Vauxhall International North West 200
Triangle Circuit, Northern Ireland
May 13, 2017
Superbike Race One Results:
1. Glenn Irwin (Duc Panigale R), 7 laps, Total Race Time 30:54.018, Average Race Speed 121.649 mph
2. Alastair Seeley (BMW S1000RR), -0.172 second, 121.638 mph
3. Ian Hutchinson (BMW S1000RR), -0.729, 121.609 mph
4. Michael Dunlop (Suz GSX-R1000), -3.839 seconds, 121.398 mph
5. Michael Rutter (BMW S1000RR), -7.012, 121.191 mph
6. Dean Harrison (Kaw ZX-10R), -18.302, 120.460 mph
7. Martin Jessopp (BMW S1000RR), -24.877, 120.039 mph
8. Peter Hickman (BMW S1000RR), -36.599, 119.294 mph
9. William Dunlop (Yam YZF-R1), -47.306, 118.623 mph
10. Derek Sheils (Suz GSX-R1000), -48.259, 118.563 mph
Superbike Race Two Results:
1. Alastair Seeley (BMW S1000RR), 4 laps, Total Race Time 18:53.624, Average Race Speed 113.498 mph
2. Michael Rutter (BMW S1000RR), -21.610 seconds, 111.375 mph
3. Lee Johnston (Hon CBR1000RR), -28.077, 110.755 mph
4. Glenn Irwin (Duc Panigale R), -31.220, 110.456 mph
5. Peter Hickman (BMW S1000RR), -32.132, 110.370 mph
Editorial Note: Complete results for this race were not available at post time.
Superstock (1000cc) Race Results:
1. Alastair Seeley (BMW S1000RR), 4 laps, Total Race Time 17:54.458, Average Race Speed 119.748 mph
2. Ian Hutchinson (BMW S1000RR), -0.226 second, 119.723 mph
3. Michael Rutter (BMW S1000RR), -0.690, 119.671 mph
4. Lee Johnston (BMW S1000RR), -0.918, 119.646 mph
5. Peter Hickman (BMW S1000RR), 1.367 seconds, 119.596 mph
6. Dean Harrison (Kaw ZX-10R), -18.786, 117.690 mph
7. Horst Saiger (Kaw ZX-10R), -19.102, 117.656 mph
8. Dan Kneen (BMW S1000RR), -19.435m 117.620 mph
9. James Hillier (Kaw ZX-10R), -19.962, 117.564 mph
10. William Dunlop (Yam YZF-R1), -20.467, 117.509 mph
Supersport (600cc) Race Results:
1. Alastair Seeley (Kaw ZX-6R), 6 laps, Total Race Time 29.07.172, Average Race Speed 110.606 mph
2. William Dunlop (Yam YZF-R6), -4.078 seconds, 110.349 mph
3. Michael Dunlop (Yam YZF-R6), -4.552, 110.319 mph
4. Adam McLean (Kaw ZX-6R), -6.137, 110.219 mph
5. Ian Hutchinson (Yam YZF-R6), -10.259, 109.961 mph
6. James Hillier (Kaw ZX-6R), -10.425, 109.950 mph
7. James Coward (Hon CBR600RR), -10.783, 109.928 mph
8. Peter Hickman (Tri Daytona 675), -14.659, 109.686 mph
9. Martin Jessopp (Tri Daytona 675), -15.032, 109.663 mph
10. James Cowton (Kaw ZX-6R), -15.215, 109.651 mph
Supertwin Race Practice:
1. Michael Rutter (Kaw 650), 4 laps, Total Race Time 20:22.941, Average Race Speed 105.209 mph
2. Daniel Cooper (Kaw 650), -0.697 second, 105.149 mph
3. Martin Jessopp (Kaw 650), -2.114 seconds, 105.027 mph
4. Michael Sweeney (Kaw 650), -40.420, 101.843 mph
5. Marty Lennon (Kaw 650), -40.810, 101.811 mph
6. James Cowton (Kaw 650), -41.177, 101.782 mph
7. Christian Elkin (Kaw 650), -77.900, 98.908 mph
8. Barry Furber (Suz 650), -88.396, 98.117 mph
9. Kris Duncan (Kaw 650), -92.249, 97.829 mph
10. Xavier Denis (Kaw 650), -92.959, 97.776 mph
DNF. Ivan Lintin (Kaw 650), -1 lap, 101.320 mph
DNF. Matt Sadowski (Kaw 650), -2 laps, 93.961 mph
DNF. Darren James (Kaw 650), –2 laps, 92.849 mph
More, from a press release issued by Tyco BMW:
SEELEY MASTERFUL FOR TYCO BMW AT NW200
Tyco BMW took three wins, two double-rider podiums and a new lap record away from this year’s International North West 200 with riders Alastair Seeley and Ian Hutchinson – elevating parent company TAS Racing’s career total at the prestigious Northern Ireland event to 27 wins.
Tyco BMW also assisted Alastair Seeley in securing the coveted ‘Robert Dunlop Man of the Meeting Award’, with the Carrickfergus ace posting a hat-trick of wins on Tyco BMW S1000RR machinery. He took both Superstock race wins at the NW200 Festival and a Superbike top step. He and team-mate Ian Hutchinson also finished second and third respectively in the second Superbike race, after taking a memorable one-two in Saturday’s Superstock encounter.
Speaking afterwards, Seeley, who is now on a record breaking 21 wins at the North West 200; thirteen of them coming with TAS Racing, said: “I can’t be disappointed with that can I. To come to the North West 200 and take one win is a big achievement, but to come away with four – three on Tyco BMW machinery is something you can only dream of. The conditions were far from perfect today, but credit to the boys in the TAS team, they gave me bikes that worked for all conditions; I can’t thank them enough and also to Hector and Philip Neill, for yet again giving me an opportunity to ride their bikes. I just love the NW200 circuit, and on this performance, I think the circuit seems to love me. It’s been another memorable day and I feel proud to have given Tyco, BMW and all the other team sponsors, three wins and a few other podiums to celebrate alongside Hutchy.”
Ian Hutchinson who finished second in the Superstock encounter behind Seeley today and third in the NW200 Superbike race, said afterwards: “It was a tough day with difficult conditions and although I didn’t manage to grab a win, it has been a great day for the team. We spent a lot of time this week working on set-up, having changed tyre manufacturer for the roads, but from the opening practice session to the final race, we have made giant strides – which leaves us in good shape now heading to the Isle of Man TT on my Tyco BMWs. Thanks to the boys in the team, who worked tirelessly this week and of course to all the fans who turned out today in mainly wet and miserable conditions to support us.”
Team Manager Philip Neill concluded: “As a team we love the North West 200 as it is a very special place for us. Yes, we did have inclement weather today, but overall the weather this week was superb, and to come away with six podiums, three race wins, a one-two and a lap record is absolutely unbelievable for everyone at Tyco BMW. We had representatives here today from BMW Motorrad UK and also from Tyco Security Products and a number of our associate sponsors and they all enjoyed being part of that success, which is very important.
A special mention must go to the boys in our team. In the best part, what they do goes unnoticed by race fans, but most of these guys have been with us throughout the majority of our twenty-seven wins. Yes my father and I are here to do everything that needs to be done to get us here, but these are the boys who do the hard work. Obviously fair play to Alastair today, he’s had a superb week and has done everyone proud. Hutchy maybe didn’t grab a win, but had two strong podiums and can head off to the TT now in a more confident frame of mind.”
Saturday’s 1000cc Race Results
Superbike Race 1
Alastair SEELEY [Tyco BMW] 18:53.624,113.498mph; 2nd – Michael RUTTER [BMW] 19:15.234, 111.375mph; 3rd – Lee JOHNSTON [Honda] 19:21.701, 110.755mph; 4th – Glenn IRWIN [Ducati] 19:24.844, 110.456mph; 5th – Peter HICKMAN [BMW] 19:25.756, 110.370mph
Superbike Race 2
Glenn IRWIN [Ducati] 30:54.018, 121.649mph; 2nd – Alastair SEELEY [Tyco BMW], 30:54.190, 121.638mph; 3rd – Ian HUTCHINSON [Tyco BMW] 30:54.747, 121.601mph; 4th – Michael DUNLOP [Suzuki] – 30:57.857, 121.398mph; 5th – Michael RUTTER [BMW], 31:01.030, 121.191mph
Superstock 1000cc Race
Alastair SEELEY [Tyco BMW], 17:54.458, 119.748mph; 2nd – Ian HUTCHINSON [Tyco BMW], 17:54.684, 119.723mph; 3rd – Michael RUTTER [BMW], 17:55.148, 119.671mph; 4th – Lee JOHNSTON [BMW] 17:55.376, 119.646mph; 5th – Peter HICKMAN [BMW] 17:55.825, 119.596mph
More, from a press release issued by Be Wiser Ducati:
Impressive Irwin Wins North West 200 Superbike Race
Glenn Irwin put in a scintillating ride at the International North West 200 on Saturday to claim the feature Superbike race on the Be Wiser Ducati, gaining his maiden International road race win in the process.
Riding the factory-backed Ducati Panigale R, the 27 year old grabbed the lead off the line and was involved in a terrific five-rider battle for the lead although it was the Carrickfergus rider that led for much of the seven laps.
The Tyco BMW pairing of Alastair Seeley and Ian Hutchinson challenged him the hardest but although they nosed ahead on a couple of occasions, Glenn remained composed and put in a faultless ride to give the Penrith-based team yet another International victory.
Irwin’s only previous other visit to the 8.9-mile circuit came in 2015 in the Supersport class so he was making his first appearance in the Superbike races but the week started well during Tuesday’s opening qualifying session when he placed fifth with a lap of 119.587mph.
However, with glorious conditions on the Causeway Coast once more on Thursday, he laid down a firm marker for Saturday’s two races with a lap of 121.556mph in the final session, which placed him third and on the front row of the grid.
Unfortunately, the weather changed considerably for Saturday’s feature race with rain and then an oil spill combining to cause a lengthy delay. The opening Superbike race was cut to four laps and eventually got underway at 3pm, with tyre choice a quandary for all riders. Glenn soon moved up to third place on the first lap but just as he’d overtaken Ian Hutchinson for second, he ran on at the Mather’s Cross chicane and dropped back to fourth.
A lap later this had become fifth as he was overtaken by fellow BSB rider Peter Hickman and although this looked like it would be his final position, he reeled Hickman in on the final lap to take fourth place at the chequered flag.
Glenn Irwin: “I lost a race along the coast road back in 2015 due to poor positioning so I was determined it wasn’t going to happen again. It’s my favourite part of the circuit but the front was moving around a lot through Black Hill and anyone who says road racing is 90% is talking nonsense, that was flat out all the way! I really wanted that one and I’m absolutely delighted so a big thanks to all the team and the organisers who did a brilliant job and put on a great meeting.”
Phil Borley, Technical Director: “It was a fantastic way to end the weekend and we were all relieved it was a dry race. It was a superb race between Glenn, Alastair and Ian and it’s just great for all concerned that we came away with the win. I think Glenn had decided he was going to win no matter what but he led for the majority of the race but didn’t make any mistakes and thoroughly deserved his win. He used his head in the earlier wet race and being cautious was the sensible thing to do so it’s been a very successful trip to Northern Ireland.”
More, from a press release issued by Smiths Racing:
Solid Performance At North West 200 By Hickman
Gloucester-based Smiths Racing enjoyed a solid week of racing at the International North West 200 with Peter Hickman recording a string of top ten results around the 8.9-mile circuit linking the Northern Ireland towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush.
Qualifying over the course of Tuesday and Thursday placed the 29 year old in a strong sixth place on the Smiths BMW S1000RR in the Superbike class after a lap of 119.842mph, 11th in the Superstock (119.103mph) and seventh in the Supersport on the Trooper Beer-liveried Smiths Triumph.
However, Thursday’s second Superstock qualifying session saw him only complete one lap and he was forced out of the evening’s six-lap race when he hit a false neutral coming into the start and finish chicane and was forced to run on. Lying fourth at the time, it was a bitter disappointment whilst 11th in the earlier Supersport race was not the result they’d hoped for.
With a full day of race action today, they all had a second bite of the cherry although conditions were vastly different, the opening Supersport race taking place in damp weather. Indeed, as the race wore on, rain began to fall once more but Peter rode a sensible race on the Triumph and was ultimately rewarded with a solid eighth place.
More rain and then an oil spill led to a lengthy delay before the opening Superbike race could take place, eventually getting underway at 3pm and cut to four laps with Peter completing the first lap in fifth place. As the race wore on, he was locked in battle for fourth with fellow BSB rider Glenn Irwin and he crossed the line in fifth place.
Next up was the Superstock race which started in relatively dry conditions and Peter was part of a five-man battle for the lead which saw just over a second cover the quintet. It was a BMW lock-out for the top five places but at two-thirds race distance, the rain began to fall again and as the riders completed the fifth of six laps, the red flag came out with results being taken at the end of four laps. That meant Peter was awarded fifth place, although he was just 1.3s adrift of race winner Alastair Seeley.
That just left the feature seven-lap Superbike race with the Louth-based rider slotting into sixth at the end of the opening lap. Conditions had vastly improved and with laps in excess of 121mph, Peter was sitting in a comfortable sixth place until the final two laps when he began to run out of fuel and, try as he might, he was unable to hold on to the position eventually crossing the line in eighth place. Nevertheless, it meant he ended the week with four top ten finishes.
Peter Hickman: “It’s been a bit of a tough meeting to be fair but although the results haven’t been quite what either myself or the team wanted we haven’t been a million miles away. I hadn’t sat on any of the bikes before I got here and we encountered a few teething issues primarily with the electronics on the big bike and I couldn’t get the feel I was looking for with the throttle connection. The set-up is very different to my BSB bike and whilst top end speed and braking was good, I was losing time coming out of the corners. I was there or thereabouts on the big bike but just didn’t quite have the feel to allow me to go with the leading group but we’ve learnt a lot and know where we need to improve and with a test planned at Mallory Park next week, I’m confident we’ll be in good shape by the time we get to the TT.”
Rebecca Smith, Team Manager: “We had a completely new electronics system on the Superbike and Superstock machines which we hoped would give Peter a similar feel to his BSB bike but it was a learning curve for all of us and whilst we got some solid results, we know there’s plenty of room for improvement too. The guys from BMW Motorrad have done a great job and know what we’re now looking for at the TT so a big thanks to them and all of their team for their hard work in what, at times, was very challenging conditions. We’ve taken some solid results and, like Peter says, weren’t far off so with the test at Mallory, we’re confident we can iron out the little issues and ensure we arrive at the TT with everything in place to give Peter what he needs to push for the podium positions.”
More, from a press release issued by Bathams SMT Racing:
Rutter claims 14th North West 200 win and further podium success
Michael Rutter enjoyed another superb day’s racing at the International North West 200 on Saturday with the Bridgnorth rider claiming his 14th career win, after taking victory in the Supertwins race, and adding two more podiums to his tally in the Superbike and Superstock races.
The conditions on the Causeway Coast of Northern Ireland were vastly different to those on Thursday with blue skies and sunshine having been replaced by overnight rain and damp roads but the four-lap Supertwin race saw dry roads with Michael again starting from second place on the IEG/KMR Kawasaki.
A great start saw him immediately take the lead on former racer Ryan Farquhar’s machine and it soon became a three-way fight for the win with Michael joined by Dan Cooper and Thursday evening’s winner Martin Jessopp. However, on this occasion, no-one was able to make a break and although he was pushed back to third at half race distance, there was nothing in it and it was clear it would come down to the final lap.
Having made his debut at the event in 1992, Michael used all of his vast experience to great effect, positioning himself in the right place at the right time and, strong along the coast road, he grabbed the lead on lap three and successfully kept Cooper and Jessopp behind him to claim a memorable 14th North West 200 win, the third highest total in the history of the event.
The success didn’t end there though with a trio of excellent rides on the Bathams/SMT Racing BMW’s in the Superbike and Superstock races. The opening Superbike race was delayed by rain and an oil spill and was eventually cut to four laps with conditions around the 8.9-mile circuit extremely tricky.
Again, Michael called upon all his experience and, having led in the early stages, he settled into second place behind Alastair Seeley as the Ulsterman forged clear. With a comfortable gap to third placed Lee Johnston, Michael rode a sensible race in the tricky conditions to take second for his 30th NW200 podium.
Next up was the six-lap Superstock race where conditions had improved considerably with the majority of the field opting for dry tyres. Third at the end of the opening lap, Michael was involved in a superb five-rider battle for the lead with positions changing hands frequently on each lap but by the fourth lap, the rain returned.
Indeed, as the riders completed their fifth and penultimate lap, it had got heavier and the race was red flagged with results being taken at the end of four laps. That meant Michael was awarded third, just 0.6s off the race win, for podium number 31.
That just left the feature Superbike race, held over seven laps, where the 45-year old was again part of a freight train at the head of the field. The Northern Ireland pairing of Glenn Irwin and Seeley ultimately fought out the win but Michael wrapped up yet another incredibly successful trip to the meeting with a strong fourth place.
Michael Rutter: “It’s been a brilliant day and although the conditions were pretty treacherous at times, I’m over the moon to have taken my 14th NW200 win on Ryan’s bike and added more podiums on the Bathams/SMT Racing machines. With the rain coming and going, it was pretty frightening at times but the Supertwin race saw pretty dry weather and I was able to use my head. I didn’t quite have the speed of Martin or Dan’s bikes so I slowed the pace on the final lap and made sure they came by me in the right places so I could retake them where I wanted and then control the race.”
“It certainly wasn’t easy to do but the plan worked perfectly and you always appreciate things when you’re on the top step of the podium. I was in the mix all day on the Bathams/SMT Racing BMW’s and we have to be pleased with our results given we were up against factory machines from BMW, Ducati and Suzuki. I was trying hard into the corners and on the brakes and with second, third and fourth on the big bikes, we’re in good shape going into the TT so thanks to the whole team for a great job all week.”
Michael now heads to Donington Park for round four of the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship before making the trip across the Irish Sea for the Isle of Man TT races.