The North West 200 newcomers pictured trackside in Portrush this week

Former British Superbike Championship runner-up James Ellison will make his North West 200 debut in May.

Ellison was among six newcomers who visited the north coast this week as they gear up for the return of the famous road race from May 10-14, which returns to the calendar for the first time since 2019.

The 41-year-old was due to make his debut in 2020 but his plans were scuppered when the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of every Irish road race except the Cookstown 100.

Ellison has a vast bank of experience having competed in MotoGP, World Endurance and the AMA series in the USA. The Leicestershire-based rider will compete in the Superbike races on a Powerslide Motorcycles Suzuki GSX-R1000R, which has been prepared by Hawk Racing.

“I have been watching onboard laps every morning,” said Ellison.

“Station Corner seems daunting and I think it will blow my mind. The rest of the circuit looks fun too and I can’t wait to get here

“If we are going to do the North West we are going to do it properly. I prefer Superbikes, although Superstock bikes are more forgiving as they aren’t as harsh to ride.”

Ellison, whose last race was the Le Mans 24 Hour meeting in 2020, will team up with Brad Clarke of Powerslide Motorcycles, who is also poised to make his debut in less two months’ time.

Gary McCoy from Cookstown is the only newcomer from Northern Ireland at this year’s North West and the 26-year-old will ride one of Ryan Farquhar’s Kawasaki Supertwin machines, plus a Yamaha R6 built by none other than 19-time Isle of Man TT winner Michael Dunlop.

McCoy – the only rider to beat Alastair Seeley last year in the Ulster Supersport Championship after a battle in the wet at Bishopscourt in Co Down – said: “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do since watching the North West as a youngster.

“It’s the biggest event in Ireland that everyone goes to. It will just take a bit of time to get used to.”

The other debutants are Julian Trummer from Austria, Manxman Michael Evans – winner of the Junior and Senior Manx Grand Prix races in 2017 – and Josh Daley from Wigan, who has raced at the TT and Ulster Grand Prix in the past.