North West 200 Superbike record holder Glenn Irwin is looking forward to facing new team-mate Storm Stacey again in 2027 when they will be among the top contenders at the North Coast road race.

Irwin won his 12th successive Superbike race in May on the Nitrous Competitions Racing Ducati after taking a year out of road racing, but the Carrick man’s winning streak was ended when event newcomer Stacey triumphed in the second Superbike event, which was red-flagged because of oil on the coast road.

A result was declared, with 23-year-old Stacey sealing the win from Dean Harrison and Irwin.

Stacey rode for 14-time NW200 winner Michael Rutter’s Bathams AJN Racing Team on a Ducati V4R in the British Superbike Championship this season and rode the Italian machine in the opening Superbike race at the North West, finishing seventh.

placeholder image — Glenn Irwin with Charley Boorman (centre) and Storm Stacey the premiere of Bigger, Better, Faster - Inside the North West 200 - in Belfast on Tuesday

However, the Staffordshire man switched to a BMW M1000RR and beat Michael Dunlop in a thrilling Superstock race around the 8.9-mile course before completing a dream double with victory in the headline Superbike race on the GRYD Racing/Alpha Racing machine.

Irwin and Stacey have joined Michael Laverty’s GRYD Racing squad for next season, when their BMW machines will be prepared by Alpha Racing.

Both riders attended the premiere of Charley Boorman’s film about the famous road race, Bigger, Better, Faster – Inside the North West 200 – in Belfast on Tuesday evening.

Speaking at the premiere, Irwin said: “It’ll be good fun. Of course, there’s much more than me and Storm and there’s a guy sitting up to my left [Dean Harrison] that I’ve had a many fantastic races with at the North West, so there’s probably three favourites I guess along with Michael [Dunlop] and you can never rule Alastair [Seeley] out.

“Storm’s a great lad, he’s somebody I’ve a lot of respect for, he’s an affable character but then I’ve probably been called that myself.

“Storm has a great story with the top hat and it’s something he’s known for wearing. He lost his father at a young age due to suicide and I think the career that he has built himself is extremely remarkable.

“He paves the way on social media, he’s a YouTuber and he makes me feel old because I can’t even make a TikTok video,” added Irwin. “But hopefully I can still beat him on track and we had a great race this year.

“I think he made the wise decision to jump off the Ducati, so now we’re back on equal machinery like we were halfway through the event this year and hopefully we can put on a great show.

“But the beauty of the North West is this this rivalry is fun because we are doing something that’s so much fan, but so much danger and the respect that I share among the lads on the grid at the North West is a different level.

“I look forward to lining up with these guys next year and whoever wins, wins. You can’t force the issue there or else the outcome won’t be so good, so if we win again, happy days but you can’t predict it.”

The 2027 Briggs Equipment North West 200 takes place from May 11-15.