Motorbikes

Richard Petrie
BBC Sport NI Journalist at the North West 200

Image source, Pacemaker

Richard Cooper made it North West 200 win number seven by coming out on top in a thrilling Supersport battle over a shortened distance of four laps on Saturday.

The Nottingham rider also won the Supertwins race earlier in the day.

The initial running of the Supersports was halted when red flags were displayed on lap three of six after incidents at Mill Road and Church Corner.

Both riders involved were subsequently taken to hospital for observation.

When the race re-started after a lengthy delay, over the reduced distance, Honda Racing rider Dean Harrison took charge at the head of affairs, leading after each of the first three circuits.

A thrilling battle ensued as the Yorkshireman came under threat from challengers Cooper, Michael Dunlop, Davey Todd and Peter Hickman.

By the final lap it was left to Cooper, Harrison and Dunlop to dispute the lead, that trio having shaken off their pursuers.

Cooper and Harrison both mounted the grass section at the final chicane as the leading three battled for supremacy, with the 42-year-old three-time British champion somehow staying on board his machine and ultimately prevailing by 0.4 seconds on his BPE by Russell Engineering Yamaha.

For Cooper, it was a second Supersport win of his career at the North West, the Englishman having also taken a win in the middleweight class 12 months ago.

Dunlop completed the rostrum places and set the quickest lap of the race at 118.315mph, just shy of the benchmark he set in winning Thursday's Supersport event.

"I was like, 'that one I'm having," Cooper told BBC Sport NI after the race.

"We came here to win and we did it."

Dunlop hinted in his post-race interview that he believed he had been hard done by the events in the closing stages.

"It was a great race. Everyone was on the same run, it was hard to call that one," he said.

"The two boys knew they weren't making the turn so let the brakes off. The two of them ran on but I made the chicane. They made a clear advantage.

"I ran on earlier [in the Superbike race] but didn't get an advantage from it. I'm not going to cry about it, what do you say about it unless the organisers look at it. It was great racing. It's always going to go to that last chicane."

Saturday Supersport race results

1 Richard Cooper (Eng, Yamaha)

2 Dean Harrison (Eng, Honda)

3 Michael Dunlop (NI, Ducati)

4 Davey Todd (Eng, Honda)

5 Peter Hickman (Eng, Triumph)

6 Alastair Seeley (NI, Kawasaki)

7 Josh Brookes (Aus, Honda)

8 Paul Jordan (NI, Honda)

Image source, BBC Sport

It was a comeback ride for the ages from Michael Dunlop to pick up his third win of the 2025 North West 200 but it wasn't without controversy.

When Peter Hickman and Dunlop missed the entry to the Mather's Cross chicane on the opening lap, Hickman stopped to take a 10-second penalty while Dunlop didn't.

Ahead of both of them, Davey Todd was storming to what looked like an unassailable lead before a quite remarkable recovery ride from Dunlop saw him take the lead on the final lap and the chequered flag.

The race win was initially given to Todd with Dunlop hit with a 10-second penalty but that was rescinded and the Ballymoney man was awarded the win.

Here's how the riders reacted after the race:

Peter Hickman (third)

"It's dead simple, if you run onto a chicane, you have to stop and put your foot down and go again.

"Michael Dunlop obviously got pulled in by me into Mather's Cross and we both missed the chicane. Michael went straight on, I cut across to the stop box and went like you're meant to.

"If you don't do that, it's a ten second penalty and that's the rules. As far as I'm concerned one of us gets a ten second penalty and the other doesn't, but who knows what's going to happen."

When the official race result was confirmed, Hickman interrupted Todd's interview to say to him:

"You won that race mate - well done. I'm not going on the podium."

Davey Todd (second)

When told Dunlop had been given the race win:

"Of course he did. It's his back yard isn't it? Fair play to him - he's obviously riding well. I should have won the race anyway. We were miles in front and we had a technical issue with the bike. It started running really slow so I don't know what was wrong with it.

"I've no words. There's a rule and they just change rules to suit whoever. I don't want to say too much more. It's the way it is. We've got to move on and keep racing."

Michael Dunlop (first)

"We were pushed into the chicane, Peter jumped over the grass which was dangerous. We went over the curb. I came back to win.

"The rules say if you cut the chicane you have to put your foot down. For safety reasons I couldn't do that.

"It was too dangerous. End of story, I didn't gain an advantage, got past everybody and won the race. You can't start swerving all over the road.

"I didn't gain an advantage, people got past me and I made another mistake. I think I deserved the race, I lost a load of time and came back again."

Richard Petrie
BBC Sport NI Journalist at the North West 200

Image source, Pacemaker

Michael Dunlop took a controversial win in the first Superbike race of the day at the North West 200 on Saturday to complete a treble at this year's event.

The 36-year-old won the first Superstock and Supersport races on Thursday.

Dunlop was one of a bunch of riders contesting the lead on the opening lap when he and Peter Hickman missed the entry to the Mather's Cross chicane and went straight on.

Hickman pulled off to the left to take his 10-second penalty in the 'stop box' while Dunlop proceeded and was docked 10 seconds on the official timing screens for his alleged infringement during the race.

Davey Todd, winner of Thursday's Superbike race, had built up a seemingly unassailable 10-second advantage at the front but despite losing significant ground as a result of the first-lap incident Dunlop remarkably battled his way to the front on his BMW and ended up crossing the line first.

Dunlop's 10-second penalty was rescinded after the race and the Ballymoney man awarded the victory, much to the dismay of Todd and his 8TEN Racing team-mate, third-place finisher Hickman.

Dunlop's margin of victory was two seconds over Todd, with Hickman a further five seconds in arrears.

The Ballymoney rider set the fastest lap of the race on his fifth circuit, his speed of 125.539mph just one second off Glenn Irwin's one-year-old lap record.

Later in the day Todd won Superstock and Superbike races to take a hat-trick of his own while Richard Cooper secured Supersport and Supertwins victories on Saturday and Paul Jordan a maiden triumph in the Twins.

Speaking after the race, Dunlop told BBC Sport NI: "A good ride there. We were pushed into the chicane, Peter jumped over the grass which was dangerous. We went over the curb. I came back to win.

"The rules say if you cut the chicane you have to put your foot down. For safety reasons I couldn't do that . It was too dangerous. End of story, I didn't gain an advantage, got past everybody and won the race.

"You can't start swerving all over the road. I didn't gain an advantage, people got past me and I made another mistake. I think I deserved the race, I lost a load of time and came back again."

A disconsolate Todd revealed that he had suffered mechanical problems and said: "Fair play to him he is obviously riding well but we should have won the race anyway.

"We were miles in front and we had a technical issue with the bike and it started riding really slow. I don't know what's wrong with it and I wasn't sure if it was going to finish.

"I have no words. There is a rule and they just change the rules to suit whoever it suits."

Hickman declined to take his place on the podium after the race in protest at the outcome.

"It's dead simple, if you run onto a chicane, you have to stop and put your foot down and go again," stated Hickman.

"Michael Dunlop obviously got pulled in by me into Mather's Cross and we both missed the chicane. Michael went straight on, I cut across to the stop box and went like you're meant to.

"If you don't do that, it's a ten second penalty and that's the rules. As far as I'm concerned one of us gets a ten second penalty and the other doesn't, but who knows what's going to happen."

Saturday Superbike race one result

1 Michael Dunlop (NI, BMW)

2 Davey Todd (Eng, BMW)

3 Peter Hickman (Eng, BMW)

4 Alastair Seeley (NI, BMW)

5 Dean Harrison (Eng, Honda)

6 Ian Hutchinson (Eng, BMW)

7 John McGuinness (Eng, Honda)

8 Erno Kostamo (Fin, BMW)

Ride on board with Davey Todd for the final lap of Thursday's Supersport race at the North West 200.

Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI Journalist at the North West 200

Image source, Pacemaker

Alastair Seeley says he will "regroup and go again" after an engine issue forced him out of Thursday's Superbike and Superstock races at the North West 200.

The engine of Seeley's BMW spectacularly blew up on the run to Mill Road roundabout on the opening lap of the Superbike race, and the lack of time for repairs meant he did not start the Superstock race.

The 45-year-old is aiming for a record-extending 30th win at the international road race on his return to the NW200 after missing the event last year.

Seeley itted it "wasn't our night" on the north coast of Northern Ireland.

"I tried my best to get off the track as quickly and safely as possible," Seeley posted on Facebook.

"We were unable to retrieve or replace the engine in time to complete the Superstock race.

"Very disappointing for the team and I after so much effort and promising results but we will regroup and go again on Saturday."

Seeley and his SMS team will aim to have his BMW repaired for two Superbike races and a Superstock race on Saturday.

He qualified fourth for the Superbike races and will line up second on the grid in the Superstock class.

The Northern Ireland rider will also compete in the second Supersport race after finishing ninth in Thursday's opener.