NorthWest200 road race 2008

[belfastguzzi]

On being a couple of inches away from bikes doing 200 mph

 

It's May, it's nearly NW200 time. 150,000 spectators from around the world are expected this year.

S-u-s-t-a-i-n-e-d flat-out straights; hairpins;

you might want to watch it (main day 17th May) at

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/nw200/

 

 

Superbike races will feature the cream of road racers including NW200 record holder Michael Rutter on board the Ducati. Steve Plater is the current circuit record holder at 124.109 mph.

Is anyone going to be here in the early part of the week?

 

At the moment, there's some good footage on that site, from 2007.

Look at the 'Onboard Montage 2007'.

'2007 Action' has stunning, er, action.

 

See also

http://www.northwest200.org/

but the BBC site, above, is a cracker.

 

And this is a good feature: Michael Rutter's guide to viewing points on the circuit http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/nw200...v=mathers_cross

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/nw200...tml?v=york_road etc

 

 

 

 

2005 Remember Rutter cracking 200mph on the road? Watch this –––––> Good video of the year that 201mph was being topped.

http://www.u.tv/nw200/asx/liveaction-x_1.asx ~ compilation

 

http://www.u.tv/nw200/asx/liveaction-x_2.asx ~ Superbike race

 

http://www.u.tv/nw200/asx/liveaction-x_3.asx ~ onboard

 

http://www.u.tv/nw200/asx/liveaction-x_4.asx ~ onboard from start

 

 

If you're pressed for time, here's a short couple of minutes from 2006 on YouTube - Duke Video

 

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=xnQS3ngyUEY

[tikkanen]

Hi BFG,

 

nothing beats a nice sweep around the countryside, ay?

 

These guys are f****** mental. Full stop!

 

To ride the NW 200 you need bucketsize tea-stickles and loads of testosteron. Spent last weekend in Assen, The Netherlands, for the Supersport and Superbike Series. These guys - and we're talking Bayliss, Haga, Corser, Biaggi, Toseland, Muggeridge et al - look like a bunch of boyscouts on a field trip compared to Rutter, Haslam and so on. Hats off and massive respect!

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

Cheers

Søren

[belfastguzzi]

Hi BFG,

 

nothing beats a nice sweep around the countrside, ay?

 

These guys are f****** mental. Full stop!

 

To ride the NW 200 you need bucketsize tea-stickles and loads of testosteron. Spent last weekend in Assen, The Netherlands, for the Supersport and Superbike Series. These guys - and we're talking Bayliss, Haga, Corser, Biaggi, Toseland, Muggeridge et al - look like a bunch of boyscouts on a field trip compared to Rutter, Haslam and so on. Hats off and massive respect!

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

Cheers

Søren

Did you see the time lapse Superbike rebuild? Oh to have a workshop with space in it, lovely. http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/nw200...elapse_bike_512

[tikkanen]

Did you see the time lapse Superbike rebuild? Oh to have a workshop with space in it, lovely. http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/nw200...elapse_bike_512

 

What's the big deal? Looks like me fixing the Scura during coffee break....

Okay, got to admit that those spanners are excellent. They can do wonders in no time. More hats off..

 

BTW, Guy, any news about the petrol situation in Scotland? Shall we bring our own jerry cans along for the V11 rally in Dumfries or what?

 

Cheers

Søren

[Steve G.]

I've been to the Isle of Man, ridden Mad Sunday, ridden the track a dozen times, seen what the road is like. The North West 200 seems altogether way more dangerous! The riders have bollocks the size of watermelons!!! Frickin' amazing!!

Steve

[belfastguzzi]

There are interesting perspectives in this amateur vid of the Tandragee 100, which is on later today.

Not a bad wee video

[belfastguzzi]

There are interesting perspectives in this amateur vid of the Tandragee 100, which is on later today.

Not a bad wee video

The trouble with road races

is that people get hurt and people get killed.

 

A racer died today and 3 spectators were injured

 

This is the second year in a row that Tandragee has been cut short. Last year John Donnan was killed as he tried to avoid another rider who had lost control of his bike

 

I arrived as the classic race was finishing, bought a programme and got a position in a field by the road. Actually, there would be no more racing finished today. In a while, the day's first 'proper race', Supersport 600s, got underway, though the third wave had a long delay because someone went down just after the start and took a few others with him. By the time the leaders were coming back to the start/finish, the race was over. Something else must have happened. At these events, quiet and puzzlement soon becomes worry. After an hour, it was announced that the race day would be abandoned due to a serious accident.

 

I've just seen now that someone was killed. Think it was at one of the bad corners. The Tandragee is one of the last 'real road races', because of the nature of its jumps and high speed corners that need a lot of learning. The likes of the Dunlops, Ryan Farquar, Adrian Archibald, were in this race. I don't know who died in the accident.

 

 

[belfastguzzi]

Terrible news: and it wasn't a newcomer, inexperienced rider. It was 29 year-old Martin Finnegan, a top, experienced and exciting rider. He had earlier won the open race. He died in the accident at Marlacoo Corner during the Supersport 600 race. He was from Lusk in Co Dublin.

 

Edit: Riders behind saw smoke burst from the back of the bike. There has been speculation that he had no brakes. Went straight up the roadside bank.

[belfastguzzi]

There is live streaming on the BBC website of Tuesday night practice.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/nw200.../coverage.shtml

 

 

Michael Rutter on the Ducati:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/nw200...ml?v=rutter_new

[belfastguzzi]

There's a new website here dedicated to the Armoy Armada

 

http://www.armoyarmada.com/#/1_home/

 

It's unfinished, so not all the content is there. It goes with a guided tour of the area.

 

Halcyon days: the Armoy Armada and the Dromara Destroyers.

[belfastguzzi]

- Live practice is on now –

Pics with commentary, including hard-as-nails champion Phil McCallen and Steve Parrish.

 

This is the Real Player link. Go to site for other Windows stuff.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/nw200...200_16x9_bb.ram

 

Weather is fantastic!

 

Michael Rutter and NW200 Ducati is out on the road, at the mo'

 

Guy Martin is fastest – at this very early stage. Edit – John McGuinness now. The Ducati is 4th fastest.

 

This is the big set-up, sort-out night. Thursday evening will be next practice night.

[Guest frankdugo]

well it's certain your having a good time.any guzzi report? my old machine could not download the armoy site

[belfastguzzi]

well it's certain your having a good time.any guzzi report? my old machine could not download the armoy site

The Armoy site is only coming on-line. It's not finished and all the content isn't there. When I tried it, sometimes it was very slow and parts of it took forever to load. It just gives a 'taster' for now.

 

Guzzi report? Unless Gyles and Guzzbun get themselves over here pronto, I predict that there won't be a Guzzi in sight.

[dabore84]

Never heard of NW200 before, but when I went to the site, OMG what cojones do they have and the skills, ofcourse.

I've set the date in my calendar and surley gonna watch.

 

Wish all the participants best of luck.

[belfastguzzi]

For those of you who take a bit of interest in this:

having got home, I've just watched highlights of the races.

Following the unspeakable tragedy of Robert Dunlop's death on the 250 in a 160 mph accident at Thursday night's practice, young Michael Dunlop decided to go ahead and race in the 250 (first race of the day). (His brother, William, had to retire at warm-up with mechanical failure.) In the highlights, I've seen the incredible dice as he rode an aggressive and his best-ever race – to finish first. Extraordinary.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7406127.stm

 

 

 

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/article3706294.ece