Alastair Seeley confirms North West 200 return with Northern Ireland team

The 24-time winner had feared he could miss out on the chance to land a milestone 25th victory this year after struggling to secure a competitive ride.

However, Seeley will take his place on the grid in Portrush after all, with the 42-year-old reaching an agreement with Graeme Hanna’s Antrim-based team to compete in the Supersport, Superbike and Superstock races at the North West, which returns from May 10-14 following back-to-back cancellations in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Seeley, who rode the IFS Yamaha bikes in the Ulster Superbike Championship last season – winning the Superbike and Supersport titles – said: “I am just glad to have something because for a while it was looking as if I might be flag-marshalling or spectating at this year’s North West.

“I spent a lot of time on the Superbike and the 600 last year. The bikes will be meticulously prepared and I will know them as well as the rest of the boys will know theirs.

“There won’t be any Spanish testing, just cold days out at Kirkistown and Bishopscourt, but we will maximise what we do here at home and I will have the race craft and the mileage,” added Seeley, who will again compete in the Ulster Superbike Championship this year.

The Carrickfergus man uncharacteristically failed to stand on the top step of the rostrum at the North West when the event was last held in 2019, ending an incredible record of at least one success each year between 2008 and 2018.

But the former two-time British champion is eager to return to winning ways in May, when he intends to put his vast experience of the 8.9-mile course to full use.

“Only Michael Rutter and John McGuinness have more experience than me around there because they’ve been coming for about 90 years between them!” Seeley joked.

“I’ve been around in all conditions and I’d fancy my chances on a wet track that was starting to dry out: If there wasn’t a lot of set-up time we could be quids in.

“No matter how it goes, we will sort it out on the day.”

Seeley went close to a 25th victory in a thrilling Supersport race in 2019, when he had taken the lead at Juniper Hill chicane on the last lap before crashing out, gift-wrapping the win to fellow Northern Ireland man Lee Johnston.

He admits that his best chance of another victory will most likely come on the IFS Yamaha R6, even if he feels the R1 Superbike won’t be far away in the feature class.

“The 600 is probably the strongest bike for me,” Seeley said.

“I lost out on the Thursday night race in 2019 when I crashed on the last lap at Juniper. The big bikes are all about set-up and I’ve suffered with a lot of high speed weave in recent years which means you can’t hold the throttle wide open to get the top speed and make the passes. But I think the IFS Superbike will be good enough.”

Former NW200 Event Director Mervyn Whyte, who is now a consultant for Northern Ireland’s biggest road race, added: “It is great news that Alastair will be back on the North West 200 grid with IFS Racing in 2022.

“He is the rider who has set the standard for everyone else to match around the Triangle course and he is hungry for even more success as he aims for that 25th win.”

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