Top European rider Laurent Hoffmann says racing at North West 200 'like hitting jackpot' ahead of sixth appearance in May
Leading European rider Laurent Hoffmann says racing at the North West 200 is “like hitting the jackpot” as he looks towards his sixth appearance at the famous Northern Ireland road race.
The Belgian rider, who finished as the runner-up to Ballymoney’s Darryl Tweed in last year’s IRRC Superbike Championship, will race a BMW M1000RR Superstock machine at the event, which takes place from May 6-9.
Hoffmann is a regular top-15 finisher at the North West 200 and thrives on the opportunity to pit himself against the best road racers in the world, with names like Michael Dunlop, Davey Todd, Dean Harrison and Peter Hickman on the grid.
“As a European rider, the North West is like the top of the bill,” said the two-time IRRC Supersport champion.
“When you come from Europe over here, it’s like hitting the jackpot in fact; it’s amazing to go with the biggest road racing stars in the world and compete with them.
“When I come over here, I just want to see how is my level against these guys, and it’s nice to be amongst them.
“I’m top 15 mostly which I think is quite okay. I’m just a privateer and I don’t have the big budget to spend, but whenever I can beat one of these guys, it doesn’t matter who it is, I’m proud that I can reach that level. I’m just in a small awning, you know.”
Hoffmann’s father, Eugene, was a motorcycle racer and he has many fond memories of accompanying his dad to the races, and riding his own motocross bike from the age of five.
He hadn’t heard of the North West 200 as a young boy but was familiar with the name Dunlop and the Isle of Man TT.
“When I was starting my career, I only knew about the TT. I knew about Dunlop, the family Dunlop – Joey, Robert – I was looking up to them,” Hoffmann said. “In fact Joey already died before I started my career but the only road racing I knew was from TT.
“At home in Belgium, I had five races in my first championship when I was doing 125 because I started at a lower level, and I had them all on the streets.
“Back in those days most of the races were still on roads and my first race was on the roads, in the rain! I already felt that tension and it was really amazing.
“My dad user to be a racer and straight from a small age I loved going to the races with him and I was always in the paddock riding around on a small motocross bike already when I was like five.
“I could nearly not ride a normal pushbike, I had side wheels on it, but I was already on a motocross bike, and for me it was instantly growing and growing, and for me it was normal,” he added.
“Going to the races, meeting the people there, smelling the fuel and so on, I just stayed when my dad stopped and shortly after that I also started my career.”
Hoffmann raced at the Ulster Grand Prix for the first time in 2019, the last year the event was held before financial difficulties and the Covid pandemic led to multiple cancellations of the historic race at Dundrod.
He won the newcomers trophy and hopes to have the chance to race at Dundrod again the future.
“I was the fastest newcomer and that was cool, and straight away I said I’m coming back, but then came Covid and all the other problems, but I’m sincerely hoping that it might come back next year,” said Hoffman.
With the North West 200 only 10 weeks away, Hoffmann is excited to make further progress in 2026, although he feels challenging for a top-10 result is unrealistic.
“Every year I’m climbing up the ranking a bit, and for me when I hit top 15, I’m OK,” he said.
“The top 10 is for me unreachable, maybe [because of] talent but also the money and the bike and so on [that the best riders and teams bring] but somewhere between 10 and 15 I would be really amazingly happy.”
Hoffmann is the driving force behind the new European Series Road Racing Championship, which was set up following a decision by the organisers of the IRRC (International Road Racing Championship) to drop the Superbike race on safety grounds.
The NW200 will host the second round of the ESR series in May, with two Superbike races carrying championship points.
The six-round championship also includes races at Hengelo (Netherlands), two rounds at Horice (Czech Republic), plus Imatra (Finland), and Chimay (Belgium).