This weekend sees one of (in my opinion - THE) greatest road racing meeting(s) of the lot! As a road race, it is unsurpassable (yes not the challenge of the TT course for sure), and attracts one of the largest crowds of any sport in the UK of the year.. Hopefully a number of home wins but regardless, will be an exciting days racing as always. Might even get the fastest race on the planet back home from the TT (once held by the Ulster GP) if the weather holds good! Hope all stay safe obviously!!
After a long bleak time with covid (no sporting event matters nearly as much as the impact and devastation wrought by this effing thing - still not over obviously) the return of the grand old lady on the north coast. So good to have her back and, despite a terrible night Thursday with the weather, today was perfect for some excellent racing!
To my way of thinking though, not so much wheel - to - wheel eyeballs out challenging for the leading places in fact, a procession in a lot of the races, but still a real spectacle of high skill and courage! Dunlop Tyres have a lot of soul searching to do after half the grid pulled out of the feature NW200 race on safety grounds due to (tyre degradation I believe)
Thankfully, we managed to get funding to enable the the racing to continue at the North Coast today, and to celebrate, we got wall to wall sunshine as well! Never disappoints the 'grand old girl' and today no exception, with eyes out dicing - fairing to fairing for most of the day! The spoils weren't exactly shared around this year, with only four riders on the top step - each doubling up in wins.
GLENN IRWIN - Both Superbike races
ALISTAIR SEELEY - Both Superstock races
DAVEY TODD - Doubles in Supersport races
RICHARD COOPER - Two in the Supertwin races
Cooper - in particular - was seemingly aboard a jet fuelled bike, as he took off to 'another county', while the rest were battling around the 'triangle' in his two wins.
* A very special mention for Claire Lomas, a lady paralysed after an accident, who topped out at 80mph on her superbike 'parade lap' Respect!!
The only downside (aside from Lee Johnson breaking his leg) was the withdrawal of the FHO Team with Peter Hickman! They broke technical rules by using carbon fibre wheels, which are not allowed at the NW 200 but are at the TT etc. Bizarrely, the bikes passed scrutineering during the week, only to be told virtually as the racing was to begin, that they had an issue! Rules is Rules in one sense, but for the NW to carry rules nobody else does seems peculiar, but pass scrutineering before hand, seems like downright mismanagement on the part of the organisers. Thankfully though, Hicky decided to continue on his own, as a nod to the fans, so - again - respect to him! The event can't afford to lose him in future years, so they better communicate the regs from here on in to leave no room for confusion/debate.
The only reason I can come up with for the specific rule, is that carbon fibre deals better with cross wind air flow?? and so gives an unfair advantage?? Somebody may be able to correct that if needs be! Even so, change the rule to allow all teams to run such wheels, or be clearer as I said. The Motorcycle Union of Ireland claim - by the way - that they had been crystal!!
NB Many more red flag incidents this year than I can recall before for some reason