42 replies to this topic

[milestone 11]

Thankfully, we’re still here, the slipstreaming capital of the world. We very nearly weren’t due to public liability insurance trebling in the last 12 months. Thanks to the concerted efforts of Phillip McCallen and his team, this fantastic meeting will continue to astound.

Welcome to old hands and newcomers alike to the NW 200, the second best motorcycling meeting of the year. A precursor to the fantastic Isle of Man TT.
Run on the road course between Coleraine, Portrush and Portstewart. In the deep north of Northern Ireland, woollies and raincoats advised.
 
Warning. Absolutely not for the faint hearted.
 
All sessions, practices and races will be shown live globally on BBC NI. Here. This  link should be ok, updates early tomorrow if not.
 
All are welcome to join this Discord channel for live chat. Please come along for the ride.

 

North West 200 website here

 

Live timing here.

 

Entry lists, practice and race results here
 
Practice and race schedule.
 
Practices.

Tuesday 9th May    Practice    9.15am – 3.15pm
Thursday 11th May    Practice    9.15am – 3.15pm
Thursday 11th May    Evening Racing    5.00pm – 9.00pm
Saturday 13th May    Race Day    9.15am – 9.00pm

Thursday 11th May – Race Schedule (5pm to 9pm)

Race 1    STRAIN ENGINEERING SUPERSPORT RACE (6 LAPS)    17.45 hrs
Race 2    BRIGGS EQUIPMENT SUPERSTOCK RACE (6 LAPS)    18.30 hrs
Race 3    MILLTOWN SERVICE STATION SUPERTWIN RACE (4 LAPS)    19.15 hrs

Saturday 13th May – Race Schedule (9:15am to 9pm)

Race 1    TIDES RESTAURANT SUPERSPORT RACE (6 LAPS)    10.00 hrs (Approx)
Race 2    ANCHOR BAR SUPERBIKE RACE (6 LAPS)
Race 3    J.M PATERSON SUPERTWIN RACE (4 LAPS)
Race 4    CP HIRE SUPERSTOCK RACE (6 LAPS)
Race 5    MERROW HOTEL AND SPA NW200 SUPERBIKE RACE (6 LAPS)

All sessions available to view live on BBC Northern Ireland. Here

 

This link is direct to the almost impossible to find  motorcycle page.
 

 

 

Circuit 8.970 mi (14.436 km)





 

A little rain won't stop us,

 

Edited by milestone 11, 09 May 2023 - 14:12.

[AlexPrime]

Hope that the video works, road racing is special 

[Risil]

Scary but captivating race. Didn't think the event would happen this year so well done to the organizers for doing what it took. Hope it's a safe one.

Milestone who are the leading contenders this time?

[milestone 11]

Hope that the video works, road racing is special 

It's normally perfect. If the address changes tomorrow once broadcasting starts, I will update immediately. Don't forget the discord channel, link at bottom of post.

[milestone 11]

Scary but captivating race. Didn't think the event would happen this year so well done to the organizers for doing what it took. Hope it's a safe one.

Milestone who are the leading contenders this time?

I have goosebumps now! Glenn Irwin, Alastair Seeley, Peter Hickman, Josh Brookes, Davey Todd, Lee Johnston, Michael Dunlop, Richard Cooper, Dean Harrison, and James Hillier, Pierre Yves Bian, Jeremy McWilliams, even at his age, are all in with a shout. Cooper is staggeringly good on the supertwins. Seeley will take a lot of beating on the Supersports. Hickman has got a lot quicker on the circuits this year, due in large part to Brookes' arrival, I just hope he hasn't become too fast. Particularly at TT where he already is just about unbeatable on the superbike. Don't forget the Discord

Edited by milestone 11, 12 May 2023 - 10:46.

[paulb]

Yay, thanks for the reminder milestone 11!

[garoidb]

Scary but captivating race. Didn't think the event would happen this year so well done to the organizers for doing what it took. Hope it's a safe one.

Milestone who are the leading contenders this time?

 

Well, it is not going to be safe but let us hope they are lucky. 

[milestone 11]

[milestone 11]

Newcomers.

Edited by milestone 11, 09 May 2023 - 14:21.

[milestone 11]

Supersport

[Sterzo]

For how many years have Alastair Seeley and Richard Cooper been fighting at the sharp end of Supersports? Seeing those names at the top of the list tells us all is right with the World.

[milestone 11]

Superbikes

[milestone 11]

Supertwin. Coops was a second inside the class existing lap record.

[milestone 11]

Superstock.

[AlexPrime]

Can't find the player, redirects me to live timing  Ah, found it. Not happy that it wanted me to register though.

Edited by AlexPrime, 11 May 2023 - 12:20.

[AlexPrime]

Radio is on, but video says stream has ended. Why oh why they don't use YouTube like GT World?

[milestone 11]

That was one of the greatest races that I've ever witnessed. Seeley's incorrectly tagged with a Yamaha it's a Ducati

Edited by milestone 11, 11 May 2023 - 19:12.

[milestone 11]

Radio is on, but video says stream has ended. Why oh why they don't use YouTube like GT World?

Tech problems until 6:05 race was red flagged shortly after start. with a complete re run

[AlexPrime]

Ah, they fixed it and I am watching right now. Supersport was a thriller.

[milestone 11]

Typical,typical, typical. FHO pull out of meeting because of a supposed rules infringement. They decide at 7:00pm that the carbon wheels on the FHO BMW's aren't homologated in Northern Ireland and they have to run alloy wheels. The bike is homologated with the carbon wheel only, no other wheel is homologated, Alastair Seeley wins the superstock race on a BMW with wheels that are not homologated for the bike. Consequence? Protest.  It's the same NW bullshit as last years fairing bracket fiasco.

[milestone 11]

Superstock results (for now)

[AlexPrime]

Typical,typical, typical. FHO pull out of meeting because of a supposed rules infringement. They decide at 7:00pm that the carbon wheels on the FHO BMW's aren't homologated in Northern Ireland and they have to run alloy wheels. The bike is homologated with the carbon wheel only, no other wheel is homologated, Alastair Seeley wins the superstock race on a BMW with wheels that are not homologated for the bike. Consequence? Protest.  It's the same NW bullshit as last years fairing bracket fiasco.

Don't worry, Formula E was run like this for many years, race in, race out.

[milestone 11]

Don't worry, Formula E was run like this for many years, race in, race out.

Yeah, but that lot is 5 minutes old. This bloody lot have been going 94 sodding years and they still can't get it right.
Poke your nose into the server on Saturday.

Edited by milestone 11, 11 May 2023 - 20:38.

[milestone 11]

Statement from FHO,



FHO RACING BMW MOTORRAD WITHDRAWS FROM THE 2023 NORTH WEST 200
11/05/2023

The FHO Racing BMW Motorrad team are withdrawing from the 2023 fonaCAB and Nicholl Oils North West 200 due to no confidence in the application of the Superstock technical regulations.



The Superstock class technical regulations mandate the machines must fully comply with conditions regarding the wheels, where Superstock machines must remain with the originally homologated wheels from the manufacturer, which from BMW are carbon. It then goes on to prohibit carbon material, however aftermarket wheels are also not allowed and no mandated alternative specification is prescribed.



The FHO Racing BMW M 1000 RR machines passed scrutineering on Tuesday (9 May) and were allowed to take part in all qualifying sessions before being informed they were not allowed to race moments before the Briggs Equipment Superstock race this evening.



Having taking this issue out with the fonaCAB and Nicholl Oils North West 200 organisers, there is no confidence that the FHO Racing riders could take part in a race with the obvious dangers, and risks that road racing prevents and then the performance protested or disqualified on a technicality that is not adequately explained.



The FHO Racing team have checked the 2023 technical regulations against those of 2022 and the regulations remain the same, where the team raced the carbon homologated wheels in both Superstock races, as well as the event in 2019.



The effort commitment and logistics required to compete in the North West 200 are significant and this lack of confidence in the organisation renders the team’s participation in this year’s event impossible.



The FHO Racing team would like to sincerely apologise to all its sponsors and fans, and the team are now looking forward to getting back out on the roads in a few weeks time at the Isle of Man TT Races. "

[Sterzo]

Priceless... the only way they can compete legally is without wheels.

[AlexPrime]

Despite the problem, I am very impressed from what I have seen and wish the event all the best. Nothing quite matches the feel of road racing.

[milestone 11]

Priceless... the only way they can compete legally is without wheels.

Having witnessed one of the greatest races I've ever seen, we descend into typical NW 200 nonsense.

 

Last year, Richard Cooper won the two Supertwin races and was later disqualified because a fairing bracket had been strengthened, (appealed still awaiting verdict), now this.

 

It's sheer incompetence on behalf of the organisers with the shockingly poor writing of the rules. The rules state,

 

10. Wheels:
● Wheels must remain as originally produced by the manufacturer at the time of
sale into the dealer/distributor network for the homologated machine.
● No Carbon fibre composite wheels are allowed, only aluminum alloys wheels
are permitted to be used.

 

 

Nothing more. Isle of Man for TT says,

 

29.13. Carbon Fibre / composite wheels are permitted only when fitted as original
equipment on the homologated machine and have been certified by the
manufacturer as “Fit for purpose” for racing use on the TT mountain course.
Optionally, these may be replaced by an alternative ALUMINIUM wheel from the
same manufacturer or an aftermarket racing wheel supplier. In any case they must
be of the same diameter and rim width as the Carbon Fibre / composite wheel they
replace and weight must be no lighter than the homologated composite wheels.

 

 

For a meeting that only survived by the introduction of crowd funding by mugs like me, they appear not to be particularly concerned with the future.

The irony of all this is that the Marshal's bikes supplied by BMW via FHO Racing are M1000RR's complete with wheels manufactured of?

 

 

Carbon

Edited by milestone 11, 12 May 2023 - 11:30.

[milestone 11]

Despite the problem, I am very impressed from what I have seen and wish the event all the best. Nothing quite matches the feel of road racing.

The Supersport was one for the ages!

[Alex79]

The Supersport was one for the ages!

had a chance to meet Davey Todd two months ago in Milan ( was at a presentation of the third TT isle of man Racing game). genuinely nice guy, talked at lengths about racing and explained it well to a layman who only catches some minutes of road racing on YT

Edited by Alex79, 12 May 2023 - 12:28.

[milestone 11]

Great day's racing ahead. and the weather is perfect.
 

[Risil]

Rats, I always seem to be out on NW200 day. Hope it's good!

[milestone 11]

Under a red at the moment. Rider has been taken to hospital by ambulance so hopefully not overly serious

[paulb]

I sure hope to catch a replay of the Supersport race.

 

Can’t thank milestone 11 enough for his detailed and passionate reporting.

[milestone 11]

What a race, Coops shattered the Supertwin lap record on his way to victory. Not quite the 212mph that the Wee Wizard pulled on the Superbike but hey, that's to come

[milestone 11]

[milestone 11]

Next up Supersport. Can this second race equal the thriller that we had on Thursday?

[milestone 11]

Staggering!

[milestone 11]

[milestone 11]

[milestone 11]

Another great battle between Seeley Dunlop and Todd until Davey blew up spectacularly on the last lap. In fact, that was Lap 5 due to the race being shortened because Dunlop tyres once again sadly lacking. They should not be allowed to take part at TT.

[milestone 11]

After another red flag and a controversial ending to the superbike race. the result has been declared as follows. Too much organisational and stewarding bullshit, amateurs. Some fantastic racing has somehow retrieved the position to show the event in a good light which, frankly, it shouldn't be.

1 Glenn Irwin

2 Alastair Seeley

3 Dean Harrison.

Edited by milestone 11, 13 May 2023 - 17:57.

[milestone 11]

I believe the removal by the organisers of FHO from the grid for the Superstock was disgraceful. The action gave the event little credibility and damaged the credibility of the sport as a whole. However, I wonder which wheels FHO intended to use in the Superbike class.

There is no doubt that the Superstock regs are ambiguous at best, as in reality, the rules did not allow them to use any wheels at all. the rule covering Superstock are copied here.

10. Wheels:
● Wheels must remain as originally produced by the manufacturer at the time of
sale into the dealer/distributor network for the homologated machine.
● No Carbon fibre composite wheels are allowed, only aluminum alloys wheels
are permitted to be used.

Based upon this rule FHO were right to withdraw from the meeting only on the basis of the Superstock. If it were the intention to use the carbon wheels in the Superbike class, which I'm sure they were as they claimed to have no alloy wheels at all, they clearly would have been in breach of the rules because they are worded, right or not, very differently as can be seen below,

8. Wheels
● Wheels may be replaced and associated part may be altered or replace from
those fitted to the homologated motorcycle.
● Aftermarket wheels must be made from aluminum alloy.
● No Carbon fibre composite wheels are allowed, only aluminum alloys wheels
are permitted to be used

.

It seems to me that possibly both FHO and BMW need to read the rules a little more carefully or was their total withdrawal merely a device to save face in the longer term? Regardless, this nonsensical rule only applies to the NW 200 and other Northern Irish road racing.

Edited by milestone 11, 13 May 2023 - 20:22.

[AlexPrime]

One of the riders shared the opinion that NW 200 should have the same rules as TT. I think that this is a reasonable suggestion.