- 2 days ago
Part 2 of highlights of the 2025 North West 200 taking place from 7th-10th May 2025.
06:20 - Supertwin Race 1
21:45 - Superbike Race 2
40:40 - Supersport Race 2
06:20 - Supertwin Race 1
21:45 - Superbike Race 2
40:40 - Supersport Race 2
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SportsTranscript
00:30The sun-drenched, spectacular north coast of Northern Ireland.
00:55Home of the world-famous Briggs Equipment Northwest 200.
01:00Every May, this stunning location is a mecca for motorcycle fans.
01:05Richard Cooper got a mess of a start and that's going to cost him dearly.
01:15Davey Todd again.
01:16Another lightning start, Steve.
01:18Oh, Davey Todd, not round the outside.
01:20That's impossible.
01:21It can't work.
01:22Dunlop, Michael Dunlop is looking to make it two.
01:24Oh, that's so tight.
01:25Welcome to our second Highlights programme from this year's event.
01:40Now, Ireland North and South has a long-standing heritage of bike racing.
01:46Nowhere more vibrant than in this beautiful place.
01:49The Northwest 200 is simply something special.
01:53It's a bike race like no other.
01:56The roads around the causeway coastal towns of Port Rush, Port Stewart and Coleraine
02:01are transformed into an exhilarating circuit almost nine miles long.
02:07Riders push 200 miles per hour through demanding straights
02:11and then navigate slower, tight lanes.
02:20The triangle circuit, as it's known, framed by breathtaking scenery, pulsates with passion.
02:27And already, we've had some dramatic racing.
02:30Here's what's happened so far.
02:34What a start from Davey Todd.
02:36Oh, smoke.
02:38Oh, that's not good.
02:38It's the end of Seeley's race.
02:40Oh, the slip road.
02:42Mike Brown.
02:42I had high hopes for him, actually, here.
02:44Oh, and that was running it a bit tight.
02:47Going to be Davey Todd on a brand-new team, but brand-new Manobike.
02:51He takes his first-ever Superbike win.
02:56Supersport, what a great class this is.
02:59Todd, is he going to get it stopped?
03:01They can't.
03:01Well, it's remarkable.
03:02If he gets that stopped, well, that was a minor miracle.
03:05Mickey D comes to play.
03:06That Ducati's got punched.
03:08Wow, look at that shot.
03:09Where'd else you get that?
03:10Oh, there's five of them in it now.
03:12Oh, and he's going to drive past Richard Cooper.
03:14That's not just slipstream, you know.
03:15That's raw power.
03:17Well, number six takes six Northwest 200 wins.
03:20And it was impressive, Steve.
03:22There is no doubt about that.
03:24Here we go again.
03:25So, the number six, Michael Dunlop chasing the 74 of Davey Todd.
03:30Davey Todd are on board with.
03:31Nice, clear track for him.
03:33Look at that.
03:33What a vista.
03:34Oh, that's not so good, though.
03:35Hello.
03:36Michael Dunlop has just blocked out the sunlight.
03:39Oh, that's a disaster at university.
03:42Did he miss a gear?
03:43Cheers all round.
03:44He's just a man, isn't he?
03:45Michael Dunlop does it again.
03:47And it is a wonderful day out for everybody here on the North Coast.
03:51Wow.
03:52And we've got lots more spectacular racing to come around this famous street circuit.
03:59First up, it's the Super Twins.
04:01And who better to explain this class than former Super Twins winner, Lee Johnston.
04:10So, we are here right now in the Jackson Racing, powered by Prosper Tent.
04:14And we are going to have a closer look at the Aprilia RF 660 Super Twin that they are racing this week.
04:19This class was initially brought in to replace the really expensive 250 two-stroke class.
04:25But somehow has ended up being just as expensive.
04:28These bikes now are in excess of £35,000 to £40,000.
04:32We're going to have a closer look at some of the parts you can change on the bike.
04:36First of all, the full silhouette of the bodywork can get changed.
04:39This is a big advantage to a little bike.
04:41Because the aerodynamics on the standard bodywork aren't so good,
04:45they've gone for more of a Moto2 style bodywork.
04:47The front mudguard is different.
04:49Forks are allowed to be changed.
04:51The yokes are allowed to be changed.
04:53The tank is allowed to be changed.
04:54It doesn't even have to be the same shape.
04:56It can be a different capacity for running more fuel for the likes of the TT.
05:00The swingarm can be changed, but that has to be coming from the same manufacturer,
05:05not like the Superbike model where you can run a suit or swingarm, things like that there.
05:09We can change front brake calipers.
05:11This is probably the closest class outside the Superbike to be the most modified racing this week.
05:16Well, this class has a history of always providing some exciting racing.
05:22And in pole position is a rider who has won the Super Twins three times before.
05:28The three-time British champion, Richard Cooper.
05:31There are two Northern Ireland riders beside him on the front row,
05:34Adam McLean and Paul Jordan, both looking for their first Northwest 200 win.
05:40England's Peter Hickman won both Super Twin races last year.
05:45And veteran Jeremy McWilliams is a former MotoGP star.
05:51It's time to join our commentary team, Steve Parrish and Keith Ewan.
05:55Some big stars on some very trick motorcycles.
06:00There it is then.
06:00Richard Cooper, Adam McLean, Paul Jordan across the front row.
06:03Peter Hickman, Jeremy McWilliams and Michael Sweeney on row two.
06:06Jamie Coward, Michael Rutter and Pierre-Ebn on row three.
06:10AJ Venter there on that row.
06:12Neil Kernaghan, Daryl Tweed, Barry Furber, Marty Lemon, Daniel Ingram, Dean McMasters.
06:18That tops out that fifth row.
06:20So about to go.
06:21They look at the lights.
06:23Lights out and it's the way we go.
06:25Who's made that whole shot?
06:26Adam McLean looks good on the 56 fight, but it's the 47 all tucked in as usual.
06:30Richard Cooper blasts down the seafront and he is first down into the braking area at York.
06:37Yeah, Richard Cooper always a light little lad.
06:39Gets off the line like you cannot believe there.
06:41Really, really fast on the KMR Kawasaki.
06:44We're on board with Cooper now up the hill.
06:47And because he's so light, Steve, he just blasts up the hill.
06:50Powder weight.
06:51These bikes really are so modified, so trick.
06:55It started out as a relatively cheap class, but I think it's turned into a relatively expensive one.
07:00As you rightly say, a lot of bikes are modified considerably.
07:02They change the forks, swinging arm, the brakes, fairings, all the body work gets changed.
07:07And they've become what was the old 250 class realistically, but they don't sound as nice.
07:12They get more and more power out of them every single year as well.
07:14And on this course, that's what counts.
07:16Looking back at the 36 machiner, Jamie Coward.
07:18He's on the KTS Racing Powered by Stanley Stewart.
07:21Passing Michael Rutter, who's in this class as well on the Yamaha.
07:24Michael Sweeney, Sweeney 65 on the Aprilia.
07:27Look at this.
07:28There are about three or four abreast here.
07:29Still do, these little bikes, still doing about 160 miles an hour, even with a headwind that we have today.
07:35And slipstream really counts.
07:36You're right.
07:37It's quite a substantial headwind.
07:40And you get sucked into each other as well when you're side by side.
07:43Three abreast.
07:44Here we go.
07:44Rutter in the meat in the sandwich.
07:47AJ Ventner here, South African rider down the outside.
07:50Is he going to get it stopped?
07:51He's taken a wide line.
07:53It is a wide line, but he's made it work.
07:55Over the link road then.
07:56This is all new tarmac again.
07:58And I think it's cleaned up pretty well, Steve.
08:00Yeah, it has.
08:01It looks slippery, but it's got a fair amount of grip.
08:03So Richard Cooper, the man that's won this class three times before, he's on about five wins already around the northwest 200.
08:10A little fella, but he can ride the super bikes just as well as these little small machines.
08:14These two are already getting away.
08:15Peter Hickman, we're looking forward to his own developed motorcycle.
08:19And Peter Hickman's been spending quite a lot of time getting the best out of this Yamaha that he can.
08:22At the chicane then, Cooper is away.
08:24Oh, and there is the number one on the...
08:26That is a resplendent motorcycle.
08:28It's a great looking paint job, the swan job for Peter Hickman.
08:31Very much so.
08:32Yeah, look, you're right, he's developed this bike himself.
08:34It's not quite fast enough or someone's got the slipstream.
08:37It's virtually impossible to tell people how much this slipstream works.
08:41It's like DRS in Formula One.
08:42Once you're behind someone, you've got 10, 15 Ks.
08:45And you get another go at it as well.
08:46Two bikes of the cherry in one straight most of the time.
08:48Michael Runner on bike number four.
08:49Behind him is the 36 of Jamie Coward as they blast through the chicane.
08:53Sweeney were on board with the Aprilia looking pretty good.
08:56He's picking up a big slipstream now as we go down into the houses, heading down into Portrush for the first time.
09:03Fall-up race this.
09:04Oh, Peter Hickman getting the job to get it stopped.
09:06But he does make the apex as Coward looks for the outside line.
09:09Oh, they're all over the place.
09:11Any old line will do as long as it's a fast one.
09:13Everyone's been affected today by the fact that it's a tailwind down into Metropole and, of course, into Mata's chicane.
09:18So they're actually getting blown into the corners and they're carrying more speed when they get to the braking point.
09:2365 there was Michael Sweeney looking for a good ride as well.
09:26And we look back up the track now.
09:28This man's going well.
09:29Barry Ferber from Bishop's Castle on the Yamaha.
09:32Another Yamaha out there.
09:33That's Michael Runner on bike number four.
09:36Into the chicane.
09:38A little steady.
09:39Michael looking relaxed, shall we say.
09:41The Batham's bike always looked lovely in that gold leaf paint.
09:44First race of the day, of course.
09:46So the track, you never really know what the conditions are quite like.
09:49But nevertheless, Michael Rutter, who is team boss here, of course, for other riders as well.
09:55The charge of the light brigade.
09:57Let's take a look back at this then.
09:59And, yeah, that's not the way to do it.
10:01Good job the grass is dry this week.
10:02It's been absolutely wonderful, the weather here in Northern Ireland.
10:07And so you get a bit of grip even on the grass.
10:09Sure.
10:10So let's see if he makes it back.
10:11And that was, of course, Richard Cooper, who likes a bit of grass tracking now and again.
10:15Hugely experienced rider.
10:16But that's the slipstream effect we're talking about.
10:18I would say the power of those two bikes is virtually identical.
10:21So even when he takes to the grass, he can still find his way back to the front.
10:24And the 47 machine of Richard Cooper is now alongside Adam McLean.
10:27Adam McLean on the Flitik Motorcycles SMV machine.
10:31Yep.
10:31Steve Lindsdale does the engine preparation for this bike.
10:34It builds the whole bike.
10:35And here we go again.
10:36Three or four abreast.
10:37Ferber on the 80 bike, the big red machine booming away to the right of his screen.
10:42Looking back at Michael Sweeney.
10:43Ferber is on the right-hand side.
10:45Sweeney is right behind us on the 65 machine.
10:49Well, they're certainly taking up plenty of track space.
10:51That's for sure, these guys.
10:52They're not wasting an inch.
10:53Great to see Sweeney back after that accident he had a couple of years ago.
10:58So, yeah, Michael Rutter, number four there.
11:01The Batham's machine.
11:0353 years old and he still races like a youngster.
11:08Yes, of course, he is the man that has been here more than anyone.
11:13I think he has more podiums than anyone.
11:14I believe this is something like his 100th race here at the Northwest 200.
11:17Certainly will be this weekend.
11:19If this not it, it is a 100th race over the course of the weekend.
11:22Richard Cooper drops in in front of Adam McLean.
11:24Then it's Peter Hickman closing them down now.
11:26And that's the 99 wheeling out of there.
11:28Yep, it's that man, Jeremy McWilliams.
11:31Strategically one of the cleverest riders on the racetrack.
11:34Well, certainly the most experienced at his age.
11:36But he's been a Grand Prix rider.
11:38He's a test rider.
11:39He rides bikes regularly and comes back here to the Northwest 200.
11:42We're loving the exhaust pipe on that bike there of Adam McLean.
11:46This one we're on board with now.
11:47Did I see a puff of smoke at the back of McWilliams' bike
11:50as he came down into Metropole Corner?
11:53We're at church now and up over onto the seafront again.
11:56We'll keep an eye on that.
11:58Meanwhile, these two toughen it out at the moment.
12:02Oh, straight on.
12:03Hickman's gone straight on.
12:04Now then, you've got to stop, you've got to put your foot down
12:06or you get a 10-second penalty.
12:08Or is it a breakdown?
12:09I think it is a breakdown.
12:10He just cruised through.
12:11Yeah, well, he gets a 10-second penalty if he carries on then.
12:13Looking down at the bike.
12:15That's disappointing for that R7 Yamaha, Peter Hickman.
12:18So, then there were two.
12:22Yeah, McWilliams is in third place.
12:24McWilliams is still third.
12:25So, 47.
12:26Richard Cooper crosses the line.
12:28Complete another lap from Adam McLean.
12:29Has Adam McLean got the wherewithal?
12:31Hickman comes into pit lane then.
12:33And that's the end of his Super Twins race for the first Super.
12:37There's another one later on, so he gets another go at it.
12:39Here we go.
12:40Slipstream City again.
12:41McLean on the Yamaha on the inside.
12:43And then he'll probably try and stay on the inside if he can keep in front.
12:46But Richard Cooper, 47, is great on the brakes.
12:49It's going to be a braking deal as they go down to University.
12:52Here we go, 36 there.
12:53That's Coward.
12:54And then it's 80 Furbert.
12:56So, those two are battling it out as well as we look back from our cameraman
12:59and pull out of the slipstream and then find yourself going backwards again.
13:03The 39 machine coming into view as well.
13:05That is A.J. Ventner from South Africa on the Kawasaki.
13:09Doing a great job.
13:10It's a fast bike.
13:10That is the TH Racing Machine.
13:13Rutter on bike number four.
13:14Michael Rutter going backwards in the braking area at the moment.
13:19So, still it is.
13:20This battle at the front, it's really about strategy between these two.
13:24You can see Adam McLean, he's leading the way at the moment.
13:26But Richard Cooper pulls out of that slipstream and then drops backwards.
13:30I think he's hanging on a bit.
13:31I think he's playing a tactical race here.
13:33I agree.
13:34I think there's a little bit of sandbagging going on there.
13:36I think he had the speed, the slipstream to get through.
13:39Oh, a bit of a dodgy line there from...
13:40Yeah, from McWilliams.
13:42So, back on.
13:44Looking back at Michael Rutter picking up the slipstream
13:46as they come down towards Port Rush.
13:49Great camera work.
13:51Fantastic.
13:52Oh, look at this.
13:52Three abreast as we...
13:54Sweeney, Sweeney.
13:54The wheel in there on the 65 for his rutter on the inside
13:59of the 39 machine of Ventner.
14:04And then it's Church Corner, the right-hander.
14:07Got to be careful here.
14:09Some big accidents through that right-hand corner.
14:11Right, let's have a look.
14:12Richard Cooper in second position as we're looking down on him
14:15from the helicopter at the moment.
14:16I think he's rolling it a bit.
14:17I think he has a chance to pass now, but...
14:19Well, this is it.
14:20Last lap of the four laps.
14:22So, these two now have got it worked out.
14:24Richard Cooper, he's a wily old fox.
14:25He's not going to let him...
14:26He's not going to get mugged,
14:27but he's certainly going to try and do it to Adam McClain.
14:30Adam McClain, has he managed to get himself sorted out?
14:32Does he know where Richard Cooper is fast enough?
14:35He might have shown his hand a little earlier.
14:36He could have been doing...
14:37He's sitting behind Cooper.
14:38Yeah, possibly he can, but it's always awkward.
14:41Cooper's probably the slightly more experienced around this course.
14:44You know when someone's behind you.
14:45It's like someone's pulling the back off your leathers.
14:47You can feel them right behind you.
14:48Especially these bikes as well.
14:50They're so noisy.
14:51You know exactly who's around.
14:53So, these four battling out.
14:54But this is the race leaders.
14:55Who's it going to be?
14:57Will it be McClain?
14:58Will it be Richard Cooper?
14:59Both of them.
15:00It's down to tactics.
15:01Who makes it work into the chicanes,
15:03into the braking areas?
15:04Here comes Cooper.
15:05Down the outside, into Portrush now.
15:07Will be hitting the brakes with the Metropole corner.
15:09Will be turning left any minute now.
15:11It looks like Cooper's gone to the front.
15:13Oh, he's only just going to get it stopped.
15:14He's got a little bit of a doctor's dangle there
15:16with the left leg out trying to...
15:18Everything.
15:19Airbrakes on.
15:19And he has made that work for him.
15:21But only just the 42-year-old Richard Cooper here.
15:24He looks about 22, but nevertheless, he's 42 years old.
15:27Huge hit.
15:28So, now he's got to pull out enough lead
15:29because it's into the...
15:30The Bet McClain chicane is where a lot of the passing takes place,
15:33but I'm not sure if Adam McClain...
15:35No, he's not close enough.
15:35He's near enough, he's not.
15:36Oh, look at how Cooper is hot into there.
15:38Really hot into there.
15:40And that almost cost him.
15:41He just about made it through this chicane.
15:43But he's on the way now.
15:45Just a long, long right-hander.
15:47A flick left, and he will be on the finish straight.
15:49The checkered flag is waiting for Richard Cooper.
15:52Adam McClain has been out-thought and thwarted
15:55in the first Super Twins race of Saturday.
15:58Cooper wins from McClain.
16:01McWilliams third.
16:04Cooper, McClain and McWilliams.
16:07What a trio.
16:08We'll see them on the podium.
16:09Michael Sweeney gets the better of Barry Furber,
16:11Alan Ventner and Michael Rutter.
16:13Christian Elkin back from injury in eighth place.
16:15And your face says it all.
16:24Yeah, you know, nice to get the first one out of the way.
16:27We're all excited to go motorbike racing,
16:29but I made a small mistake on lap one there.
16:31There was a little bit of damp on the outside of the track.
16:34And I was just a bit cautious on the entry.
16:36It went a little bit tight.
16:37And before I knew it, the apex crept up on me.
16:39And I thought, well, I could try and squeeze the brake
16:42and make this corner.
16:43The grass looked a safe option.
16:44And it was a safe option.
16:46And then, you know, a fantastic race with Adam McClain there.
16:49His bike was working really well.
16:51And I actually just settled into it.
16:52Let him lead a lap or so.
16:54Figured out where I could possibly make the move.
16:56And I learned a lot from Peter Hickman last year
16:58when he did that to me.
17:00You know, I've noted that down.
17:01And, yeah, we made the win.
17:03Win directions real strong.
17:05But started the day off with a win.
17:07Very happy.
17:08Adam, do you think you showed your hand a little too early, perhaps?
17:11Yeah, I think I showed my hand a wee bit early.
17:13Obviously, it was tricky what way to, what strategy I had in the race.
17:18I knew Richard was riding really well.
17:20So it was important for me to break it into the front if I could,
17:24just to control the pace.
17:25So, yeah, Richard played his cards well in that one.
17:28So, yeah, but I was expecting that.
17:30I knew he'd be very tough to beat.
17:31So, no, more than happy to be on the podium.
17:34Happy to finish second.
17:36And we're still, you know, we led a bit of the race.
17:37We're challenging for the win.
17:39So we're in the right place.
17:41So, yeah, enjoyed it.
17:42Did you say you would buy us all a beer if you were on the podium, Jeremy?
17:45I said that I won it.
17:48So there's still another chance.
17:50Yeah, I kind of made a mistake at the start.
17:52When I was out on the Outlap, I managed to hit maximum RPM.
17:56So I changed the gear in, my mistake.
17:59I love the bike, I love riding it.
18:01It's kind of an easy little bike to ride,
18:03and it's got so much grunt.
18:04Yeah, I'm just loving it.
18:05So Richard Cooper adds to his tally of wins at the Northwest 200,
18:21riding for the local KMR team run by Ryan Farquhar.
18:26Next up, it's the super bikes.
18:28Here's Lee to explain this Blue Ribbon class.
18:31We've called in the Honda Racing UK's tent
18:37to have a closer look at their super bike.
18:39This is the class that everybody wants to win.
18:42It's got the most power, and it's the most expensive.
18:44So we're going to run through some of the points
18:46that makes this the most expensive bike,
18:49and makes it the fastest.
18:50Starting at the front, we've got Olin's forks,
18:5310 to 12,000 pounds.
18:55Nissan brakes, 6,000 pounds.
18:57Moving to the rear of the bike,
18:58we've got a shooter swing arm,
19:0012,000 pounds.
19:02Olin's rear shock, 6,000 pounds.
19:05This exact bike of Dean Horstens
19:06was clocked at doing 206 miles per hour
19:09through the speed trap,
19:10and that all comes from an engine
19:12that has been tuned to upwards of 240 horsepower.
19:16So that's what makes this
19:17one of the fastest super bikes on the grid right now.
19:19Well, the rider who has dominated the super bike class
19:24since 2017 is Glenn Irwin,
19:26with a record 11 wins in a row.
19:29But Glenn, you've opted not to race this year
19:31and concentrate on the British Super Bike Championship.
19:34But who do you fancy for this one?
19:35It's a really tough question, Stephen,
19:37but I think you have to kind of look at Thursday night a little bit.
19:40I think Michael Dunlop is probably the first name
19:43that jumps to mind.
19:45Local favourite, local event.
19:48He's good at kind of grabbing the bull by the horns.
19:51He's good at taking opportunities.
19:52He's done it many times in his career,
19:53and I think we already got a taste of that
19:55with a super sport and super stock victory.
19:57I said Hickman or Dunlop all week.
19:59Davey's now gotten the monkey off his back.
20:01We raced one on Thursday.
20:02But I'm going to say Michael Dunlop
20:04to win the big super bike race today,
20:08and perhaps Todd or Hickman to grab race one.
20:10Yeah, Davey, Todd, I mean,
20:12he got his first super bike win on Thursday night,
20:15and it meant a lot to him, obviously.
20:16Yeah, I think, you know, he's been so close.
20:18He pushed me really, really hard in recent years
20:20that he was probably the deserving winner.
20:22So it's kind of nice that he'd done that.
20:25He had a lot to adapt to.
20:26Different bike than he's rid here in previous years.
20:28No electronics.
20:29I thought he'd done a good job.
20:30I think a rider worth giving a great shout-out to
20:32is Dean Harrison.
20:34Dean's one of them guys that is always there,
20:36but yet to get that sort of elusive big win.
20:40He's very, very, very capable.
20:42I think the others maybe just play the race
20:44a little bit stronger.
20:45And a word on the record holder at this event,
20:47Alistair Seeley, 29 victories.
20:49Bike blew up, but he's got a new engine in for this one.
20:52Yeah, big ask.
20:53He's riding a super stock bike.
20:54Again, the bike is also very competitive electronic-wise,
20:57but maybe a little bit down in top speed.
21:00I wouldn't put my money past him for the super stock race.
21:03And he's a wily old fox.
21:04He's hungry.
21:05He wants that 30th win.
21:06So best of luck to all the guys.
21:07Good, safe racing.
21:08Pole position for Peter Hickman from Davey Choddy's team-mate
21:12and Dean Harrison.
21:13That's the front row.
21:14Alistair Seeley, Michael Dunlop, Jamie Coward on row two,
21:17Ian Hutchinson, Erno Costamo, the Finn,
21:19and John McGuinness are on row three.
21:21Fourth row, Paul Jordan, Mike Brown, Michael Rutter,
21:23Colin Cummins, Nathan Harrison, Josh Brooks,
21:25Sam West, David Johnson, and Michael Evans.
21:29And if we work back a bit further,
21:31Michael Sweeney, Jonathan Goetschi,
21:33and Maurizio Botelinko are there as well.
21:35Now then, this is all about working it out, really, Steve,
21:38because the wind is still up.
21:40This is the first time they've had this headwind
21:41all week for the Superbites,
21:43all the way down to University.
21:45So the lights are on.
21:46Who's it going to make it off the line?
21:47It's usually in the 74 of Davey Todd.
21:49He's such a fast starter.
21:51He pulls across in front of the number three,
21:52Dean Harrison, but it's his teammate,
21:54the number 60 of Dean.
21:55Yes, it is.
21:56Peter Hickman that pulls in as well.
21:57That's Michael Dunlop, number six,
21:59looking for a way around.
21:59The 34 has already gone through,
22:02and that is Alistair Seeley got a great start as well
22:05as they work their way down to the hairpin
22:06and the braking area.
22:07Full tank of fuel, six laps this race, Steve.
22:10Yeah, very much so,
22:11and it will be a tyre battle,
22:13I'm quite sure about that.
22:15It is a long, long race, six laps around here.
22:17Peter Hickman got away pretty well,
22:18but not as well as his teammate.
22:19How does number 74, Costello?
22:23Costamo, that is, oh, he gets it proper sideways.
22:25It's a little bit of, probably a little bit of cold tyre.
22:28It's windy, and you don't have to be sitting on the grid
22:30for too long for a couple of degrees
22:31to come out of the tyre,
22:32and certainly Costamo gets it sat down just a little bit.
22:35Out of the Mill Road roundabout we go then.
22:37We're on board with David Todd,
22:38looking back at him.
22:39The BMW 810 Racing BMW squad.
22:41This is a very new squad,
22:43very new motorbikes.
22:44He and Peter Hickman.
22:45Now, Hickman runs Dunlops,
22:46Todd runs Metzler's,
22:48and it is a battle of the tyres.
22:49Look at Todd.
22:50He just is away at station corner.
22:52Hickman in second place.
22:53It's been noted.
22:54It seems that the Metzler gets warmed up
22:56or gets into gear a little bit quicker than the Dunlops,
22:58and Todd is proving that.
23:00He's absolutely hammered this first quarter of the lap.
23:02Top speed is down, though, hugely.
23:04They're normally over 200mph on this,
23:06so that just goes to show you
23:07how much of a headwind
23:08they're forcing their way up against,
23:10and that, conversely,
23:11when we come back down towards Portrush,
23:13they're going to have the tailwind.
23:14Be interesting to see how they are on the brakes.
23:16Yeah, so this pack and their slipstreaming each other.
23:18Look at Dunlops in the back.
23:19Dunlops didn't get away that well, did he?
23:21He's sitting there.
23:22He's coming down the outside now.
23:23Michael Dunlop, look at this.
23:24Long way round.
23:25Oh, that's all getting a bit tangled.
23:26There was number 12 in there as well, Ian Hutchinson,
23:29so Hutch is back as well.
23:30We're looking back at Seeley on the 34
23:32as we go onto the link road.
23:33Seeley's on the super stop machine.
23:35Remember, he'll be down a bit on horsepower.
23:37Yeah, not to mention, perhaps, later on in the race,
23:40risking it a little bit with the brakes as well.
23:42They're not quite as good as a super bike set of brakes as well.
23:45As we flick right and down now,
23:47we head back towards Portrush.
23:49The triangle is about to be completed.
23:52And this is where they've got the tailwind,
23:54so they'll actually be travelling faster going back this way.
23:56Oops, that's Connor Cummings, isn't it?
23:58Connor Cummings overshot at university.
24:00He'll rejoin, but way out of the reckoning now.
24:04Now then, this chicane.
24:05Let's keep an eye on what goes on here as they've got that tailwind.
24:08Through goes Todd.
24:08He's made it okay.
24:10Oh, hang on.
24:11Dunlop has gone down there.
24:12And Hickman.
24:13And it was Hickman as well.
24:14So, Mathers, they have both gone off the track.
24:17And they stopped.
24:18They've got to stop and put their foot down.
24:20That's the rules.
24:21That is the rules where you get a 10-second penalty.
24:24It's going to be interesting to see how they sort that out.
24:26I didn't quite see whether they both stopped.
24:28Well, Hickman did virtually,
24:30because he went off the pavement.
24:31If you look, they actually don't go down the slipper.
24:33They go down the pavement.
24:34Actually, there's Hickman.
24:36So, Hickman goes through.
24:38Dunlop goes through.
24:39Hickman jumps across the grass.
24:40Goes to the stop box.
24:42But Michael goes straight through and doesn't stop.
24:44He just rides the path.
24:46Well, that's going to be an interesting situation for the stewards.
24:49Okay.
24:50Right.
24:50Well, there we go.
24:51Down the pavement.
24:52So, this is Hickman jumping across and back to the stop box.
24:55He didn't really stop.
24:56It was more of a scoot.
24:57No, I think he probably saw Michael Dunlop didn't at all anyway.
25:00Down the pavement.
25:00He will be mad.
25:01He will be mad as.
25:04So, Hickman rejoins.
25:06But Dunlop, as we go through the macro boy chicane now,
25:11looking back towards Michael Dunlop.
25:12This is where we've seen them before here,
25:14the super bikes, full tank and the wind behind them, a tailwind.
25:18Yeah.
25:18Trying to stop into Metropole is hard to judge at 200 miles an hour.
25:23Well, it certainly was back there at Matters, wasn't it?
25:25And I think it caught them out a little bit, the actual speed.
25:27Oh, and Dean Harrison has gone straight on.
25:29Dean Harrison has gone straight on.
25:30And so has Michael Dunlop.
25:31Michael Dunlop has gone straight on as well.
25:33Oh, they've all gone straight on with the wind up their backside.
25:35And they can't stop their motorbikes.
25:37And Hickey was as quick as turning it around.
25:39Well done.
25:40Yeah.
25:40Well, that's a double jeopardy for Michael Dunlop then.
25:44Yeah.
25:45Hutchies did a quick 180 there and shot back out again.
25:48Tell you what, that puts a few boys into the leaderboard that we maybe weren't expecting.
25:52Let's wait and see.
25:53Oh, the back wheel off the ground.
25:54And you just can't get it stopped.
25:55And you've got to go straight on.
25:57If you try tipping it in, you're just going to lose the front.
25:59Yeah.
26:00Oh, that was spectacular.
26:01There we go.
26:01Look at Todd.
26:02He's been let right off the hook.
26:03Well, you'd think, I mean, this is still a six lap race.
26:05We've got to remember that.
26:06But you'd think that was the job done, wouldn't it?
26:08I mean, look at the advantage that he has.
26:10Looking back up the track, there's the number one bike of John McGuinness.
26:14John McGuinness in third place now.
26:16So McGuinness is, I tell you what, Dean Harrison just absolutely flew past there.
26:20He picked up a massive slipstream.
26:23Well, I don't think I've ever seen a race like this.
26:25Half the top riders have all gone down the slip road.
26:28So there it is at the moment.
26:28Sealy leads.
26:29Yeah.
26:31We're on board with Ian Hutchinson, the number 12 machine.
26:35Michael Laverty has got himself a Rhodes team as well now,
26:38as well as a British Championship team, a Grand Prix team,
26:42and then, of course, several Spanish Championship teams.
26:45Look at the power of that, too.
26:46I tell you, that BMW is looking so quick of Michael Dunlop's.
26:50It's a full factory bike, Sean Muir.
26:53It's come from the Rocket team as such,
26:55and it is probably the most powerful machine out here on the track at the moment.
27:00It is full World Superspike specification.
27:04So back with Sealy on the SMS Nickel Oils Racing Machinery.
27:09Remember, this bike went bang yesterday.
27:11Sorry, on Thursday.
27:14And they've had to put a new motor in there.
27:16This is John McGuinness.
27:17He's a slip road.
27:18Yeah, he's...
27:19He missed the stop box altogether.
27:22He has stopped, and he's put his foot down.
27:24So John McGuinness adhering to the rules as they are.
27:28So Michael Dunlop looking very determined indeed,
27:31having gone straight on at the chicane,
27:34and then straight on at Metropole.
27:36He's rejoined the race.
27:37There's Sealy going through on 34.
27:38Four is Michael Rutter.
27:4012 is Ian Hutchinson.
27:44Good to see Hutchie back racing at this level.
27:49Yeah.
27:50I'm just trying to think if that 10-second penalty's been put in for Dunlop.
27:53I don't think it has at the moment.
27:55Well, they'll be sorting themselves out.
27:57It won't be popular.
27:58That's...
27:58Oh, look at that.
27:58He just drives past Hutchinson.
28:00So Dunlop's machine, before we get to station corner,
28:03tips it in there.
28:04It's just about flat out through here on a superbike.
28:07Once you're sorted and once the fuel load's gone down a little bit.
28:11Really quick.
28:11Now we've got that headwind again.
28:13And Dunlop's motorbike is not held up by that wind.
28:16It's still going for it.
28:17On board with Ian Hutchinson.
28:19Look at that.
28:19Talk about sucking the stickers off.
28:21That was extraordinary, the way he powered out of there.
28:24Hutchie, they're both flat through this corner here.
28:26Let's have a look.
28:27Oh, we're going to see if Hutchie can get the slipstream, but he can't.
28:29Well, he probably can, but I don't know whether he can drive by him,
28:31like we just saw Dunlop make that manoeuvre.
28:35Side by side then.
28:36A little bit of a waggle over the bumps.
28:37And that's what you get, the interference, the dirty air
28:40that's all around the wings on some of these motorbikes.
28:43It makes it very difficult to keep it in a straight line.
28:46Dunlop has got an advantage now over the 34 here of Seeley.
28:51Dunlop is the fastest bike on the track at the moment.
28:53He is definitely lapping faster than anyone else by about two seconds right now.
28:57Track cleaning up nicely though as well.
28:59We're getting a bit of rubber down on the track.
29:01The dust is slowly but surely dispersing here,
29:05and that will get grippier as the day goes on.
29:07Weather forecast is set fair for the entire day.
29:11We're on lap five of the six laps then for the opening superbike race of Saturday.
29:17Michael Dunlop is absolutely chipping it on the coals, really on.
29:22Yeah, he really is.
29:23But I'm thinking that Peter Hickman will be wondering how he's managed to sort of get back up there as much.
29:29I think that Todd has some problems.
29:30His lap times are slowing a lot.
29:32A drop right off.
29:32Yeah, really.
29:33He's dropped two or three seconds a lap.
29:35Could it be a tyre?
29:36We've been talking about it before.
29:38Doesn't take much.
29:40Or maybe he thinks he's got enough of a lead to not have to really put it down as hard as he was.
29:45I can't imagine dropping three, four seconds.
29:47You might drop a second a lap knowing full well you've got that advantage.
29:50But there's some issues here, I think, with Todd.
29:53There'll be some issues with Michael Dunlop.
29:55That is for sure.
29:56He's about to catch Peter Hickman.
29:58Here's Hickman.
29:59184 miles an hour through station corner then.
30:03Now then, wait for it because it's coming.
30:05You know it is.
30:06Michael Dunlop has got a fast motorbike.
30:07There it is.
30:08Big slipstream.
30:10Plenty of horsepower.
30:11He's got in front of Hickman.
30:12Hickman's a big lad as well.
30:13So he'll provide a massive hole in the air for Dunlop to punch his way through.
30:17Now then, can Hickie get him back when we get down to the braking area at university?
30:21It does seem like a long way in a car.
30:24But on a racing motorbike at 200 miles an hour, you get there pretty quick.
30:28There's Todd.
30:30So your race leader.
30:32He punched away from the start.
30:33And then due to all the shenanigans going on behind him, he had a massive, massive lead.
30:38Alistair Sealy we're on board with now.
30:42Going in the magic roundabout.
30:44It's a long, long, long way on the left-hand side of the tyre.
30:46Then you flick right and head to Portrush.
30:50Right.
30:51Is Dunlop going to get in front of Todd on the road?
30:55Well, we're heading towards the last lap.
30:57And with the pace of Michael Dunlop.
31:00He's there.
31:01Michael Dunlop is there.
31:02So Dunlop is on to Davey Todd.
31:04Davey Todd.
31:05Wow.
31:05This is going to be tight as last lap time then.
31:08There it is.
31:09The flag.
31:10Hickman has been dispensed with back in third place.
31:14Well, the 8-10 team are not going to be happy with this, are they, at the end of the day?
31:17I think Hickman put his foot down and did his best in the stop box.
31:20Michael Dunlop didn't.
31:22But then Michael Dunlop went straight on at Metropole.
31:24And has had to recover from a...
31:26Well, I've never seen a deficit caught this big in a race here, ever.
31:30I don't know what it is with Davey Todd.
31:32I don't know whether it's an engine problem, whether it's a tyre problem.
31:34But he has really dropped off the pace.
31:36We're going to see if it's powerful enough on the straight here now, aren't we?
31:39Looks quick.
31:39And this is where Davey Todd punches out of these low-speed corners.
31:42That motorbike, he seems to have set up to do that really well.
31:45We're up at the Mill Road roundabout now.
31:46And Davey Todd seems good through this two-section.
31:50But then when we get on the run to university, that BMW of Michael Dunlop is an animal.
31:56Look at the way Todd's bike punches off the corners, low-speed corners.
31:59Always looks really, really good.
32:02Yeah, so you can't imagine there's much wrong with the engine performance.
32:05Up to all station and again, Michael Dunlop makes the pass.
32:08Mirror signal manoeuvre and just passes before we get to the station.
32:11So Todd's bike isn't pushing out the horsepower, I don't think,
32:15that we might have expected.
32:17Because, you know, you can't make that pass just there, usually.
32:21Davey Todd then is looking at the rear end of Michael Dunlop.
32:25Dunlop on the last lap then.
32:27Six laps of super bikes.
32:29It bodes well, doesn't it?
32:31Two wins on Thursday.
32:32And he's heading for his third of the week already.
32:35Michael Dunlop hasn't won since 2016 here at the Northwest 200.
32:39And now, well, like buses, it's all coming at once.
32:43Davey Todd down through the gearbox.
32:45He seems a bit gentle.
32:48Where's Hickman?
32:49Hickman is still in third place.
32:53Sounds sweet.
32:54Yeah, it does.
32:54It doesn't say anything wrong with it.
32:55Maybe it has a bit of a grip issue or something.
32:58There's something wrong for Davey Todd to drop off to these lap times.
33:01The chances of coming back at this sector are pretty much nil from Michael Dunlop.
33:09If he makes another mistake, then maybe Todd will be able to get on top of him.
33:12But I have to say that that BMW, over this final couple of sectors, looks very, very good.
33:17Very, very smooth.
33:18You can see the BMWs have much, much bigger wings than anything else out there.
33:23Poor old Dean Harrison, who also went down the slip road.
33:27He's unfortunately some way back in fifth position at the moment behind Seeley.
33:31Hutchie in six.
33:32Brilliant ride from Seeley into fourth place on a super stock bike.
33:35And especially since it's one that, bearing in mind how long the 29-time winner round here
33:40has been out of this particular racetrack.
33:43We've not seen him here for a while.
33:45So then, last lap time.
33:47Last time they come to the Macro Boy chicane.
33:50Dunlop has just got to make it neat and tidy.
33:52He does.
33:53No drama there at all.
33:55Now he's well on the way down to Metropole and into the braking area.
33:58And then the coast road.
33:59And the crowd are going mad, as always.
34:00Still dusty there.
34:06I saw a bit of dust kicking up in the middle of the road there.
34:09But we're already into the braking area.
34:10And look at them waving all the way.
34:11Wait till we get to the grandstand just beside Church Corner here.
34:15They're going to be loving it.
34:16There we go.
34:17Look at that.
34:18Absolutely on their feet.
34:19Michael Dunlop gives them what they want.
34:21The Ulsterman is doing the business here at the Northwest 200.
34:24The opening super bike race of the day.
34:27It's Saturday.
34:28It's beautiful.
34:29Under the bridge.
34:31Favourite part of the course, this, for me.
34:34The crowd is absolutely enormous here today.
34:37I've never seen a crowd quite like it.
34:39Just one chicane left to go that's meaningful.
34:43Dunlop will take it.
34:45Not easy.
34:46But he knows how to get through it.
34:48Into the braking area then.
34:49At that chicane.
34:50Still dust on the track.
34:51That's cleaning up by the minute here.
34:54Listen to the crowd.
34:55You can hear them over the motorbike.
34:56That's unusual.
34:57So through the chicane.
34:58Neat and tidy.
34:59Now he's just got one long right-hander before he flicks it onto the start and finish straight to take the checker flag.
35:07Michael Dunlop.
35:08There's an oil flag up in the road there.
35:09So there must be something slippery on the track somewhere.
35:11It won't bother him.
35:12He knows where it is.
35:13Checker flag time.
35:14Michael Dunlop does it again here in 2025.
35:18Second place goes to Davey Todd.
35:20Third place will be Peter Hickman.
35:22But I feel there might be just a little bit of a conversation going on after this race.
35:27Yeah, there could easily be.
35:31Dunlop, Todd Hickman up on the podium.
35:34Sealy.
35:34Brilliant fourth place for Sealy.
35:36Dean Harrison in the end only fifth.
35:37He'll be disappointed with that on the factory superbike.
35:40Hutchinson, McGuinness, Costamo, Brooks round out the top nine.
35:44Michael, congratulations.
35:52What a ride.
35:52That is a third win at this year's Northwest 200.
35:56Yeah, good ride there.
35:56I think we've got a bit of a complaint from a couple of riders here in the park for me.
36:01We ran on at the chicane.
36:03We were pushed into the chicane.
36:04Pete jumped over.
36:07They jumped over the grass, which was dangerous.
36:09We went over the curb.
36:11We got going.
36:12I ran on at Metropole again, come back to win.
36:15The rules is if you go through the chicane, as in you go through the stop box,
36:18you should stop, put your foot down.
36:20Safety reasons, I couldn't do that.
36:21I couldn't jump off the grass onto the stop box.
36:23It's just too dangerous.
36:25But they've obviously got a problem with it.
36:26But, you know, in the story, I didn't gain an advantage.
36:31I caught everybody, won the race.
36:33And what does it mean to you to have recorded a hat trick already at this event with lots more to come?
36:37Yeah, not even that.
36:38Just a bike one in ways.
36:39One in a superbike.
36:40One in for the Rocket guys.
36:43You know, Carl Cox, the Hawk Racing again.
36:46The SMR boys, everybody.
36:47It's chipped in to get the job on the road.
36:49We've still got stuff we need to address.
36:52And we get there.
36:53Well, Davey Todd is with me.
36:55They've just issued the results.
36:57Michael Dunlop is the winner.
36:58Davey, your reaction just to how things unfolded?
37:02Of course it did.
37:04I mean, it's a backyard, isn't it?
37:09I mean, fair play to him.
37:11He's obviously riding well.
37:12But we should have won the race anyway.
37:14We're miles in front.
37:15And I have no words.
37:16There's a rule.
37:17And we just change the rules to suit whoever it suits.
37:20So I don't want to say too much.
37:21But it's the way it is.
37:23We've got to move on.
37:25We'll keep racing rolling.
37:27Congratulations, first of all, on your podium.
37:29Can you give us an insight into what you think happened out there in the chicane?
37:33Yeah, it's dead simple.
37:34If you run on through a chicane, you have to stop in the stop box, put your foot down and go again.
37:38Me and Michael obviously got pulled in by me into Mather's cross.
37:41We both missed the chicane.
37:42Michael went straight on.
37:43I cut across, stopped in the stop box and went like you meant to.
37:47If you don't do that, you get a 10-second penalty.
37:49That's the rules.
37:55So Michael Dunlop makes it a hat-trick at the Northwest 200.
38:01Philip McAllen, 11 times Northwest 200 winner, is with me.
38:04What do you make of the controversy, Philip?
38:06I wouldn't like to be the clerk of the course.
38:08And I definitely wouldn't like to be in the Stuart's meeting that's going to happen later.
38:11Look, for the sake of racing, we had a great race.
38:14We had a Dunlop win, the first superbike race of the day, which was absolutely brilliant.
38:19We all wanted that.
38:20The racing was outstanding.
38:22But we're now going to have a Stuart's inquiry.
38:25You know, the Hickman team, they do have a point.
38:27They do have grounds for a good protest.
38:30Michael has his point too.
38:31We've looked at it a couple of times.
38:33There's two and three opinions so far.
38:35So I'm glad we're leaving that.
38:37This is a provisional result that Michael has won.
38:39So I'm glad we're leaving that now and they can sort that out after the race.
38:43Yes, for now, it's his third win at this year's event.
38:46Next up are the Supersports.
38:48And that's a class Lee rides in in the British Championship.
38:55We're going to have a closer look at the Supersport class.
38:58This is Connor Cummins' Panigale V2.
39:01This bike would not have been allowed in this class until two years ago.
39:05For that, the new generation rules have come into play, allowing the Ducati and the Triumph 765 into this class,
39:12along with the all-normal screaming four-cylinder 600cc engines.
39:17This is all capped on electronics now.
39:20So the torque is capped, the horsepower is capped, roughly around 140 to 145 horsepower,
39:26allowing all these new manufacturers into the class to re-enjuvenate the class, really.
39:31Now with these new manufacturers coming in, the class is reborn again.
39:35So you get to listen to all these wonderful sounds in the V-Twin and the triple of the Triumph.
39:39Michael Dunlop won the first Supersport race with a thrilling finale.
39:49Can he do it again?
39:51There will be lots of contenders with Dean Harrison, 12 podium finishes before today in pole position.
39:58And Richard Cooper, a winner in this class in the British Championship,
40:02with fellow Englishman Davey Todd, now a seven-time winner here,
40:06and certainly with a point to prove after that superbike drama.
40:11This has got to be one of the toughest classes to win.
40:14There's no doubt in there all the manufacturers want to be in it to win it.
40:18Off pole, it will be Dean Harrison from Richard Cooper and Davey Todd.
40:22Michael Dunlop, Peter Hickman and Paul Jordan.
40:24That's a big second row.
40:25Adam McLean, Jamie Coward and Mike Brown round out the front three.
40:29Yeah, always close racing.
40:30Alistair Seeley back this year.
40:32Ian Hutchison, Josh Brooks, Michael Evans, Piers, Yves Bien.
40:35And Michael Sweeney, Connor Cummings, Jeremy McWilliams in there.
40:38Nathan Harris and, of course, Dunlop won the first one of these.
40:41He's got the new lap record.
40:42He took the lap record this time.
40:43And they're off the line again.
40:45Got to be number one.
40:47That was McLean that was getting in the air as well.
40:49So the 56 machine of Adam McLean went upwards rather than forwards.
40:53And that will have cost him dearly on the 56 bike.
40:55It did.
40:56He's gone right back down the pack.
40:58As usual, number one this time.
40:59He's running number one.
41:00Davey Todd out in front.
41:02Harrison second.
41:03And that's Hickman third.
41:05Six laps this one.
41:07Four laps on Thursday.
41:09So it's a longer race for these guys to work it all out as we look back at the number six machine of Michael Dunlop.
41:14Certainly we thought that Ducati, well, it had more power than just about everything else on the first Supersport race.
41:22Will it be the same today, we wonder?
41:24Of course, these guys, most of these top guys have all jumped off the Superbikes.
41:28These will feel like toys to them.
41:29Except Richard, of course.
41:31Richard Cooper has not.
41:32This will be his first ride.
41:33He doesn't ride a Superbike, so he should be fresh on a Supersport machine and not have to make that transition from the big bikes back to these smaller powered bikes.
41:42Flashing through station corner there.
41:45Even these are going through there about 170 miles.
41:48Absolutely flat out through there.
41:49Todd, as we ride with Dean Harrison and Todd gets in the slipstream.
41:52Here comes the booming Ducati as well.
41:56So all of them side by side then.
41:58Big slipstream as the air is punched through as we run down to University.
42:03180 odd miles an hour.
42:04Normally 185 miles an hour even on these Supersport bikes.
42:07Just goes to show how much of a headwind there is.
42:09The 666 in the middle is Peter Hickman on the Triumph as well.
42:12Triumph Ducati, Yamaha.
42:14We've got them all in this race.
42:16And Honda takes the lead.
42:17Surely it is Dean Harrison.
42:18Double three tips it into University.
42:20Wow, what a spectacle that was.
42:23And we've got it covered from the Helicam as we go over the link road up to the Bally Salli roundabout for the first time then.
42:30Harrison.
42:32The Milenko by Paget's machinery in second place.
42:38Then it's Peter Hickman on his own Triumph.
42:40The Trooper Triumph by PHR.
42:42Peter Hickman racing.
42:44He preps that bike himself.
42:47Look at the lead already.
42:48I've got to say that's a pretty big lead that Dean Harrison has managed to get.
42:52But of course if they're slipstreaming they'll be pulling themselves up to the back of Dean Harrison.
42:56Richard Cooper won't know about this tailwind.
42:58I know he's smart enough.
42:59But you can see from the wind slot, they're right up the rear end and he goes down the inside.
43:03Surely he's not going to stop it.
43:04Number 47 Richard Cooper does on the Russell Racing Yamaha.
43:06Who went up the slip road though?
43:07Two riders went down the slip road.
43:09They will have to put their foot down.
43:11It's Peter Hickman again.
43:12Peter Hickman and Alistair Sealy.
43:14On the MSS prepped Kawasaki.
43:18Well they've been working hard to get that bike sorted.
43:20But Sealy's messed that one up in the braking area.
43:22Peter Hickman then.
43:22Oh let's rub some paint off shall we?
43:25Listen to the beautiful sound that Triumph does.
43:27Yeah it does.
43:28Three cylinder.
43:30And we look back from Alistair Sealy.
43:32So they've given themselves a bit of work to do.
43:33The number 12 machine there is Ian Hutchinson.
43:36He's on the MLAV racing machine.
43:40Even though they're doing about 170 miles now.
43:42They're side by side.
43:42It doesn't look that fast at all does it?
43:45This is the Kawasaki isn't it?
43:46Yep 636 Kawasaki.
43:48They've had trouble with the fueling map.
43:50And trying to get that sorted out over the last couple of days.
43:52Not enough track days.
43:54Track time even.
43:55And it is you're right.
43:56Michael Evans from Isle of Man on another Triumph.
43:59Down at Metropole.
44:02Different lines.
44:03Four of press into the brake area.
44:04Here comes Hickman.
44:05After the stop box.
44:06And I think he did stop.
44:07All perfectly okay.
44:08He nearly overshot himself there.
44:10And it's all over the track.
44:11He forced the 34 of Sealy out of the way.
44:13It's like Donington Park.
44:14Isn't it?
44:15Yeah down into Redgate for the first time.
44:17Under the railway bridge.
44:19Up towards the coast road we go then.
44:21And it is Dean Harrison.
44:22But he's under pressure from Richard Cooper.
44:24Who's under pressure from Davey Todd.
44:27Todd there on the number one machine.
44:30Clive Padgett preps good motorbikes.
44:33And it'll need to be if it's going to win this.
44:35And they're sitting there.
44:36Number six.
44:37The man that won the first of the Supersport races on Thursday.
44:40Of course Michael Dunlop on that Ducati.
44:43Which is a proper tool as well.
44:44It's come from the Ruba Ducati.
44:46The factory world Supersport team.
44:48They kind of play it down in the Dunlop camp don't they?
44:51Just how good their bikes are.
44:52The super bike he's got is a full factory thing.
44:55This one.
44:56Well it's a little bit special if you ask me.
44:59And certainly when we saw it in the first Supersport race.
45:02He just drove past them on that last lap.
45:04Yeah it did have a huge amount of performance didn't it?
45:07It really did.
45:07I know the slipstream comes into it.
45:09But it's certainly a real weapon.
45:13Down into the braking area at York.
45:15York hairpin.
45:16Bottom gear.
45:18Cooper closes in.
45:19Oh sounds lovely.
45:25Yeah they grab third gear.
45:26Some hold on to third gear.
45:28Some grab fourth back third.
45:29Then back to first gear again.
45:30A lot of first gear corners.
45:32I don't think many of the riders really like this roundabout.
45:35It's the wrong way round roundabout.
45:36Slows them down.
45:37It was supposed to slow everyone down for the station corner.
45:39But they're up to maximum speed by the time they get there nowadays.
45:42With the acceleration in.
45:43You can see Cooper's speed on the bottom right hand side.
45:46127, 29, 30.
45:48Is he going to make a pass before we get to the station?
45:50He is going to make a pass by the time we get to the station.
45:52So that's pretty impressive.
45:53How many people have ever been around the corner at 155 miles an hour?
45:58Not me.
46:00And I know that's a lie.
46:03So slipstreaming down towards University Corner.
46:07Side by side.
46:08Looking for the advantage.
46:10Trying to work out where you need to be on the track.
46:12Look at this.
46:12Right out to the white line.
46:14I'll tell you what.
46:14That's a bit tight out there.
46:16That's tired and dirty out there as well.
46:18Of course.
46:18Not many riders will be running that close to a white line.
46:21Todd goes through them.
46:23Looking back at Dean Harrison on the three.
46:24He's on the white line all the way into the braking area too.
46:27Alongside Richard Cooper on 47.
46:29Cooper runs a little wide.
46:31He's a tough little devil, isn't he?
46:33I think he ran a little wide.
46:34Because he saw a number one Honda up the inside of him there.
46:36Yeah.
46:36He doesn't give though.
46:39Cooper looking for another win in this class.
46:41It doesn't matter what Cooper rides.
46:42He's good on everything.
46:43Yeah, he is.
46:44He's the most adaptable rider.
46:46He's even, I've raced with him actually as a teammate at Goodwood.
46:48He can jump on a Manx Norton and squeeze everything out of it possible.
46:52Set the lap record at Goodwood on his third lap.
46:54I think I've never seen the place.
46:56So again, now we run back down towards Portrush.
47:01Speed trap 179 mile an hour.
47:04That's number 30 there.
47:06Which is, yeah, Jonathan Goetsky and the Frenchman on the Ducati.
47:09Again, Ducati just seems to have the grunt with the rules being what they are.
47:15Rules being what they are, they level these motorcycles all out.
47:18There might be different manufacturers and the Ducati, if it was allowed to perform to its maximum, would be head and shoulders pretty much above everything else.
47:26Well, yeah, capacity wise, isn't it?
47:28It's the 990 machine, 900.
47:30But they wind it back, back on the electronics so that it can't have that massive advantage.
47:35Everything is quite a close race.
47:37So, through goes Cooper.
47:39Little advantage for Cooper, but don't expect that to last too long.
47:42Pass the little on your left.
47:45Down towards Metropole.
47:47He's looking for the inside, but there's no room.
47:48Yeah, there is now.
47:49He's moved across now to take the race in line.
47:51Watch out for the manhole, Carrison.
47:53Is he going to do it?
47:54He does.
47:54Does he run wide?
47:55Big flames from Richard Cooper as well.
47:57Well, Koops was out wide, but he's pulled it back for the second apex.
48:01Watch out for Dunlop.
48:02Dunlop is right there now on bike number six.
48:05He's going to be all over Davy Todd in a minute.
48:07Through Church, under the railway bridge, up towards the coast road.
48:13Harrison's great on the brakes.
48:15Wait for it when we get to this chicane.
48:17So good here.
48:19Up and over Black Hill.
48:21Now then, this is where the braking point is.
48:23Harrison is great at this point.
48:24He really gets underneath Cooper.
48:26But he's given Cooper a bit of an advantage in knowing where he can do that.
48:32I don't know whether he's gone a little early just there,
48:34but Harrison at this part of the track,
48:36that Honda seems to work really well for him.
48:38Yeah, this is, of course, the Honda Racing UK machine.
48:42Dean Harrison joined them a couple of years ago,
48:44having ridden Calisar, who's made most of his career.
48:47Over the line then.
48:48Another lap.
48:50Harrison leads from Richard Cooper.
48:52From Todd, from Dunlop.
48:54Dunlop seems to be just sitting there at the moment,
48:56as he did in the first Supersport race on Thursday.
48:59He kind of, he intimated that he didn't want to get mugged.
49:03He didn't want to be in front and then get mugged at the chicane,
49:05because he's been there before.
49:06Yeah, didn't show his hand at all, did he?
49:08And then that last lap, he pulled the pin,
49:09and away he went on board with Richard Cooper.
49:12But again, we all know pretty much that these four are all going to be together
49:16by the time they get down to university.
49:18Harrison tips in first into York, hairpin.
49:23Tell you what, that's not that far away from Hickman back in fifth place as well.
49:27We're looking back at the Kawasaki of the 34 of Seeley.
49:30Seeley blasts by.
49:31Again, well, there's another light rider, Seeley.
49:35So that power-to-weight ratio launching up the hill must be an advantage, surely.
49:39Now then, Cooper back in front.
49:42Dunlop have gone up to the third.
49:45So here we are down at university again,
49:48and Dunlop slipped into third position there.
49:51Todd tips it in, and again, we'll there all be thinking about
49:54what we're going to do in the last lap.
49:56Is this a problem here, is there?
49:57Peter Hickman looks like he's rolling through the roundabout.
50:01No, he's underneath Seeley,
50:03so these two are side-by-side and battling away at it
50:06with the triumph screaming its head off.
50:08Remember, he had to go in the stop-box early on,
50:10so he's making his way back through the field.
50:12That's Peter Hickman.
50:14Still out front, the 47 of Richard Cooper.
50:18Dean Harrison.
50:19Ah, the 56 machine of Adam McLean has pulled out,
50:22so that's him done and dusted.
50:24So the Yamaha has come to an end for him.
50:27Cooper back in front.
50:29Yeah, Harrison, though.
50:30We now go on to the part of the course.
50:33Harrison is so sharp on the brakes up into the next chicane.
50:36Let's see if he can do it again with Cooper.
50:40Cooper's a wily tactician,
50:42and he won't want to let Harrison boss him along this course.
50:47When we get to the last lap,
50:50it's going to be down to whether Cooper has anything up his sleeve.
50:52Look, again, Harrison to the inside.
50:54I just think he's showing Cooper too much too soon in this race.
50:58Yeah, that's often the place where racers are won or lost into that one.
51:02It's pretty much the last pass.
51:04I know we've said that it's possible to do it up the toffee on the final corner,
51:08but it's a dangerous move,
51:09and if the rider in front blocks you, then there's no chance.
51:11Yeah, one or lost or everybody down on the grass, one or the other.
51:17Over the line we go then to start the last lap.
51:19Last lap time.
51:20Dean Harrison leads as we go through the start and finish area.
51:23Now then, can Harrison pull out enough of a lead to keep Cooper behind him or Dunlop behind him?
51:28Dunlop now with that booming Ducati is placing himself right where Richard Cooper doesn't want him to be
51:35and where he was in the first race on Thursday.
51:38He just waited, sat here,
51:40and I think it's going to be after the end of the straight into university
51:44we're going to start to see what's going on.
51:45Well, last time it was the run down to Portrush, wasn't it,
51:48where he made his move.
51:49He got that drive out of the chicanes,
51:52out of the Mathers chicane, out of Macro Boy chicane,
51:55and then just disappeared into the distance.
51:57Right, you think at this point, Dean Harrison, that lead he's got is good enough.
52:02Trust me, it's not going to be.
52:03We're still got a big battle on.
52:05We've got three quarters of a lap to go.
52:08Yeah, Dunlop's still got work to do.
52:10You can see how much of effort he's got to make to get up onto Richard Cooper,
52:14but he managed to make a pass before station last time around, but not this time.
52:18Right, this is it then, flat out.
52:20It's all about slipstream now.
52:21Dean Harrison provided the slipstream to start with.
52:23Richard Cooper goes through.
52:24Dunlop is alongside Dean Harrison.
52:25They are side by side.
52:26The Ducati should just have the legs on the Honda, but it hasn't.
52:29As Dean Harrison comes back again.
52:31Doesn't seem to be quite as sharp, that Ducati, in this Supersport race,
52:35as it did in the first Supersport race on Thursday.
52:37I'd agree with you.
52:38I completely agree with you.
52:39Now, is that atmospheric conditions?
52:41Have they adjusted something?
52:42We're going to find out.
52:43It's not bad, but it's not as fast as he looked on Thursday.
52:46We say that he takes the lead.
52:48It's Dunlop making the difference in this race, by the look to me.
52:51I don't think he's got a faster motorbike than everyone else this time around,
52:54but Dunlop is making the difference, and he hits the front over the link road then.
53:00We go through the magic roundabout, and then it's the big flick drag down towards Metropole.
53:05The tailwind will assist all of them.
53:09You can hear that Ducati booming away at the front, right out to the white line.
53:14Okay, Richard Cooper here.
53:15He's light.
53:15He's fast.
53:16He's got in the slipstream.
53:17Those two exhaust pipes out the back of Ducati trying to blow him back, but...
53:20That's remarkable.
53:21You wouldn't have seen that on Thursday.
53:23The R6 is an old motorcycle.
53:25It's still a fast motorcycle.
53:27Cooper's R6 is incredible, but here comes Michael Dunlop again.
53:32Who's it going to be?
53:33Richard Cooper has the advantage from Dunlop, from Dean Harrison.
53:37This was where Thursday Dunlop just blasted past.
53:40He kind of just overtook, like we said, mirror, signal, and pass,
53:44and today we've got Richard Cooper out in front.
53:48I'm just looking.
53:48He's got a bit of a distance in front already towards Mathes.
53:51To McAvoy.
53:52Here, into the braking area then.
53:55Through goes Cooper.
53:56Dunlop is in a good position, but so is Dean Harrison.
53:58Dean Harrison has the best of the slipstream if you've got two bikes in front.
54:02And Alistair Sealy slips underneath Peter Hickman to take the 666
54:06and the position that Peter Hickman was holding.
54:09Peter Hickman a bit subdued in this Supersport race, I would suggest.
54:13Here we go then.
54:15This is the last lap, I remind you.
54:16Dean Harrison looks at the inside of Dunlop and forces Dunlop back in the third place.
54:20Cooper runs a little wide.
54:21Dunlop drives underneath them.
54:23Dunlop drives right underneath them.
54:24That's going to get the crowd on their feet.
54:25There's no doubt about it.
54:26But Dean Harrison holds him off at church.
54:29Through goes Richard Cooper.
54:30Now then, there's one more big pass in place that we've got here.
54:33As they blast up onto the coast road.
54:35Can Dean Harrison do it yet again at the chicane?
54:39What a race.
54:39What a race we've got here.
54:41Any one of these three still.
54:42It's who's going to get the run out of here.
54:44Oh, good run there for Dean Harrison.
54:45But he's on the wrong side.
54:46He's got to get underneath Richard Cooper.
54:48Here comes Dunlop as well.
54:49He's around the outside of Dean Harrison.
54:50Into the braking area of the chicane.
54:52We're going to go now.
54:53This is it.
54:54It's all about who has got the sharpest tactics here.
54:58Dean Harrison goes under eighth.
54:59But he lets him off.
55:00Richard Cooper lets the brakes off.
55:01And Dunlop looks for the place.
55:03Oh, my.
55:04Well, I've never seen anything like it.
55:06Richard Cooper stayed on after leaping out of the seat.
55:09And he surely will win.
55:11Again, the stewards are going to have to look at that.
55:13Because he used the inside of that course.
55:16But it is Richard Cooper from Dean Harrison.
55:19From Michael Dunlop.
55:20As they come to the line.
55:22Flag out.
55:23What a finish.
55:24Cooper was just so determined to not let anybody buy it.
55:28Dunlop was the only one that stayed on the track.
55:29Cooper, Harrison, Dunlop.
55:31Unbelievable trio.
55:32Davey Todd gets fourth place.
55:34He might be grateful for not being in that particular battle.
55:36Hickman fifth.
55:37Alistair Seeley in sick.
55:38Brooks, Jordan, Hutchison and Keyes round out the top ten.
55:42Yes!
55:42Richard Cooper, wow.
55:49What a race.
55:50What a finish.
55:51Yeah.
55:54You know, that one I was like, I'm having this.
55:58Michael beat me fair and square.
56:00Race one.
56:03He had that one.
56:05This one, there was no way.
56:06Once I see him come up from the inside, they had the brakes off.
56:08Who got through that chicane in one piece, in my eyes, was just,
56:13their win was for the taking.
56:15And fantastic.
56:16I think all races should be four laps because there's no rest up.
56:19You know, we all know that you have to give 100%.
56:20I enjoy winning super twin races, but to win a super sport race on a Saturday
56:24in front of these fans is something special.
56:27Another podium for Dean Harrison.
56:28My goodness, you played your part in a quite sensational race.
56:32I knew from the start of the race it was going to be difficult, to be honest.
56:39And I just, as soon as anyone had passed me, I was straight back passed.
56:42I was constantly in the slipstream.
56:43They've got not a massive amount of speed advantage, but there's a bit there.
56:47Middle of the corner, I felt like I hadn't, to be fair.
56:49I wasn't stressed there.
56:51And then Michael tried to have a do at me at Metropole in the last lap.
56:54And I chopped back on the inside.
56:55We had a bit of a coming together there.
56:57And then me and Richard had a bit of a fairing bash at the last chicane.
56:59So it's good for everyone to see.
57:01Give us your thoughts on that race, particularly the finish there.
57:04Well, it's a great race.
57:05You know, Gernon cried about the speed of my bike.
57:08But you can see there now, everybody was on the same run.
57:11It's hard to call that one.
57:13Two boys knew they weren't making a turn, so they let the brakes off and over to the grass.
57:16So they got an advantage on me there.
57:19I had a tactic around outside, and I seen Dean come from the inside.
57:22And I said, oh, he's not making that.
57:24So what did he say about it, really?
57:26You know what I mean?
57:26Unless the organisers look at it, I don't know.
57:28At the end of the day, it was a great race.
57:30It was tight racing.
57:31It was great racing.
57:31So that was all it was all about.
57:40So a sixth win for Richard Cooper at the Northwest 200.
57:45Lee, what a fantastic, dramatic, and controversial opening to main race day at the Northwest.
57:50Yeah, we've had a Cooper double and a Dunlop controversy, so I don't know what is more exciting or what's getting more talk, to be honest.
57:58The fact that Richard Cooper's won both the Super Twin race and the Supersport race, which also had some controversy in the last chicane.
58:04But thankfully, everyone got through it and onto the podium.
58:07And lots more exciting racing to come.
58:09Our final highlights programme is on Monday night at 10.40, also repeated on the BBC iPlayer.
58:16And you can watch all of the programmes again on the BBC iPlayer with lots more content across our digital platform.
58:23We'll see you then.
58:24But for now, from all of us here on the North Coast, it's bye-bye.
58:54We'll see you then.
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