NW200: Glenn Irwin reflects on 2025 absence - 'When the first race went off, that was the realisation that my name wasn't winning this race'
Record 11-time North West 200 Superbike winner Glenn Irwin is back in race mode on the north coast after missing the event last year
The Carrickfergus man will ride his Nitrous Competitions Racing Ducati V4R when the first practice sessions get under way around the 8.9-mile course on Wednesday morning.
Irwin went unbeaten in the blue riband class from 2017 until 24, chalking up 11 Superbike wins in succession to become the most successful rider ever in the headline races, surpassing the previous record of nine Superbike victories held jointly by Joey Dunlop and Michael Rutter.
The 36-year-old was in action at the opening round of the British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park over the bank holiday weekend, where Irwin clinched a best result of fifth in the final race on Monday.
He was hampered by technical problems with the Italian machine in the first two races, but the Ulster rider left Oulton in a happier frame of mind after admitting Monday’s 18-lap BSB race was the “first session since testing that we haven’t had a technical problem”.
Last year, he took on an ambassadorial role for the North West, and Irwin said he still enjoyed being at the event as much as he had when he was competing in previous years.
“When the very first race went off, that was the realisation that my name wasn’t winning this race after winning the last 11,” he said.
“But I’ve been to the North West as a boy, like my dream holiday every year as a kid, and I’ve been there watching my idols; I’ve done the partying, I’ve done the racing, so even though I was there in another role, you’re still there, and I’ve enjoyed it every bit as much whether I was six years of age in a caravan, or 17 or 18 in Kelly’s, or whether I was 28 and winning a Superbike race.
“I can’t say I missed it because I was still there. I love the whole event and not just because I get to race at it. I guess it’s a bit like Brian Reid, who goes to the TT every year and he’s in his element, he loves it, and he hasn’t raced there for 20 or 30 years, or whatever.
“That’s sort of how I would describe it, I’ve a lot of passion for and whether I’m there in a working capacity, a racing capacity, or as a fan, it’s the same feeling believe it or not.”
Irwin clinched a treble two years ago on his last visit and intends to pick up where he left off.
He added: “Can I do three this year? Of course we can. I’m aiming to go 12, 13 14 [wins], and I don’t mean that arrogantly, but I’m still unbeaten in 11 and I want to keep that going.”
Roads are closed from 9am until 3pm on Wednesday for practice.