 at junction 1, take A26 to Coleraine. Start line is on the north most sector between Portrush and Portstewart. Racing proceeds west to York Corner and then south past Station, Cromore Road/Black Bridge, and to University and Ballysally roundabout. Racing then proceeds north past Mather's Cross, Magherabuoy to Metropole, then west to Blackhill along coast to finish.
FOTO OF THE WEEK - ANSTEY LEADS SEELEY AT JUNIPER (from Kenny Gibson)
NW200.COM FAN PHOTO COMPETITION!
REPLACE THE CURRENT SHOT OF MICHAEL RUTTER BREAKING A MAGIC 201MPH @NW2006! SEND YOUR FAV 2009 RACE SNAP TO info@nw200.com& SEE YOUR FOTO CREDITED HERE! NW200.COM reserve the right to display entries. Judging on 30May2009 GOOD LUCK!
WELCOMEtowww.NW200.com, dedicated fan site for Irish Road Racing, and the world famous North West 200 motorcycle road races. This years Irish Road Racing Championship and the Internationals at the North West, UGP and Isle of Man certainly had extreme highs and sad lows - the magnificent racing and the losses of two of Ireland's senior statesmen will forever mark 2008 indelibly on everyone's mind. The new NW200 video is awesome, but if it's the real thing you want, check back for confirmation dates for NW200 2009next May - surely the public roads that form a triangle between the beautiful Irish coastal towns of Portrush (start), Portstewart , and Coleraine will reverberate once again to the sounds of Messrs. McGuinness, Seeley, Dunlop, Lougher, Anstey, Donald, Farquhar, Cummins, Amor, Hutinson, Archibald, Martin, Johnston, ...maybe Michael Pearson...et al!
NOTHING ON EARTH MOVES FASTER than Irish Road Racing bikes at the NW200 without actually taking off and flying! Every year, the NW200 attracts the largest crowds at any outdoor sports event in Britain and Ireland, with upwards of 150,000 people from all over the world in attendance on the main Saturday race-day. It is guaranteed that after the shock of first witnessing these riders and machines flash past you at over 200mph on a road just 2 metres away from you, you will be hooked! Smell the two-stroke burning past, and experience the craic yerself !
THE TRADITION OF THE ‘NORTH WEST 200‘? In the old days, the main race of the Saturday was held over 200miles, hence the name. Nowadays, each race is between 4 to 6 laps of the 8.96 mile circuit (dependent on race stoppages). It is one of 16 Irish road races (in 2008), but by far the most significant due to the crowds, the world class riders and teams attending, and this is due to it being the last road race before the world famous Isle of Man TT (see www.islemantt.com )races held in the last week of May and first week of June, and so it is an opportunity to tune the new bikes and teams for the TT.
NB. All the aforementioned dates are subject to change! Please check dates BEFORE making any booking, as www.NW200.com is not responsible for date changes by race promoters. It is the responsibility of the user to reconfirm dates with race organizers before arranging travel etc.
Anstey leads Seeley at Juniper chicane - from Kenny Gibson
MARTIN FINNEGAN& ROBERT DUNLOP - It is with the most profound regret that we at www.NW200.com reported the loss of two of our most the sports true gentlemen in 2008, friends Martin Finnegan and Robert Dunlop; both were ultimate road-racing sportsmen and human beings .
Martin, from Lusk, Co.Dublin, lost his life at the 600cc race at Tandragee on Saturday May 3rd 2008. Robert, from Ballymoney, Co.Antrim, lost his life in the 250cc practice at the NW200 on Friday May 16th 2008
Our sincere condolences and prayers go out to their family, friends and the thousands that appreciated their gifts. Go neiri an bothar Martin and Robert, RIP.
Skerries100 2005 - Martin Finnegan had a great day, clearing the trophy table. RIP.
NW200.com wish all our readers and Gary Ryan's STREET SWEEP 600cc team Michael Dunlop #11, Mark Lunney#47 & Michael Sweeney#69 all the best for 2010!
BBC Sport NI website for live streaming of NW200.com at 
