Hamilton and Dungannon man Farquhar parted ways amicably in November as the young Ballyclare rider sought a fresh start this year after two impressive seasons in the KMR Kawasaki livery.

The pair remain firm friends, but neither will expect any favours from the other when they square off in the Supertwin races in 2014.

Farquhar will come out of retirement along with Scottish favourite Keith Amor to challenge for a famous victory in the Lightweight race at the Isle of Man TT in June.

Although he has yet to confirm his participation at the Vauxhall International North West 200, it seems unlikely that old foes Farquhar and Amor will be absent from the grid for the two Supertwin 650cc races in Portstewart in May, perhaps with Jeremy McWilliams also lining up on the SGS International Kawasaki machines along with Cheshire’s Connor Behan, who will ride Supertwin and Supersport machines under Farquhar’s tutelage this year.

Add in Hamilton, East Coast Racing’s Lee Johnston and Lightweight TT winner James Hillier plus class heavyweights Dean Harrison and Ivan Lintin and the Supertwin grid becomes a hotbed of exciting talent, with the young pretenders set to lock horns with Messrs Farquhar, McWilliams and Amor.


It’s a challenge Hamilton is looking forward to and he doesn’t expect Farquhar to be any less competitive even if the 37-year-old is coming back from a year on the sidelines.

“It’s going to be a whole lot different this year at the North West because I won’t be riding for Ryan,” he said. “I’m looking forward to a new challenge and also it’s good to have Ryan back in the class as well.

“It will probably be weird racing against him with him not being my team boss any more and you’d be stupid to underestimate Ryan or Keith Amor this year.

“There’s a lot of riders who can be close to winning like Jeremy McWilliams, Ryan, Keith Amor, James Hillier, Lee Johnston and people like Ivan Lintin and Dean Harrison, so it should make for some really close racing.

“I really want to win a North West because there are so many local supporters there cheering you on and it was the first road race I ever entered. It gave me a taste for the roads.”



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