A FESTIVAL OF RACING

The North West 200 started out as the perfect warm-up event for the TT and today it still fulfils that function but it is so much more. As an attraction many would claim that the North West has overtaken the TT as the premier road race event. The TT has become something of a festival of motorcycling with the quality of racing taking a secondary role.

The North West has also become a festival of motorcycling. Race week starts on Tuesday with the first practice sessions. Vintage car and motorcycle displays, and from time to time arena trials, supermotos and evening grass track races fill in the time between the on track action. In addition there are stunt shows, aeroplane fly passes and a full week of activities supported by Coleraine and Ballymoney Borough Councils.

WHY IS IT CALLED THE NORTH WEST 200?

The Portstewart-Coleraine-Portrush triangle is famous world wide as the home of the North West 200, but geographically the circuit lies in the North of Ulster - so how did the race get its name?

The City of Derry and District Motor Club was formed in the early 1920s and with a desire to run 'a big event' it was suggested, somewhat light heartedly at first, to organise a 200 miles road race. The Club committee agreed and a circuit, approximately five miles from Londonderry was chosen. Not surprisingly a 200 mile road race in the North West of Ulster was titled the North West 200.

As arrangements for the race progressed, representatives from Coleraine, Portrush and Portstewart offered the use of the triangle course and invited the committee to a conference in Coleraine. The result was a change of venue, but the representatives from Coleraine, Portrush and Portstewart insisted that the title of the race should not be changed, owing to the sporting manner in which the City of Derry Club agreed to the change. So now we have the North West 200 on the North Coast!

THE EARLY YEARS

The first North West took place on Saturday April 20th 1929 and as with the first Ulster Grand Prix (in 1922), the first Leinster 100 (in 1923) and in keeping with other Irish road races of the time, the inaugural event was primarily a handicap event, with the riders starting at intervals.

The Rudge and Norton factories were quick to seize the opportunity for a pre-TT try out - the thirty six strong entry included Stanley Woods and Percy 'Tim' Hunt from Norton and Ernie Nott and Tyrell Smith from Rudge. The event took a heavy mechanical toll of the thirty one starters - only eight finished! The fastest lap of the race was set by 'Tim' Hunt (490 Norton) at 70.56mph.

For 1930 the handicap start was dropped and each class was started en masse. So in one brief year the North West 200 had developed into a classic event with the classes taking precedence over the handicap.

In 1929 the start/finish had been on the road from Coleraine to Portrush. For 1930 the start was moved to Portstewart at a point on Portmore Road opposite the old golf links. From the start the circuit dropped to the level of "The Prom" and from the Town Hall climbed to one of its two high points, between Burnside and Agherton, in less than a mile. The course passed Lark Hill and McHugh's Plantation to Millburn Corner hairpin at Coleraine, shortly followed by the S-bend at Shell Hill Bridge. The road then climbed to its highest point - 155 feet - at Mathers Cross, dropping back to 50 feet at the Metropole Hotel Corner in Portrush. From the Metropole the course climbed again through Church Corner and Dhu-Varren to Black Hill and from there to the start through a series of hills and sweeping bends at Ballyreagh, Juniper Hill and Primrose Hill, which made up the trickiest part of the course.

The Northern Ireland Ministry of Home Affairs had refused to allow the roads to be closed for official practising for several years. Indeed, in the early years there was considerable local opposition to the holding of the race. The leading British factories and riders, in contrast, quickly became enamoured with the event - all keen, no doubt, to get in some practise for the TT. During the 1930s Norton, Rudge, AJS, Velocette, Excelsior and New Imperial all sent Works entries to the North West, whilst the riders who regularly took part reads like a who's who of British and Irish road racing. The North West 200 was firmly established on the international calendar.

Whilst the race may have faced some local opposition it quickly gained popularity with the leading British factories and riders - all keen, no doubt, to get in some practice for the TT. During the 1930s Norton, Rudge, AJS, Velocette, Excelsior and New Imperial all sent Works entries to the North West, whilst the riders who regularly took part reads like a who's who of British and Irish road racing. Ernie Nott, Stanley Woods, 'Tim' Hunt, Tyrell Smith, Eric Fernihough, Graham Walker, Wal Handley, Walter Rusk, Jimmie Guthrie, Charlie Dodson, Harold Daniell, Jimmie Simpson, Jock West, John 'Crasher' White, Ernie Thomas, Freddie Frith, Bob Foster, Les Graham and Artie Bell, to name just a few, were all regular competitors. The North West 200 was firmly established on the international calendar.

Jimmie Guthrie made his debut in 1934 and became the first man to lap the triangle at over 80mph on his way to winning the 500cc class, the first of four consecutive 500cc wins emulating Ernie Nott's earlier achievment. As a tribute to Guthrie, who was killed in the 1937 German Grand Prix, the Senior Race Trophy was renamed The Guthrie Memorial Trophy and a specially designed lid, carrying a memorial inscription, was added to the cup.

By 1938 the entry hit a record number of seventy, no doubt helped by the fact that the entry fee included free hotel accommodation! In addition the Manx Grand Prix organisers allowed a concession, which enabled private entrants to take on the works riders without affecting their amateur status.

POST WAR

After a break of seven years for World War Two the race returned in 1947 where it left off in 1939 with the Norton team of Harold Daniell, Artie Bell and Ernie Lyons heading a sixty-one strong entry. Petrol supplies were not forthcoming in 1948, but after intense efforts by the Local Authorities and the tourist organisations sufficient supplies were available to mark the twentieth anniversary in 1949. The organisers were rewarded with a record entry, which exceeded the one hundred and twenty limit. Melting tar prevented the first 90mph lap being recorded in 1950, but Geoff Duke took eight seconds off the lap record in 1951 to record a lap of 90.19mph. 1951 saw racing split over two days for the first and only time - the 350cc race being held on the Thursday - but this was one innovation that was not to be repeated.

In 1953, Dublin's Reg Armstrong and Dickie Dale brought the Italian Gilera machines to the North West but were overshadowed by newcomer Syd Lawton (Norton). Armstrong trailed in third, finishing some four minutes behind the winner, whilst Dale retired when a stone shattered his goggles. Lawton set a new lap record of 96.20mph - the North West, for the first time, was now the fastest race in the British Isles. Another first that year was the entry by Norton of an almost totally streamlined motorcycle in international competition. Officials were so dubious of the 'kneeler' that its rider, Rhodesian Ray Amm, had to give a special demonstration before being given the go ahead to race. Amm retired on the third lap but not before setting the fastest lap, just three seconds outside Geoff Duke's 350cc class record.

The first 100mph lap record was set by Jack Brett, from Leeds, who lapped the triangle at 100.03mph in 1957 on a 500cc Norton. Bob McIntyre, on his way to four North West wins altogether, raised the course lap record a further three times in 1958, 1959 and 1961 leaving it at 106.86mph - a record which would stand for seven years!

In 1959 the North of Ireland Club decided for various reasons, the main one being lack of sufficient finance, not to run the North West. The Ulster Centre stepped in to stage the race, but being a governing body they enlisted the help of the Coleraine and District Motor Club to promote the race. Billy McMaster and Davy Jennings, two of the main officials at the Ulster Grand Prix, took the lead in the new race organisation and would continue to do so for the next 10 years. Two changes were made to the race format, a 125cc class was introduced and the race was shortened. No longer one 200 mile race but three races - 125cc, 250cc and 350cc/500cc. Tommy Robb made history by taking both the 125 & 250cc races to become the first double winner in one day.

The North of Ireland Club resumed the promotion of the race in 1960, but the event reached its lowest point in 1963 when the club cancelled the race with less than a month to go. A poor entry was blamed on a clash of dates with the German Grand Prix and the fear that spectator attendance would be adversely affected by television coverage of the FA Cup Final. However, the North West was important to local traders as a means of bringing visitors in to the area and, in May 1963, the North West Marine and Motorised Sports Club was formed with a view to running the race themselves in September that year. That did not transpire, but the Coleraine and District Club did eventually take over the race, maintaining the traditional pre-TT May date. Initially, due to financial restrictions, the event relied largely on the local Irish riders but it wasn't long before the leading British riders started to return.

In 1968 leading World Championship riders took part. Honda had withdrawn from World Championship racing at the end of 1967, but gave Ralph Bryans and Mike Hailwood machines to use in non-championship events. In one of his few races of 1968 Bryans brought a 250cc-6 to the triangle. Bryans led on lap one but slowed on lap two as the Honda's carbs worked loose. Bryans rejoined the race in tenth place but could only finish fourth behind winner Rod Gould. Bryans had the consolation of smashing the absolute lap record with a new speed of 109.23mph on the sixth and final lap.

1970s

The North West was a casualty of the security situation in 1972 as the police discouraged events involving large public gatherings. The race returned in 1973 with several changes - indeed there would be many changes over the next twenty-five years. The first major circuit change since 1929 was forced upon the organisers as it was no longer acceptable to race through the main streets of a town. The start/finish area was moved to the coast road just outside of Portstewart but instead of racing along Portstewart promenade the course now turned left at York Corner and proceeded along Cromore Road, past Cromore Halt (or Station corner) to rejoin the original course at Shell Hill Bridge.

There was also a new generation of organiser involved - Tom Steele became Clerk of the Course, Billy Nutt took over as Race Secretary and others such as Victor Freeman, Mervyn Whyte and George Harrigan became involved. Many of those involved in 1973 would take the North West 200 to new heights over the next twenty-five years. Finally the event was of National status, meaning that it included a 200cc class as other Irish national races and all classes counted for the Ulster Road Racing Championships for the first and only time. International status was renewed in 1974.

The Metropole Hairpin section of the course had not been used from 1968 but was reintroduced in 1975. The entry of the works Kawasaki team of Mick Grant and Barry Ditchburn was a feather in the cap for race secretary Billy Nutt - Grant winning both the 500cc and 750cc classes and setting a new absolute lap record in the latter class at an astonishing 122.62mph!

A dead heat between Ray McCullough and Tony Rutter in the 350cc class made the headlines in 1977. Rutter set a new lap record of 116.44mph on lap five but as they approached the finish line McCullough had a fractional lead. A few yards from the line Rutter made up ground and the judges couldn't separate them!

A supporters’ club had been started a few years earlier by the race organisers, but because of other race commitments the club didn’t get the attention that it needed. In 1977 a group of enthusiasts from Larne took over the running of the North West 200 Supporters’ Club, which is now one of the largest financial contributors to the event.

Tom Herron made history in 1978, setting a new absolute lap record of 127.63mph. This was the fastest ever lap of any circuit in the British Isles until it was surpassed at both the TT and Ulster Grand Prix in 2002. Subsequent changes to the North West circuit mean it’s a record which is likely to stand for many years to come!

The Golden Jubilee event of 1979 heralded the first wins for Joey Dunlop, a Superbike double, a 350/500 double for Tony Rutter and a first win for Bob Jackson in the 250cc class. However, 1979 will go down as the most tragic year in the event's history. Frank Kennedy, Kevin Stowe and Australian Warren Willing were all seriously injured in a multiple pile-up at the University during the first Superbike race - none of the three would ever race again, indeed Kennedy later died in hospital after lying in a coma for almost six months. Scotland's Brian Hamilton also lost his life following a crash in the 350cc class and Ireland's World Championship hero Tom Herron died after crashing on the last lap of the second Superbike race.

1980s

Shell Hill Bridge was excluded from the course in 1980, with a new link road from the University to Ballysally Roundabout.

In 1982 the first Superbike race was a round of the Motor Cycle News Superbike Championship but tragedy struck again at Juniper Hill when John Newbold was killed after crashing when he touched the rear tyre of the machine in front. Changes were needed fast, for five fatalities in just four years (Mervyn Robinson was killed in a 500cc race crash at Mathers Cross in 1980) were destroying the event's reputation.

In 1983 the Juniper chicane was introduced to reduce the speed of machines around the final corner, then in 1988 improvements were made to Mathers Cross and the start/finish chicane was introduced to reduce the speed of machines around Primrose Hill as well as allowing safer provisions for pitlane.

During the 1980s Joey Dunlop became the dominant force in all road racing, not just the North West, but at the triangle he scored a record thirteen wins in total, including a hat-trick in 1987.

Production racing returned in 1986 via the Superstock race and a full production race from 1987 - 1989. Trevor Nation, Kenny Irons and James Whitham being among the winners, along with Joey Dunlop, who normally didn't favour racing road bikes.

Ireland's Grand Prix stars of the late 1980s/early 1990s, Gary Cowan and Eddie Laycock, scored six 250cc wins between them from 1986 - 1990.

In 1989, the Supersport 600 class was added.

1990s

Philip McCallen achieved one of the most outstanding feats in North West history in 1992 - five wins out of six starts, all of them hard fought victories - he slid off at the University in the second 250cc race whilst in contention for that race as well! With a total of eleven North West wins between 1991 and 1997 he was well placed to head the all time winners list before injury cut short his career.

Robert Dunlop dominated the 125cc class with four wins in five years from its reintroduction in 1990 and gave Norton three Superbike successes for their rotary engined machine in 1990 and 1991. Robert is the only man to have recorded multiple hat tricks - four in total, 1990, 1991, 1993 and 1994, which took him to the top of the all-time winners list with fourteen wins between 1986 and 1994.

Sadly his very serious crash at the TT in 1994 prevented him from adding to that total for many years. Although he made a return to racing in 1996 the North West organisers refused his entry, in the blaze of a well publicised row, in both 1996 and 1997. Robert did return to the triangle in 1998 and was leading the 125cc race on three occasions whenever it was stopped each time. On the third occasion he suffered serious injuries in a crash at University corner, but courageously won at the TT just three weeks later. Finally, after twelve years and a year out of racing in 2005 for further corrective surgery to his leg, Robert once again climbed to the top step of the podium with a record breaking 125cc victory in 2006 to make it fifteen wins in total.

Liz Skinner, from Chester, became the first female competitor to take part in the North West 200, contesting the 250cc races in 1990. Since then others have followed, such as Anita Buxton, Maria Costello, Bridget McManus, Gail Musson, Carolynn Sells and Jane Swindell, but the most successful to date has been Kate Parkinson. Kate finished 15th in the second 250cc race in 1995. Anita Buxton did finish fifth in the 2003 Supersport 400 race, but there were only five finishers in this particular race, although she did claim sixth place in 2004, in a much more strongly suuported race.

The international significance of the North West was confirmed in 1993 as Carl Fogerty entered the race despite also competing for the World Superbike Championship. Fogarty had competed on several occasions, but had never won a race, although he had been in contention several times. He returned to the North West, however, with the assistance of the UK Ducati importer Moto Cinelli. Fogarty scored two Superbike wins and a new lap record of 122.491mph to his obvious delight.

In 1996 the Magherabuoy chicane was introduced to focus rider's concentration on the long high speed run from Mathers Cross to the Metropole. These changes have had the desired effect and allowed the event to focus on quality riders, good racing, international sponsorship and TV exposure. Whilst some of these changes have not always received 100% support they have, without doubt, saved the event from extinction. Had the 1979-1982 trend been allowed to continue, the North West would have been sunk without trace.

For 1998 there was another circuit change. In order to service a new housing development a roundabout was constructed at the junction of the Cromore Road and Mill Road on the outskirts of Portstewart. The roundabout was taken in the reverse direction to normal traffic and proved very unpopular with the riders, mainly due to its one line nature and no run off area. The roundabout caused serious problems on race day with both the 600cc and 125cc races having to be stopped following accidents there.

For 1999 the road layout was modified so that the roundabout could be taken in the same direction as normal traffic flow, leaving the circuit virtually identical to its pre-roundabout format. Problems persisted despite the changes, and the death of Donny Robinson, one of Ireland’s most successful and popular riders, after a rain-soaked Tuesday practise session led to the roundabout being modified again in 2000. Taken once more in an anti-clockwise direction as in 1998, it was now given a wider approach, effectively leaving one of the exits now as a slip road. The changes finally seemed to give a satisfactory solution even if the roundabout remained unpopular with the riders. This year’s entry also saw competitors coming from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Japan giving the meeting a truly international flavour.

21st CENTURY

An era came to an end less than two weeks after the 2000 races when Billy Nutt announced his retirement as Clerk of the Course after twenty years in the job and thirty years involvement with the event. Mervyn Whyte and Eddie Johnston took over as joint Race Directors for the 2001 event, and were plunged straight into trouble...

With just five weeks to go before the 2001 races the Coleraine Club decided to cancel the event, following a recommendation from the Northern Ireland Executive that the race should not be run because of the risk of spreading foot and mouth disease. In its place Coleraine District Council organised a North West Fest, the highlight of which was a parade along the coast road from Portrush to Portstewart by, amongst others, Giacomo Agostini, Jim Redman, Ralph Bryans, Tommy Robb and Robert Dunlop. The race was back on the road bigger and better than ever in 2002, with the entry reading like a Who’s Who of the days top road racers.

And if the entry had been good in 2002 it was even better in 2003 with entries from Belgium, France and Germany plus a full works Honda entry returning in the Superbike class. Yet, despite the strong international competition, local riders were now asserting themselves again. Following on from Richard Britton’s success in the 2000 Production race, Adrian Archibald claimed the same race for the TAS Suzuki team in 2003 and McAdoo Racing’s Ryan Farquhar won both 600 races, in the process taking the first world-wide win for the new Kawasaki model. Ryan’s joy was short-lived as he was disqualified from the second race following an over-taking manoeuvre on the approach to Metropole on the last lap, whilst oil and yellow flags were being displayed. Ian Lougher was the beneficiary adding the 600 win to his earlier 125cc success – his fourth 125 win in a row. Farquhar, of course, appealed this decision and some five months later, in October, was finally confirmed as a double North West winner.

Michael Rutter returned in 2004 and, on lap four of the second Superbike race, he went through the speed trap between Station Corner and the university at 201.1mph. Jim Moodie had claimed in 1998, that the on-board data logger, on his Reve Red Bull Ducati, had indicated 200mph, but this takes no account of rear tyre slip - Rutter’s feat was the first time that the 200mph mark had been recorded on the official speed trap.

The North West has continued to develop and grow year on year and 2005 was no exception. The Magherbuoy chicane was remodelled to become a permanent fixture with a new strip of tarmac to the side of the main road, rather than the temporary construction of kerbs and bollards as before. The entry in all classes was full; indeed the Supersport races were over subscribed with more than one hundred entries being received, meaning that some serious work was needed to apply the stated selection criteria. The entry included over twenty competitors from outside the British Isles, from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand and Sweden – a truly world wide event. Michael Rutter also smashed his Superbike lap record in practice and bettered his 2004 speed trap performance at 201.8 mph in a damp Tuesday night practice session.

While the weather had been unpredictable in 2005, the North West was bathed in a mini-heatwave throughout its entire week in 2006, a factor which doubtless contributed to lap and race records being smashed in all classes apart from the 250s. Michael Rutter set yet another lap record of just over 124mph, but the loudest cheer of the day was for the 125/400cc winner as Robert Dunlop (Kennedy Equipment Sales Honda) pulled back a six seconds deficit on the opening lap to pass Michael Wilcox on the final circuit, with a new lap record, to win by just 0.193 seconds.

It was Robert’s first North West win for twelve years, since his near fatal crash at the TT in 1994 and was only his third race following a year out of the sport in 2005 for corrective surgery on his leg. Germany’s Benny Jerzenbeck also became the first Continental European podium finisher in North West history with third place behind Darren Burns.

Bruce Anstey claimed a remarkable hat-trick at the North West 200 in 2007. The flying Kiwi came off his Suzuki at the York corner during the first Superbike race, but was not hurt and returned to the course to ride to victory in the Superstock and both Supersport races. John McGuinness won the opening Superbike event, shortened in the wake of Anstey's crash, with Steve Plater emerging victorious in the second Superbike race. It was also shortened following a crash in which Cameron Donald sustained a broken collar bone. Christian Elkin, on his North-West debut, won the 250cc event while Oliver Linsdell took the 400/125 race with Robert Dunlop in third.

2008

Last year's North West 200 saw the tragic passing of Robert Dunlop after an accident near Mathers Cross in Thursday night practise, which cast an understandable shadow over events.

Emotions were high on race day, particularly with Robert's two sons due to compete in the first race of the day, the 250cc. With William's bike unable to take to the grid, Michael paid an incredible tribute to his late father with an exhilerating win that lifted the mood of the crowd and set the tone for a tremendous day's racing.

The rest of the day belonged first and foremost to Steve Plater, who followed in Bruce Anstey's footsteps by completing a hat-trick of two Supersports and a Superbike victory. Other notable winners were Alistair Seeley in the Superstock, Michael Rutter in the first Superbike race on the NW200 Ducati and Oliver Linsdell in the 400cc.