There was disappointment all round for Ryan Farquhar at the International North West 200 road races with the KMR Kawasaki rider suffering one of his worst meetings in years. The Dungannon star had been hoping to put on a strong showing around the 8.9-mile circuit but all he had to show for his efforts was a 7th place in the Supersport race. An oil leak put paid to his Superbike race and that, combined with a security alert and inclement weather, resulted in long delays and eventual abandonment of the racing.

Despite his Superbike not being ready, Ryan was on the pace throughout qualifying, finishing in the top ten in all three of his classes, but race day dawned wet and windy and, after fitting a wet front tyre and an intermediate rear for the Supersport race, a great start saw Ryan slot into second place going into York Corner and for the next half a lap, he exchanged the lead with Alastair Seeley. By the end of the first lap, Ryan had been pushed back to fourth by Gary Johnson and Bruce Anstey, all riders ahead of him having opted for full wet tyres, and this proved to be the right choice. Ryan battled manfully for the rest of the race but his tyre choice put him at a slight disadvantage and he had to settle for an eventual seventh place at the chequered flag.

A security alert and worsening weather conditions meant a lengthy delay to proceedings but eventually the Superbikes came to the line and with another good start, Ryan slotted into second behind fellow Kawasaki rider Michael Dunlop. The duo exchanged positions on the run to Magherabuoy before Seeley hit the front but coming through Dhu Varren, Ryan lost the back end twice and he was lucky to stay on. Unbeknown to him, the bike had sprung an oil leak although the bike was still running at full power but further along the coast road, Ryan realised something was wrong and he pulled off the course as soon as it was safe to do so and his race was over.

The race was subsequently stopped and a clear up process begun but with rain continuing to fall, the organisers were unable to make the track safe for racing and the decision was ultimately made to abandon the rest of the meeting.

Speaking later, a downcast Ryan said;

"It's been a really disappointing week and nothing's gone right. It was a shame that the Superbike wasn't ready but I felt good in qualifying despite having a few teething issues with the two bikes. The forecast for Saturday wasn't the greatest and I thought I'd have a good chance in all of the races but it went wrong from the beginning when I made the wrong decision with the tyres in the Supersport race. I got to the front as soon as I could but the others boys just had better grip and I couldn't stay on the same pace that they were running."

"The Superbike race started brilliantly and I knew I had to be in the front two by the time I got to York to have a chance. Alastair and Michael had got by me but I still felt comfortable in third. Just after I went under the railway bridge at Dhu Varren though, the bike went sideways on me twice and if it wasn't for the traction control cutting in, I'd have been off without doubt so I was very lucky. I thought I'd hit some standing water or was simply pushing too hard and the bike was still running at full power so there wasn't any reason to think there was anything wrong. However, the bike then went into a strange drift at Black Hill which made me think the tyre wasn't working right but I didn't want to pull off line immediately as I knew Bruce and Gary were right behind me and after what happened between Stuart Easton and Gary Mason in practice, I didn't want them to run into the back of me. As soon as approached Juniper, I put my foot out to warn all the other riders I was pulling in and it was only when I stopped that I discovered the bike was covered in oil."

"I pulled off the circuit as soon as it was safe to do so but there was a lot of oil on the bike and I just don't know yet what the cause of it was so we've sent it away to be checked and repaired. I can't remember the last time I had a mechanical problem as I put so much time and effort into the preparation of the bikes. Personally, it's been a very disappointing NW200 for me as I came here looking for some decent results before the TT but it just hasn't happened. What with the security alert and the weather, it's been a tough day and a real disappointment for everyone concerned."


Ryan has only a few days to re-group as he heads to the Isle of Man on Thursday for the TT with first practice taking place on Monday May 30.



Words: Phil Wain - Freelance PR