- Storm Stacey wins Superstock and Superbike Race 2 as a newcomer and is the only double winner of the day
- Glenn Irwin takes his 12th Superbike win in Race 1 but loses an NW200 Superbike race for the first time since 2017
- Jeremy McWilliams wins Supertwin Race 2 after losing to Peter Hickman in Race 1
- Michael Dunlop wins the Supersport class on the Ducati Panigale V2
Race day at the Briggs Equipment North West 200 2026 on May 9 was a day full of drama. Strong winds, seven red flags across the six races and a programme overshadowed by Thursday’s fatal accident shaped the Saturday at the 14.3-kilometre Triangle Course between Portrush, Portstewart and Coleraine. 48-year-old Czech rider Kamil Holan had crashed during the first Superbike qualifying session at Station Corner on Thursday morning and died at the scene. His family had agreed to the event continuing. The three races planned for Thursday evening had to be cancelled as qualifying was postponed to the evening. Saturday retained its original six-race programme.
How did Supertwin Race 1 at the North West 200 2026 go?
Peter Hickman won the opening race of the day on his Swan Racing by PHR Yamaha R7 after a thrilling duel with 62-year-old Jeremy McWilliams. The Northern Irishman, who had started as the fastest qualifier in the class, led for most of the race on his Flitwick Motorcycles Yamaha R7. Only in lap two did Hickman briefly take the lead between Mather’s and the Magherabuoy Chicane. Otherwise, the two were separated by mere tenths of a second.
The decisive moment came in the fourth and final lap under curious circumstances. Race control had failed to show the flag for the last lap. McWilliams therefore assumed another lap would follow and did not defend his line at the Juniper Chicane. Hickman dived up the inside and took the lead for good. The margin at the finish was 0.46 seconds.
McWilliams spoke after the race about how Hickman had caught him out because no flag was displayed. Hickman himself explained that he had been counting laps in his head and could count to four, so he simply attacked. “McWilliams’ bike has a bit more bite than ours, but overall I’m really happy to give Swan another win here at the North West,” said the 39-year-old Englishman. He was particularly pleased after last year’s disappointment and hoped to find improvements before the TT.
Alastair Seeley took third place on the Aprilia RS 660, 0.623 seconds behind McWilliams. Paul Jordan finished fourth and set the fastest lap of the class at 112.231 mph after running wide at University Corner on lap one. Jamie Coward (Paton S1-R) and Christian Elkin (Aprilia RS 660) completed the top six.
What makes Glenn Irwin’s 12th Superbike win so special?
Glenn Irwin rode his Nitrous Competitions Ducati Panigale V4 R to his 12th Superbike victory at the North West 200. After a year away, the 35-year-old from Carrickfergus had returned to the Triangle Course in 2026. In October 2024, he had announced his retirement from road racing and skipped the 2025 edition before reversing that decision in January 2026.
Superbike Race 1 over six laps had to be restarted after an incident at Church Corner. What followed was an intense battle between Irwin and Dean Harrison on the Honda CBR1000RR-R of the Honda Racing UK team. Irwin set the fastest race lap at 124.997 mph in lap three. Harrison briefly took the lead along the Coast Road in lap four, but Irwin countered under braking into the Metropole Corner in lap five and held Harrison at bay to the finish. The gap was 0.181 seconds.
Irwin spoke openly about his arm problems after the race. “My biggest problem is my arm. After a few laps I’m in big trouble and can’t use my strength on the brakes. I tried to save my body on the last lap,” he told BBC Sport NI. Harrison had passed him in areas where nobody had ever managed before, and he was the first rider to overtake him into the Juniper Chicane. Additionally, the team had been struggling with fuel consumption.
Michael Dunlop (Honda, MD Racing/Hawk Racing) finished third, more than 14 seconds behind the leading duo. Peter Hickman (BMW M1000 RR, 8 Ten Racing) took fourth ahead of Josh Brookes (Honda, DAO Racing) and Ian Hutchinson (BMW, Team RST). Brookes and Hutchinson had made contact at York Corner in lap five, with Hutchinson losing nearly 20 seconds to the podium group. Storm Stacey finished seventh on his Alpha Racing by GRYD BMW and set the fastest lap ever recorded by a newcomer at the North West 200 at 123.725 mph.
Who won the Supersport race at the North West 200 2026?
Michael Dunlop took his ninth North West 200 victory overall on his Scars Ducati by MD Racing Ducati Panigale V2. The Tides Restaurant Supersport Race was interrupted twice by red flags. Both incidents occurred at the Mill Road Roundabout, where Ian Hutchinson, Richard Cooper and Paul Jordan were involved in separate crashes. All three riders were unhurt but were not classified.
Dean Harrison set a new class lap record at 118.748 mph on the Honda CBR600RR in lap four but could not beat Dunlop. The Ballymoney rider won by 0.292 seconds. Josh Brookes completed the podium on the Suzuki GSX-R750 of Carl Cox Motorsport/Uggly&Co, with fastest qualifier Alastair Seeley finishing fourth.
Dunlop praised his SCARS Racing team after the race. “The wee bike is great. It works really well and I wanted to get a win today,” he said. He had felt comfortable and the bike had done everything he asked of it. The machine diversity in the class was remarkable: Ducati Panigale V2, Honda CBR600RR, Suzuki GSX-R750, Yamaha R6 and Triumph Street Triple 765 RS were all represented.
How did Storm Stacey win the Superstock race as a newcomer?
The biggest surprise of the day came in the CP Hire Superstock race. This race also had to be restarted after a red flag. Richard Cooper had crashed at University Corner in lap two and slid into a grass bank. The Nottingham rider was unhurt, but track infrastructure needed repair. Cooper, who had been fighting Stacey for the lead, could not take the restart.
The restarted race was run over four laps instead of the originally planned six. Dean Harrison, who had led the original race, retired in lap two of the restart with a mechanical problem. This set the stage for a thrilling three-way battle between Stacey on his Alpha Racing by GRYD BMW M1000 RR, Michael Dunlop on the MD Racing BMW and Josh Brookes on the Honda.
Lead changes were frequent. Stacey outbraked Dunlop at York Corner, Dunlop reeled him back in on the 300 km/h-plus run towards Coleraine. Stacey retook the lead at the Magic Roundabout. On the final lap, Stacey made his decisive move at the Metropole Corner. Shortly after, Dunlop’s BMW slid at the same spot and nearly threw him out of the saddle. He landed back on the bike but lost momentum and briefly let Brookes through before reclaiming second place at the Juniper Chicane.
Stacey won with a new class record of 124.498 mph, becoming the 27th rider in NW200 history to win a race on debut. The last debutant winner before him was Christian Elkin in 2007. Hutchinson, McGuinness and Mike Browne completed the top six.
Stacey described the victory as almost unbelievable. He had promised Stuart Higgs to take it easy, but in the race you just get caught up in it. The braking duels with Dunlop had been great fun, and he believed he had won them all. Dunlop acknowledged the newcomer’s performance. These guys were extremely hard on the brakes, and the NW200 traditionally suits BSB riders because they are used to braking extremely late every weekend.
How did McWilliams claim victory in Supertwin Race 2?
Jeremy McWilliams made up for his disappointment from the first race in the John M Paterson Supertwin Race 2. The 62-year-old took the lead from Peter Hickman at University Corner as early as lap one and led comfortably to the finish. It was his fourth Supertwin victory at the NW200 and his first since 2019.
“That’s been a long time coming. I’ve been waiting for that,” said McWilliams after the race. Everyone had told him the older he got, the less likely a win would be. He had simply kept his head down until the time was right. The reaction from the fans along the course had been tremendous.
Paul Jordan came home second, 5.8 seconds behind, and once again set the fastest lap of the class. Alastair Seeley finished third, claiming his 45th podium at the North West 200. Jamie Coward was fourth, just 1.5 seconds behind Seeley. Newcomer Franco Bourne impressed on the Paton in fifth, with Christian Elkin sixth. Peter Hickman, who had been fighting for a podium place, retired on the last lap at York Corner.
Seeley expressed disappointment at missing out on a 30th NW200 win. They had come to reach that milestone, but it had not worked out. The team had lacked speed and they had tried something that turned out to be the wrong direction. They would be back next year.
Why was Superbike Race 2 stopped early?
The Merrow Hotel and Spa Superbike Race 2, the final race of the day, was started by TV personality Charley Boorman. Storm Stacey took the lead from Glenn Irwin at York Corner as early as the first lap on his Alpha Racing by GRYD BMW. Dean Harrison briefly moved to the front at Magherabuoy, but Stacey led the field at every passing of the finish line.
At the start of lap four, the race was red-flagged due to a 40 to 50-metre oil spill at the exit of the Juniper Chicane. Event organiser Mervyn Whyte explained that they had initially planned a three-lap restart, but cleaning the oil had taken too long. As the roads had to be reopened by 18:45 under the road closure order, a restart was no longer possible.
The result after lap three was declared the official final result. Stacey was thus the only double winner of the day and Glenn Irwin’s streak in the Superbike class came to an end. It was the first time since 2017 that Irwin had lost an NW200 Superbike race in which he competed. Harrison finished second, Irwin third, Peter Hickman fourth and Josh Brookes fifth.
Stacey commented on his double victory: “It’s incredible. It doesn’t get much better than this. With two wins and a lap record, I can’t ask for more. Glenn spoke for me before this event, and I’ve done exactly what he predicted.”
Harrison said he was satisfied with his week despite not getting a win. He thought the event and the NW200 as a whole were brilliant. He would keep chasing a win and would never give up.
What role did Thursday’s fatal accident play?
The death of Kamil Holan cast a shadow over the entire event week. The 48-year-old from the Czech Republic had crashed at the fast Station Corner during the first Superbike qualifying session on Thursday morning. His family gave their consent for the event to continue.
The consequence was a significant programme change: Thursday qualifying was postponed to the evening, which meant the three planned evening races (Milwaukee Superbike Race, Fraser Homes Supersport Race and Amici Ristorante Superstock Race) had to be cancelled outright. Additionally, Darryl Tweed from Ballymoney remains in hospital after crashing his Triumph at The Whins in Portrush during Thursday’s qualifying.
All results of the NW200 2026 at a glance
Supertwin Race 1 (4 laps)
- Peter Hickman (Swan Racing by PHR, Yamaha R7)
- Jeremy McWilliams (Flitwick Motorcycles/SMV, Yamaha R7), +0.460s
- Alastair Seeley (Binch Pro Ducati by 3B Const, Aprilia RS 660)
- Paul Jordan (Jackson Racing by Prosper2, Aprilia RS 660)
- Jamie Coward (Milenco by Padgett’s Motorcycles, Paton S1-R)
- Christian Elkin (Bell Bikesport B&W Racing, Aprilia RS 660)
Superbike Race 1 (6 laps, restarted after incident)
- Glenn Irwin (Nitrous Competitions Racing, Ducati Panigale V4 R)
- Dean Harrison (Honda Racing UK, Honda CBR1000RR-R), +0.181s
- Michael Dunlop (MD Racing/Hawk Racing, Honda CBR1000RR-R), +14.390s
- Peter Hickman (8 Ten Racing/Monster Energy BMW Motorrad, BMW M1000 RR)
- Josh Brookes (DAO Racing, Honda CBR1000RR-R)
- Ian Hutchinson (Team RST, BMW M1000 RR)
Supersport (6 laps, red flag after lap 5, result after lap 4)
- Michael Dunlop (Scars Ducati by MD Racing, Ducati Panigale V2)
- Dean Harrison (Honda Racing UK, Honda CBR600RR), +0.292s
- Josh Brookes (Carl Cox Motorsport/Uggly&Co, Suzuki GSX-R750)
- Alastair Seeley (Binch Pro Ducati by 3B Const, Ducati Panigale V2)
- Carl Phillips (Bell Bikesport B&W Racing, Ducati Panigale V2)
- Mitch Rees (Milenco by Padgett’s Motorcycles, Honda CBR600RR)
Superstock (4 laps after restart)
- Storm Stacey (Alpha Racing by GRYD, BMW M1000 RR)
- Michael Dunlop (MD Racing, BMW M1000 RR)
- Josh Brookes (DAO Racing, Honda CBR1000RR-R)
- Ian Hutchinson (Team RST, BMW M1000 RR)
- John McGuinness (Honda Racing UK, Honda CBR1000RR-R)
- Mike Browne (MB Racing/Russell Racing, Honda CBR1000RR-R)
Supertwin Race 2 (4 laps)
- Jeremy McWilliams (Flitwick Motorcycles/SMV, Yamaha R7)
- Paul Jordan (Jackson Racing by Prosper2, Aprilia RS 660), +5.800s
- Alastair Seeley (Binch Pro Ducati by 3B Const, Aprilia RS 660)
- Jamie Coward (Milenco by Padgett’s Motorcycles, Paton S1-R)
- Franco Bourne (Team ILR with Frog Vehicle, Paton S1-R)
- Christian Elkin (Bell Bikesport B&W Racing, Aprilia RS 660)
Superbike Race 2 (result after 3 of 6 laps, red flag for oil spill)
- Storm Stacey (Alpha Racing by GRYD, BMW M1000 RR)
- Dean Harrison (Honda Racing UK, Honda CBR1000RR-R)
- Glenn Irwin (Nitrous Competitions Racing, Ducati Panigale V4 R)
- Peter Hickman (8 Ten Racing/Monster Energy BMW Motorrad, BMW M1000 RR)
- Josh Brookes (DAO Racing, Honda CBR1000RR-R)
- Ian Hutchinson (Team RST, BMW M1000 RR)
How does the NW200 2026 fit into the road racing season?
The North West 200 is traditionally the dress rehearsal before the Isle of Man TT, which takes place a few weeks after the race on the Northern Irish coast. Storm Stacey’s breakthrough as a double winner on debut is likely to shift the balance of power in road racing significantly. It was the first time since 2017 that Glenn Irwin lost a Superbike race at the NW200 in which he competed. Whether Stacey can carry his momentum to the TT’s Mountain Course is set to be one of the most exciting questions in the coming weeks.
Ducati was once again strongly represented and victorious in two classes (Superbike Race 1, Supersport). BMW was the most successful manufacturer of the day with Stacey’s double in Superstock and Superbike Race 2. The Supertwin class, which in 2026 admitted three-cylinder machines and BSB sportbikes for the first time, was dominated by the Yamaha R7 and Aprilia RS 660, while Paton and Triumph also fielded their own concepts.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Who was the most successful rider at the North West 200 2026?
Storm Stacey was the only rider to win twice. The 23-year-old BSB pilot won both the Superstock race and the second Superbike race on debut at the Triangle Course on a BMW M1000 RR, setting a new Superstock class record of 124.498 mph.
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Why was the final Superbike race at the NW200 2026 not restarted?
Superbike Race 2 was red-flagged after three of six laps due to a 40 to 50-metre oil spill at the exit of the Juniper Chicane. According to organiser Mervyn Whyte, cleaning took too long. The road closure order required the roads to be reopened by 18:45, making a restart impossible.
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Did Glenn Irwin lose his winning streak at the NW200?
Irwin won the first Superbike race, extending his streak to twelve victories, but lost the second Superbike race to Storm Stacey. It was the first time since 2017 that Irwin did not win an NW200 Superbike race in which he competed.
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Who died at the North West 200 2026?
48-year-old Czech rider Kamil Holan was fatally injured on Thursday, May 7, during the Superbike qualifying session at Station Corner. His family consented to the event continuing. The three Thursday races were cancelled outright.
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How many red flags were there on race day at the NW200 2026?
A total of seven red flags were shown on Saturday. They affected Superbike Race 1 (Church Corner), the Supersport race (twice, Mill Road Roundabout), the Superstock race (University Corner), and Superbike Race 2 (oil spill at the Juniper Chicane).
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