NW200: Peter Hickman rages against race organisers after Superbike dispute - 'absolute bull, they can go stuff themselves'

The Lincolnshire man finished third in the Superbike opener won by home hero Michael Dunlop, with Hickman’s 8TEN Racing BMW team co-owner Davey Todd finishing as the runner-up.

An irate Hickman refused to go to the podium, but Todd took his position on the second step and shook Dunlop’s hand when he stepped onto the rostrum.

Hickman and Todd were angry that Dunlop did not receive a 10-second penalty following an incident at Mather’s chicane on the first lap, when he ran on but did not stop first before rejoining the course.

Ballymoney rider Dunlop said this was because it would have been “unsafe” to cut back across to the stop box and following an official review of the incident later, Dunlop’s victory on the factory ROKiT BMW Motorrad machine stood.

Hickman, who was ahead of Dunlop on the first lap, also missed the entrance to Mather’s chicane but pulled across to the stop box before setting off again.

Dunlop then ran straight on at Metropole in Portrush and found himself around 20 seconds down on race leader Todd.

However, he was on a mission and relentlessly chased after his English rival, catching and passing Todd on the last lap.

It was 29-time Isle of Man TT winner Dunlop’s first Superbike victory around the 8.9-mile course since 2016, when he won on a Hawk BMW, completing a treble for the Ulsterman following his Supersport and Superstock victories on Thursday evening.

The 36-year-old also set the fastest lap of this year’s event at 125.539mph, which was under one second off Glenn Irwin’s 2024 outright lap record.

Hickman, who has claimed he has “probably ridden in my last ever North West” following Saturday’s Superbike dispute, interrupted Todd’s live interview with BBC NI and blasted: “You won that race mate, well done. Absolute bull, I’m not even going on the podium – they can go stuff themselves.”

Speaking before Dunlop was announced as the winner on Saturday, the 38-year-old said: “It’s dead simple, if you run onto the chicane you have to stop and put your foot down in the stop box and go again.

“Michael obviously got pulled in by me to the Mather’s cross, we both missed the chicane, Michael went straight on, I cut across, went to the stop box and went like you’re meant to.

“If you don’t do that, you get a 10-second penalty – that’s the rules. As far as I’m concerned, one of us gets a 10-second penalty and one of us doesn’t.

“Who knows what’s going to happen but the 8TEN bike ran really well, I’m really happy with it. [I was] slow on the first couple of laps like I normally am, I need to get the tyres up to temperature and then I’m all good.”

Hickman also said Dunlop had “no excuses” because he had the “best bike on the grid”.

“Davey cleared off, riding really well – as is Michael,” said Hickman.

“Michael’s riding so, so good, it’s great to see him back again.

“Probably for the first time in a long time, Michael’s probably got no excuses, he’s got a full factory BMW built by the SMR team with Toprak [Razgatlioglu], what more could ask for? It’s the best bike on the grid.

“He’s riding it awesome, it’s great to see, it’s great to be in the battle with it.

“I’m looking forward to what the outcome is. If they apply it by the rulebooks, unfortunately there’s a 10-second penalty in there, but who knows. I stopped and put my foot in the box, which is exactly what you have to do if you jump the chicane.”

Todd, who dropped time with a technical problem on his BMW, said he was unsurprised that Dunlop had not been penalised.

Reacting to the decision, the 29-year-old said: “Of course they did, I mean it’s the backyard isn’t it.

“Fair play, he’s obviously riding well but we should’ve won the race anyway.

“We got to the front and had a technical issue with the bike and it started running real slow. I don’t know what’s wrong with it, I managed to nurse it around to the finish.

“We had a technical issue, but I’ve no words. There’s a rule and they just change the rules to suit whoever it suits. I don’t want to say too much. It’s the way it is and we’ve got to move on. We’ll keep racing won’t we,” he added.

“P2 and the official decision is P2 as well, which probably sucks even more than the technical issue, and if it weren’t for that then I should’ve won. What can you do.”

Alastair Seeley finished fourth on the SMS/Nicholl Oils BMW with Honda Racing’s Dean Harrison and Hutchinson (MLav Racing BMW) completing the top six.

John McGuinness, who was as high as third after the drama at the start of the race before falling back when he ran on at Magherabuoy, finished seventh (Honda Racing UK) with Finnish competitor Erno Kostamo eighth on the RVS Motorsport BMW.

Josh Brookes (Jackson Racing Honda) and Michael Evans (Dafabet Honda) completed the top ten.

Michael Rutter, who made his 100th start at the NW200, finished 12th on the Bathams AJN BMW.