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Yamanx · 16-05-2015, 10:16 AM

What time does it all kick off?

milestone 11 · 16-05-2015, 10:48 AM

Thankfully, I can still get this in the Canaries, it's here.

roger9650 · 16-05-2015, 12:33 PM

The weather can cause problems but the organisation always seems a bit haphazard with lengthy waiting times on the grid. Wouldn't bank on full programme today.

modulaire · 16-05-2015, 01:03 PM

You can read details about the incident here:

https://twitter.com/KimKellyKK?s=09

Hope the injuries are not too bad

AntG · 16-05-2015, 01:30 PM

Here's a question to people with more knowledge here but if superstocks and supersports have to run "road legal" tyres, then why can't they operate in the dry and wet?

eman1948 · 16-05-2015, 01:43 PM

Went 2 years ago for the first time and racing was cancelled on the Saturday. I loved the place but the weather is so bad I will not be going back.

Is the weather going to kill off the North West 200 ?

roger9650 · 16-05-2015, 01:46 PM

Sorry should have made it clear I was referring to Thursday evening when they couldn't even manage three races.

milestone 11 · 16-05-2015, 02:55 PM

What a race the Supersport smilie

was. One of the best ever, outstanding.

***Malcolm*** · 16-05-2015, 03:09 PM

A woman is in a critical condition in hospital after being hit following a crash involving three riders at the North West 200 motorcycle event.

Organisers said the "serious incident" happened on the section of the course between York Corner and Mill Road Roundabout.

In a statement, they said riders Dean Harrison, Stephen Thompson and Horst Saiger were involved in the accident. Dean Harrison was unhurt.

The woman was a spectator at the event.

She was taken to hospital by helicopter.

The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust described the woman's condition as critical.

Mervyn Whyte, NW200 race director, said the two riders, Thompson and Saiger, were conscious when they were transferred to hospital in Coleraine.

They were treated by the race medical team at the scene.

excollier · 17-05-2015, 11:26 AM

That was a very sad and serious incident, and I truly hope both parties have a full and speedy recovery.
The weather managed to be reasonable, but still a little tricky at times. Later in the day a race was lost to excessive time wasting and pandering to the media. As Liam Beckett commented on Radio Ulster, when a warm up lap is completed the grid should form and the race start as quickly as possible. Due to time wasting, a race was lost because the wind speed became too great later in the day.
Ample time was available to run all the races, but was squandered. I've been a marshal here for the past five years, but am becoming disillusioned with the organisation of the race day, and the draconian restrictions on spectator viewing areas.
And I agree with Guy Martin on the 'chicane disease'.
If another chicane appears, I'll give up this event after 20-odd years of attendance. Might as well go to a short circuit elsewhwere.
Rant over , the racing was the closest I have seen in years and I'm sure will make excellent tv viewing.

***Alfie Noakes*** · 17-05-2015, 11:44 AM

Viewing from a distance online there does seem to be a lot of faffing around and I can never figure out how reducing a race distance somehow makes it safer, either you're/it's good to go or it's not, I got an impression the organisers were trying to appease too many people in the safety/insurance/PR departments, maybe that's the way road racing is heading ??. The chicane thing is odd particularly the Mathers Cross set up, it's a god awful piece of track layout and the bikes are still getting back up to top speed anyway - chicanes aren't confined to road circuits, Castle Coombe, Cadwell, Snetterton(Russells) and Mallory have all had slow nadgy chicanes installed, I think Russells at Snetterton was done in the early 90's.

excollier · 17-05-2015, 11:52 AM

You're right about the faffing around, it's been getting worse over the past few years. A lot of time is being wasted that could be used for racing. A couple of long dry slots in the weather were missed because of it. Very frustrating for everyone.

***Malcolm*** · 17-05-2015, 12:12 PM

Saturday Incident UPDATE

A woman and a rider remain in a critical condition in hospital following a crash involving three motorcycles at the North West 200.

The woman, who was a spectator, was hit during the opening Superstock race on Saturday.

Two riders were also taken to hospital. The third was unhurt.

Stephen Thompson is in a critical condition, Horst Saiger sustained minor injuries.

Organisers said the "serious incident" happened on the section of the course between York Corner and Mill Road Roundabout.

The woman was taken to hospital by helicopter.

The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust has described her condition as critical but stable.

Mervyn Whyte, NW200 race director, said the two riders, Thompson and Saiger, were conscious when they were transferred to hospital in Coleraine.

A spokesperson for the event said Thompson had now been transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, while Saiger is believed to have only minor injuries and remains in Coleraine.

Thompson is from Crumlin in County Antrim and is in his late 30s.

He is a regular competitor at the North West 200, Isle of Man TT, Ulster Grand Prix, and Macau Grand Prix road circuits.

sam.b · 17-05-2015, 02:05 PM

Whilst accepting that some of the delays were completely out of their hands, I have to agree with the comments above ;
( Later in the day a race was lost to excessive time wasting and pandering to the media. As Liam Beckett commented on Radio Ulster, when a warm up lap is completed the grid should form and the race start as quickly as possible. Due to time wasting, a race was lost because the wind speed became too great later in the day.
Ample time was available to run all the races, but was squandered )

roger9650 · 17-05-2015, 02:58 PM

The time wasting is ridiculous, the organisers should have a look at BSB to see how it's done, or even Dundrod which is much better. You would think that in iffy conditions every effort would be made to save as much time as possible but instead it was just the usual mess around. Why have a warm up lap and then sit on the grid for ages?

I hope all involved in the accident make a quick and complete recovery and my thoughts are with them and their families. I do wonder though about the possible consequences for public road racing? Wherever you live you are surely quite entitled to go into the garden 365 days a year whether it's alongside a circuit or not. Even indoors could be potentially dangerous in some locations, and i assume this risk is covered by the organiser's insurance? Can't imagine the premiums dropping after awful incidents like yesterday's and at what point does it become just no longer viable?

Then there's the issue of every spreading prohibited areas..........

***Alfie Noakes*** · 17-05-2015, 03:44 PM

There was a strange atmosphere at times - I'd put some money on there being some serious discussions after the accident, there was just that little too much emphasis and mention of the safety issue - I havn't seen that anywhere before, McCallen in his manner said he'd always go racing then quickly changed to safety is paramount, McG didn't seem bothered at all about going racing on Sat evening and William was saying that 7 laps is too much and 5 would be better - what he'll do at the TT with 6 laps I have no idea. If we have 5 lap races and they are shortened to say 3 I think the event is on a slippery slope downwards and if your tyres are shot after 5 laps in a 7 lap race where you have a lot of experience then you've put the wrong tyres on or is that me being old fashioned ? .. maybe and sadly the end game is the slow reduction and cease of road racing by such a manner.

roger9650 · 18-05-2015, 10:22 AM

Then there are the red flags, virtually unheard of a few years ago. In a lot of cases waved yellows should suffice, at least they would if the riders properly observed them.
The "safety is paramount" comment is frequently trotted out. If safety really was paramount then no-one would do it and no-one would watch.

***Malcolm*** · 18-05-2015, 10:50 AM

Quiet road becomes site of North West 200 carnage

It is a little bit of idyllic suburbia by the sea.

Normally Station Road in Portstewart is a quiet street but for a few days each year it becomes part of the world -famous race, with motorbikes going past at 150mph just feet from front doors.

Spectators are banned from lining the footpath but they are allowed to stand inside gardens lining both sides of the street and on Saturday, after a dramatic on-course collision, within seconds there was carnage.

Residents said the scene was like something out of a "war-zone", with motorbikes lying crumpled on the roadway. The ferocity of the incident led to a metal street pole being sliced in two and debris flying through the air.

Again, residents used a word associated with war to describe it, saying the debris from the accident was like "shrapnel".

A female spectator, standing in a driveway along with around 10 other people, received a head injury, leaving her in a coma in hospital where, like one of the riders, she was described as being in a serious condition.

More than 24 hours after the high-speed smash, the remains of the lamppost could be seen on the ground and nearby, garden walls were cracked.

There were black skid marks on the footpath and small pieces of the high-powered race machinery littered the ground.

Around 100 yards away a small bunch of flowers was tied to another lamppost where a racer was killed at Station Road a number of years ago. And within the blink of an eye on Saturday, high-performance motorbikes were transformed into flying airborne missiles as the riders were catapulted into the air like rag dolls before landing on the road and footpath.

Last night the hopes and prayers of residents and everyone associated with the NW200 were with the injured.

Now questions are being asked as to whether spectators should be banned from gardens at Station Road.

Nevin Farrell

c iom tt · 18-05-2015, 01:23 PM

Not nice to read about or to see.

roger9650 · 18-05-2015, 01:24 PM

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words!
If the Belfast Telegraph is at all widely read, you can't help but fear for the fall out. The stretch down to the Metropole is similarly built up and even faster.
The last paragraph asks if people can be banned from their front gardens. Can that actually be done?

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