North West 200: Ryan Farquhar and Richard Cooper join forces again in bid to extend four-race winning streak

Farquhar, the most successful rider ever in Irish national road racing, has long been a pioneer of the class, which effectively filled the void left by the decline of 125cc and 250cc two-stroke racing.

The Dungannon man won the inaugural Supertwin race at the North West in 2011, filling the top three places on the rostrum with his KMR Kawasaki machines as fellow Northern Ireland rider Jeremy McWilliams and 14-time NW200 winner Michael Rutter finished second and third respectively.

Farquhar then triumphed in the first Supertwin race at the Isle of Man TT the following year to complete the full set of major victories after also winning the maiden race for the class at the Ulster Grand Prix.

A serious accident in the 2016 Supertwin race at the NW200 brought his glittering racing career to a juddering halt, but the 48-year-old has remained involved in the sport, with Nottingham’s Cooper riding Farquhar-prepared Kawasaki machinery to victory in the last four Supertwin races held around the 8.9-mile ‘Triangle’ course.

Cooper was controversially disqualified from the results in 2022 due to a technical infringement relating to a fairing bracket fitted to his J McC Roofing Racing machine, but after a successful appeal, the two-time British Superstock champion was reinstated as the winner 18 months later.

Cooper and Farquhar joined forces again last year and sealed another double with a new lap record of 112.251mph in the opening race.

Changes to the regulations have been introduced for 2024 which Farquhar says will provide a stiffer challenge against the bigger capacity Aprilia RS660 and Yamaha R7 machines, but he is hopeful Cooper will continue to make the difference.

“We were able to run a Kawasaki with a 700cc engine last year against the 660 Aprilia and 700 Yamaha machines, but after a lot of whinging the rules have been changed this year,” said Farquhar, who has received backing once more from Jack Reid Cars in Carrickfergus.

“We have to run the Kawasaki as a 650 again so the bike just isn’t going to be as competitive as it was last year, which is frustrating.

“The Aprilia has been granted an extra 500rpm which the Kawasaki isn’t allowed and the Yamaha has 40-odd ccs more than the Kawasaki with the same minimum weight and rpm, so every way you look at it, all the Kawasaki and Suzuki 650 runners are at a big disadvantage.

“I was nearly going to walk away because I just thought I’m sick of it, but then part of me wanted to go again just to beat them,” he added.

“Richard wants to ride the bike and he’s a class act, so I’ve been working hard to give him the best package I can and hopefully it will be enough, but it’s definitely not going to be easy.”

Opening practice on the north coast takes place next Wednesday, May8 with roads closed from 9am-3pm.