The Bike Road Racing Series comes to Portrush, Northern Ireland, for the second round of the 2013 season. It's the Vauxhall International North West 200, taking place on streets that run through three towns. Portrush, Portstewart, and Coleraine on Northern Ireland's north coast. It's a great place for a vacation, except for this week, when the motorcycles invade the territory for their big race. Here are the highlights.
There are teams and riders that represent more than fifteen different countries. Some of the best riders in the world compete in this race. We are ready for the first race of the day. Look for these riders to show their stuff. Listed will be their name, their nationality, and the number of wins they've scored in this great race.
Bruce Anstey New Zealand 9 wins
Alastair Seeley Northern Ireland 8 wins
John McGuinness England 6 wins
William Dunlop Northern Ireland 3 wins
Michael Dunlop Northern Ireland 1 win
Guy Martin England 0 wins*
Cameron Donald Australia 0 wins*
*Guy Martin and Cameron Donald, both want their first tastes of success at this race. Will they be triumphant? We'll find out. Between the top five on the win list, there are 27 race wins. The first race of the day is for Supersport bikes. Five years ago, in 2008, Michael Dunlop scored his one win at the North West. He won the race after his dad Robert was killed in a practice crash. It was a popular victory. Robert Dunlop holds the record for wins in this race.
We have a damp track for this Ballymoney Council Super Sport event, with the Honda of John McGuinness on pole. Twelve bikes will start this race. At the start, it's John McGuinness getting the jump. Bruce Anstey is second with Guy Martin in third spot. McGuinness goes around Anstey and it's really damp on track right now. These guys will have to really watch where they're going with the tires at the very least. Stewart Easton on bike #5 is coming through this pack. Cameron Donald is also back there.
Now, the second wave of bikes is going to start. So, there are more than twelve in this race. There's got to be at least 30-40 bikes out there. Alastair Seeley is starting in this second pack, and he has to work his way around slower riders, which is sure to be a challenge. This is an unbelievable slide that Bruce Anstey goes through, while still staying on his bike! It's a third gear corner on the road. McGuinness and Anstey are riding similar bikes. They are both Padgett's prepared Honda's.
The crown of the road is just starting to dry. That's the center, where the dotted lines are. Alastair Seeley is trying to clear through the second wave and get open road to race on. These are tricky conditions as we watch the #6 RC Express Yamaha of Dean Harrison. This race has been shortened. One lap has been subtracted. So, it will be five laps instead of six. The race was shortened because of time constraints. Alastair Seeley on the #34 Gearlink Kawasaki is moving up, catching the first wave.
Michael Dunlop is slipstreaming two bikes down the straight! Wow. Talk about a head of steam! He squeezes Guy Martin onto the wet section of track, on the outside line. Into the Matthew's Cross chicane, and then, back onto the road. The bikes go into the Metropol corner, which is at a junction. Seeley is still behind as the riders run along the coast road. Michael Dunlop slides the front wheel, and still hangs on to the lead. Dunlop slides the bike as he works the gearshift with his foot, and uses his right hand for the clutch on the motorcycle.
Lee Johnston passes John McGuinness. Alastair Seeley goes over the top of Black Hill. His, and other rider's heartbeats are way up. This is adrenaline pumping, and also hard work for the riders to keep their machines on the road. Alastair Seeley has passed Jamie Hamilton. Two bikes pass into University corner where there are definitely puddles. It's still raining. Michael Dunlop still has the lead, but he twitches the bike and fortunately, stays on! Whoa! That's a first gear corner. But, Dunlop mashed the throttle just a hair too quickly and could have ditched the bike!
Alastair Seeley is closing on Michael Dunlop. Will he have enough time? Will Dunlop have a big enough cushion? Dunlop wins this race. But, he has to wait for Seeley to cross the line to find the gap. Seeley has traffic ahead. Oh! Seeley is the winner. Dunlop doesn't get it, because of the timing difference! Whoa! It pays to wait, folks. In this kind of racing, you never know who is going to win.
#34 Alastair Seeley Kawasaki
The top five is:
1. #34 Alastair Seeley Kawasaki
2. #6 Michael Dunlop Honda
3. #4 Guy Martin Suzuki
4. #2 Bruce Anstey Honda
5. #5 Stuart Easton Yamaha
The next race is for the Super Twins. Kawasaki dominates this class. But, the big deal with this race, will be tires. Jeremy McWilliams is going to start on pole. Another 12 bike field. Most of the riders in the Super Twin race have elected to start on full wet tires. This should be a sizzler. Michael Dunlop is the only rider in the field who has gone ahead with the dry weather tire, or perhaps, an intermediate compound where it's essentially a slick tire, with slight grooves cut into it with a hot iron.
The Vauxhall Supertwin race is set to get underway. Four laps scheduled. Go! Jeremy McWilliams gets passed on the start by James Hillier. But, Hillier has issues with his bike right from the get go. Jamie Hamilton is moving up on the #44 KMR Kawasaki. Likewise, Lee Johnston moves through the field. The bikes are coming to the Mill Road roundabout, as the second wave takes off from the starting grid.
Hamilton drafts past Lee Johnston. Jeremy McWilliams is pushig. His heart rate is slightly above the speed of the bike, numerically. Three wide, and Hillier is the meat in the sandwich. But, that hot dog just got eaten up by the two riders to either side of him. Jeremy McWilliams brakes late into the corner, and he knows what to do, running on the Bridgestone wet tires. Michael Rutter is also running consistently so far. Rutter is having to work his way through this field.
Jeremy McWilliams is a local rider and he's battling with another, who just barely got onto the grid for this race. His name wasn't even on the official lineup at first. That's William Davidson, on bike #50. Not very much information about the riders in this championship like there is for MotoGP, World Superbike, AMA, or the Endurance World Championship. The rules this year stipulate a bike has to run a taillight if it rains.
It's raining now. So, taillight on. The crowd is going berserk, watching their favorite riders, cheering them on. All these bikes are 650cc machines putting out 100 horsepower. Ivan Lintin is another rider to keep an eye on in this one. Spare a thought for Lee Johnston. He's riding with an injured leg, that was broken three weeks before this race took place back in June. Yikes! He seems to be hanging right in there. All these riders are getting brave going around the Metropol. The bikes are flat out through Station corner, only lifting a tiny bit.
Uh oh. Either McWilliams or William Davidson is off the road now. He had to stop the bike and turn it to avoid sliding down the escape road. McWilliams could gather up a lead towards the end of this one. He's got rain, and flies on the visor. Just what any motorcycle racer needs, right? James Hillier goes past Jamie Hamilton. Hamilton passes Hillier on the inside, on the coast road. Lee Johnston has more trouble, overcooking a corner, and going straight on.
He's come out of the no man's land past the chicane and will let the leaders go by. William Davidson seems to be right on top of Jeremy McWilliams now. McWilliams looks over his shoulder, trying to see where he is. Racing bikes do not have mirrors of course. Wow! Davidson goes by McWilliams on the damp line into the Metropol! Davidson is now swamped by other riders as the checkered flag awaits. These two are neck and neck. McWilliams carries the back wheel of the bike and Davidson tries to go inside. But, no! McWilliams keeps the lead.
Davidson's luck runs out with a big crash! He low sides the bike, right in front of Jeremy McWilliams! That could have been really ugly. Fortunately, he slides onto grass to cushion the fall. He was pushing too hard and the front end washed out going into Black Hill. It's the last lap of the Super Twin race. Jeremy McWilliams looks to be on his way to a win here. But, don't speak too soon. James Hillier and Jamie Hamilton are coming, fast. They want a piece of this. They want to challenge McWilliams for the win.
No challenge though, as McWilliams wins!
1. #99 Jeremy McWilliams Kawasaki
2. #4 James Hillier Suzuki
3. #44 Jamie Hamilton Kawasaki
4. #15 Ivan Lintin Kawasaki
5. #5 Lee Johnston Kawasaki
The Super Twin race is done and dusted. Race three on the schedule will be the Super Stock division. These are the 600cc bikes. This is the biggest field of any race today. Australian Josh Brookes makes his debut at the North West 200, and he's currently competing in the British Superbike Championship. This is a big field. 56 bikes will start in four waves of 14 bikes. This race will be six laps. It's the Livewire AV Superstock race.
At the start, John McGuinness rockets away from pole as there's argy bargy in the middle of the pack. Bruce Anstey gets bumped. He's looking for the dry pavement on the track right now. McGuinness tries making a move. These guys are on cold tires. Gary Johnson makes a bold pass on Alastair Seeley. William Dunlop gets passed as everyone struggles to warm up their tires. The second wave takes off with Josh Brookes leading on bike #2. Gary Johnson takes the race lead. These 600cc bikes might not reach top speed of 200 miles an hour. But, they'll be close, running 190 miles an hour down the long roads.
Some riders touched 199 miles per hour in practice. If that isn't booking it on a motorcycle, I don't know what is. Into the Valley Sally roundabout, it's still quite wet. Be careful around this one, lads. Bruce Anstey makes a mega move around Guy Martin in the roundabout! OK. No backing down for these guys today. Guy Martin drafts by his closest competitors and gets an advantage into the corner. Michael Dunlop also passes. We are looking for the lead battle at the moment. Fly past the church and under the railway bridge. Right now, it's Gary Johnson and Bruce Anstey running 1-2.
Most of these bikes are running intermediate tires. Anstey passes Johnson for the lead. Anstey gets the run on Johnson down Millbank Avenue and makes it stick. This is a horsepower war, and so far, Kawasaki has more grunt than Honda. Where Anstey makes up time is in the braking zones. No change into University corner. Josh Brookes has now cracked the top 15. The rain has stopped. But the roads need to dry out. Could Alastair Seeley win two races in the same day? Good question.
Seeley is running on the Nick Morgan prepared MSS Kawasaki. Seeley is trying to pass in the chicane! Seeley streaks by Anstey. Not even sure if Anstey knew he was there! Talk about going for it! Could Johnson be having problems with his motorcycle? Did he miss a gear in the shift pattern? Johnson is losing ground. It's the last lap of this contest. Who will win? It's Seeley vs. Anstey for the win. Lapped traffic in the way. Two wins in one day for Alastair Seeley!
#34 Alastair Seeley Kawasaki
Here's the top five
1. #34 Alastair Seeley Kawasaki
2. #5 Bruce Anstey Honda
3. #7 Gary Johnson Kawasaki
4. #1 Guy Martin Suzuki
5. #60 Derek Sheils Kawasaki
Alastair Seeley now has ten wins at the North West 200. Day two action is coming up. But, the weather doesn't look promising.
It's Saturday at the North West 200, and bang, just as the forecasts predicted, it's raining. Fans have their umbrellas at the ready, and undoubtedly, track conditions are going to be slick! We are ready for the second Super Sport race of the weekend. The McKendry Fabrications Supersport race. John McGuinness is on pole for this five lap shootout. The distance has been reduced by one lap. Everybody will run full wet tires in this contest.
We're ready for a start. At the start, it's John McGuiness getting the jump on the field. Cameron Donald is part of the second wave. Bruce Anstey wants to sweep past John McGuinness. Guy Martin and Michael Dunlop are in a battle of their own. Cameron Donald scraps with Guy Martin as Anstey passes for the lead into the Mill Road roundabout. The second wave takes off. Alastair Seeley is in the pack. He's the one to keep an eye on. Seeley has passed half a dozen riders in his group already, and will catch the first wave, soon.
Anstey, McGuinness and Dunlop are the top three. Guy Martin and Lee Johnston are also in the running. The rain is pouring and this makes visibility really tough for the riders as they fly on these country roads. Into University, it's difficult to see the bikes. Bruce Anstey still holds down P1. Over the Links Road and into the Balley Sally roundabout, Michael Dunlop is charging on bike #6. Seeley is flying, clear of the pack. In a straight line, he's running 174 miles an hour! Dunlop is about eat up John McGuinness.
Dunlop advances to second spot. This is on corrected time. But, Michael Dunlop will be absolutely sure to not let Alastair Seeley get anywhere near him. He'll be riding out of his skin to keep the race lead. Into Mather's Cross, the road will be slipperier than anyplace on this track. Seeley is pushing Dunlop. But there are backmarkers to deal with as usual. Lee Johnston is still hanging tough even with a broken leg. They're on the run down to Metropol.
The dark clouds are thickening above the road. Anstey leads Dunlop, and McGuinness is fading slightly. Dunlop gaisn on Anstey through Metropol. Through Church, it's McGuinness vs. Johnston. McGuinness is the rabbit, while Johnston, is the hound. Johnston gets by McGuinness. Seeley goes through Church and onto the coast road. Up Black Hill, there's little space between Seeley and his rivals now. Dean Harrison runs well in this race and has been solid throughout the whole week of action here in Northern Ireland. Dunlop is all over Anstey like a rash.
Dunlop tries to pass through Primrose and York corners. But, he can't get by. Seeley is third, two and a half seconds adrift of the race lead. The leaders come through the Mill Road roundabout. Meanwhile, Michael Dunlop and Bruce Anstey battle into University. Anstey won't give up without a fight. Dunlop finally passes Anstey as the rain continues to pour. Seeley still flies at 176 miles an hour on a 600cc bike! Unreal! The chicanes make things safer, but they also complicate things, bringing the bike to first gear and almost a dead stop.
Guy Martin makes a pass on John McGuinness. Anstey might be losing the tow from Dunlop. Seeley runs into Macravoy corner. He has to get by slower riders from the first wave who are laps down. Seeley makes quick work of Scott Campbell. Coming to complete lap two, Dunlop still leads Anstey. Through Juniper corner, this fight to the finish will continue. But, problems on track. Someone has taken a big spill. That's Scott Campbell.
He should be OK. But on the fall, Campbell slid one way and the bike slid the other. That downed motorcycle can't stay in that area without a yellow flag intervention. Will there be a red flag? Cameron Donald pulls off the road. He either has a problem with the bike, or is wary of continuing in these conditions. Dunlop twitches his bike! Yikes! He still wants by Seeley and carries the front wheel through York. Has Seeley made up enough time? Three laps to go. But, Seeley has lost time. For Cameron Donald, it's game over. He's out.
There's a lot of standing water. Seeley struggles for traction. Conor Cummins is out of the race, too. Red flag is out. This race is done and dusted. Is it for the conditions? Or, did someone crash? Michael Dunlop wins the North West 200.
#6 Michael Dunlop Honda
1. #6 Michael Dunlop Honda
2. #2 Bruce Anstey Honda
3. #5 Lee Johnston Honda
4. #34 Alistair Seeley Kawasaki
5. #4 Guy Martin Suzuki
The conditions are bad. Rain continues to fall. So much so that race director Mervyn Whyte, (along with riders Michael Rutter, John McGuinness, and Stewart Easton), they are surveying the track. It's in the hands of Mervyn Whyte, the chief steward. Whyte says that despite having street sweepers out, there's so much standing water that the racing for today, is over. Four races did get run today. Maybe next year, it will be sunny.
The next bike road race is at the Billown circuit in Castletown on the Isle of Man. Highlights of that race, will come soon. Stay tuned.
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