FHO Racing BMW's Peter Hickman and Josh Brookes fired up for North West 200

Hickman claimed the outright lap record around the 8.9-mile ‘Triangle’ course in 2022 to complete a full set of fastest laps at the major road races, with the 35-year-old also top of the charts at the Isle of Man TT and Ulster Grand Prix.

His record lap at the North West last year of 124.799mph came after he lost any chance of fighting for victory in the opening Superbike race, running on at University after hitting a false neutral on the first lap.

He had hauled himself up to sixth place behind Brookes when his rear Dunlop tyre delaminated at almost 200mph, forcing him out.

Hickman was then denied the chance of riding in the feature Superbike race later in the day due to safety concerns over the Dunlop rubber, which resulted in a depleted grid.

Ulsterman Glenn Irwin went on to complete a double to make it six wins on the bounce in the blue riband class at his home event.

“It is nice to have the full set,” said Hickman, reflecting on his trio of absolute lap records.

“And it came during a meeting when things weren’t going to plan for me at all. Anything that could go wrong did go wrong last year.

“I was doing 197mph when the tyre let go. At the time I didn’t know anything about the problems Dunlop were experiencing with their tyres and that other riders had suffered the same thing.

“There was just this massive vibration,” added the two-time North West 200 Superstock race winner, who made his debut at the event in 2014.

“I want to win a Superbike race here. I’ve come here so long now and never done it. I’ve got to pull the finger out and do it.

"Every time I am in a position to win it seems that something goes wrong.”

Hickman will compete in the Superbike and Superbike classes on the FHO BMW M1000RR. He will also line up in the Supersport and Supertwin races at the North West on his Trooper Beer Triumph 765 and PHR Performance Yamaha R7 machines.

Aussie Brookes also returns to the North West after competing at Northern Ireland’s biggest road race last season for the first time since 2014.

Brookes, who set an outright lap record in 2014 as he chased eventual winner Michael Dunlop, finished on the podium in third last May in the main Superbike race on a PBM Ducati.

“It isn’t a case of wait and see how it goes,” Brookes said.

“I know that I can race competitively alongside Peter at the North West. The target has to be to win races.

“I was on the podium last year, Peter set a new outright lap record on the BMW and the bike is even better now, so I don’t think that is unrealistic.

“I’ve been riding and racing over the winter in Australia so I’ve had some time to adapt to the BMW. The bike has a new engine this year which has very different characteristics.”

NW200 race week takes place from May 7-13.