Macau Grand Prix winner Erno Kostamo leads strong international line-up at North West 200

Kostamo won the Macau Grand Prix in 2022, albeit in the absence of leading contenders such as Peter Hickman and Davey Todd, who sat out the event due to prohibitive Covid-19 restrictions.

A frontrunner in the International Road Racing Championship, Kostamo made his debut on the roads at the legendary Imatra course in 2016.

The 31-year-old raced at the North West for the first time in 2019, when he earned a best result of 11th place in the Superstock class on Penz.com BMW.

Last year, the Finn claimed a trio of top-10 results around the 8.9-mile ‘Triangle’ course before making his Mountain Course bow at the Isle of Man TT.

Kostamo will ride a BMW for the Penz team this season and will be joined on the NW200 grid in Portrush by 2023 IRRC Superbike champion Lukas Maurer.

The 30-year-old Swiss rider enjoyed a sensational debut at the North West in 2019, finishing fifth in the Superstock class.

Maurer also finished inside the top ten in the Superbike class on the Heidger Motorsport Kawasaki and went on to seal the top newcomer award at the TT.

However, he was hindered by issues at the North West in 2022 and again last year.

Maurer said: “In 2022 I had difficulties with the bike and had a small crash in qualifying which meant I had to start very far back on the grid.

“Last year I was really motivated because I had just won the first two IRRC races the weekend before the North West 200.

“Unfortunately, a big stone hit my right hand and fractured two of my fingers pretty bad during first practice. I was able to participate in the rest of the week but I had really bad pain and no feeling in my braking hand.”

Maurer will ride Yamaha R1 machinery this year and will be hoping for a change of luck at Northern Ireland’s biggest road race, which runs from May 8-11.

He will be joined by fellow Swiss veteran Olivier Lupberger.

Another eye-catching name among the IRRC riders making the trip to the north coast meeting is Germany’s David Datzer.

Last year, he finished seventh in the Anchor Bar Superbike race at the North West on his debut at the event.

The Penz BMW rider rounded out the 2023 season with a brilliant third place behind Hickman and Todd in Macau.

Datzer said: “I’m really looking forward to the North West 200 because the event was my highlight in 2023.”

The Irish road racing season gets under way with the Cookstown 100 in Co Tyrone from April 26-27.