North West 200: record-breaker Seeley to take part in three race classes
The North West 200's most successful rider Alastair Seeley has committed to taking part in this year's event - the first in two years.
The record-breaking Carrickfergus rider will compete on a trio of IFS Racing Yamahas in the Supersport, Superstock and Superbike classes on May 8-14.
The 24-time winner around the famous 8.9 mile Triangle circuit secured the 2021 Ulster Superbike and Supersportchampionships with Graeme Hanna’s team.
And he will be hoping to continue that success on the north coast after securing a deal with the Antrim-based squad.
“I am just glad to have something because for a while it was looking as if I might be flag marshalling or spectating at this year’s North West,” he said
“I spent a lot of time on the Superbike and the 600 last year.”he said.
“The bikes will be meticulously prepared and I will know them as well as the rest of the boys will know theirs. There won’t be any Spanish testing, just cold days out at Kirkistownand Bishopscourt, but we will maximise what we do here at home and I will have the race craft and the mileage.”
Seeley feels his best chance of success will come on the Supersport-spec R6 Yamaha, a class in which he holds the lap record.
“The 600 is probably the strongest bike for me.” he said.
“I lost out on the Thursday night race in 2019 when I crashed on the last lap at Juniper. The big bikes are all about set-up and I’ve suffered with a lot of high speed weave in recent years which means you can’t hold the throttle wide open to get the top speed and make the passes. But I think the IFSsuperbike will be good enough.”
Seeley was a North West 200 race winner each year between 2008 and 2018 but failed to add to his record tally of 36 rostrum finishes in 2019.
Race boss Mervyn Whyte said it was "great news" Seeley was back.
“He is the rider who has set the standard for everyone else to match around the Triangle course and he is hungry for even more success as he aims for that 25th win," he said