North West 200: 'World's strongest field' - organisers confirm 2023 entry list
- Published
Alastair Seeley (left) has won a record 27 North West 200 races while Glenn Irwin (right) claimed a Superbike double in 2022
This year's North West 200 will feature the "world's strongest field of road racing talent" after race organisers confirmed the entry list.
The race appeared unlikely to go ahead in 2023 after all motorcycle racing in Northern Ireland was cancelled because of soaring insurance costs in February.
But with the Motor Cycle Union of Ireland Ulster Centre having secured a new deal last month, the North West 200 will return with a strong line-up of riders when it takes place between 11-13 May.
Over 100 entrants, including competitors from 13 countries outside the UK and Ireland, will take part in Tuesday and Thursday qualifying sessions.
That precedes a nine-race programme that includes three events on Thursday evening and five during Saturday's main race day.
British championship competitors Glenn Irwin, Alastair Seeley and Richard Cooper are all returning for this year's event.
Carrickfergus rider Irwin, winner of the last six Superbike races in Portrush, will race for PBM Ducati in the British Superbike Championship and the North West 200.
Irwin, 33, claimed a Superbike double in last year's NW200 while riding for Honda.
Seeley, the NW200's most successful rider, has reunited with TAS Racing. Seeley claimed a hat-trick at the 2022 event to take his race wins tally to 27, 12 more than anyone else in NW200 history.
Nottingham rider Cooper crossed the finish line first in both Supertwin races last year but was disqualified because of a technical infringement with his machine.
Cooper, however, did claim podium finishes in the Superstock race and two Superbike contests and will return this year on a Yamaha for the 600cc races and a yet-to-be confirmed superbike-spec machine.
Michael Dunlop will ride a Honda Fireblade in the Superbike class for the first time since 2013
Among the opposition awaiting Irwin, Seeley and Cooper will be Ballymoney's Michael Dunlop, who will ride a Honda Fireblade in the Superbike class for the first time since 2013.
Dunlop, 33, will also be Honda-mounted in the Superstock class alongside a R6 Yamaha in the Supersport division, with Fermanagh's Lee Johnston and Jamie Coward also making the switch to Honda in the premier class.
The Honda UK squad includes NW200 veteran John McGuinness and new signing, Nathan Harrison, while four-time 2022 NW200 runner-up Davey Todd and Conor Cummins will return to action on Hondas in the Superbike, Superstock and Supersport classes.
Peter Hickman, who set a new NW200 outright lap record last year, will again ride a BMW machine and will be joined by new FHO Racing team-mate Josh Brookes in both 1000cc classes.
After competing in the Dakar Rally, 2019 NW200 Superstock race winner James Hillier will return with OMG Racing Yamaha, while Kawasaki will be represented by Dean Harrison, who claimed a podium finish in the Superstock class last season.
Adam McLean, Michael Sweeney, Mike Browne, Jeremy McWilliams, Paul Jordan, Brian McCormack are among the Irish hopefuls, while a strong international contingent includes Italy's 2019 Supertwin race winner Stefano Bonetti, 2022 Twins victor Pierre-Yves Bian of France and Erno Kostamo (Finland) and David Datzer (Germany), the winner and runner-up of last year's Macau Grand Prix.
Gary McCoy, 2022's leading NW200 newcomer, is also set to return alongside female competitors Nadieh Schoots, Patricia Fernandez-West and Maria Costello.