A rider has died after an incident in Superbike qualifying for the North West 200 international road race in Northern Ireland. The crash happened at Station Corner, and a red flag brought the session to a close.
The rider has not been named due to the wishes of his family. North West 200 organisers said, “The session was immediately red flagged and emergency services attended the scene but unfortunately the rider succumbed to his injuries.”
Organisers added, “The family have given their approval for the event to continue but have requested that the rider not be named at this time.” Coleraine and District Motor Club, the organisers of the races, offered their sincere condolences to the family and team.
Revised Schedule Follows Tragedy
The Superbikes are now on circuit for half an hour of final practice and qualifying, as part of a revised schedule.
The qualifying sessions have been moved to Thursday night to replace the planned opening three races. It has not yet been confirmed by race organisers if Saturday’s schedule will contain any additional races on top of the planned six.
There will be no more track action before roads are scheduled to reopen around the Triangle circuit. The livestream coverage will be back on air around 17:00 BST, with roads scheduled to close again at 16:45. Race Control have announced a further delay of 90 minutes. The organisers have announced that there will be a further one-hour delay to proceedings.
Tributes Paid and Event History
Alanna Maher, Philip McCallen and Lee Johnston have paid tribute to the rider that died following the incident during Superbike qualifying.
The fatality is the first at the North West 200 since Malachi Mitchell-Thomas was killed in a Supertwins race in 2016. This is the 20th rider to lose their life in the 97-year history of the event.
McGuinness Eyes Milestone
John McGuinness is hoping to achieve his 100th start at this year’s North West 200. Owing to a miscalculation, he believed he was about to reach the landmark figure at last year’s event, but official records show that the Morecambe rider currently sits four short of his century, having competed in 96 races.
The 23-time Isle of Man TT winner will take in the three Superbike races and two Superstock events in 2026 as part of the Honda Racing team.
His CV over the Triangle circuit includes six victories, achieved between 2000 and 2012, and 22 podium finishes, the most recent of which came in the second Superstock race in 2024.
There will no longer be coverage on BBC Radio Ulster.