It might still be the cold mid-winter of February but the prospects for a hot day’s racing at the 2013 Vauxhall International North West 200 are warming up with entries flooding in for the 12-18 May event.

The latest high profile recruit is 23 year old Lee Johnston who has entered for every race! As well as campaigning Ducati Panigales in the Superstock and Superbike classes for the new Rapido Sport team and an East Coast Racing 600cc Honda in the Supersport category the Maguiresbridge man has revealed that he will ride one of Ryan Farquhar’s Vauxhall KMR Kawasakis in the Supertwin races on Thursday and Saturday.

‘’The Supertwin class is getting bigger and Ryan builds the best bikes so I want to start off with the best and give it a go.’ Lee explained from South Africa today where he is racing in a Classic bike series. The slightly built Fermanagh man surprised the established stars by scooping a podium place in the Thursday Superstock race last year and he feels that his weight may offer him an advantage over some of the opposition.

‘I weigh just 60kg so that should be a big help on the smaller bikes’

The North West will be Lee’s first road race of the year and he is looking forward to racing against KMR team-mates Jeremy McWilliams and Michael Rutter.

‘I know that KMR dominated the podium in the Supertwins race last year and I’d like to be in among the action with Michael and Jeremy in May,’ Lee said ‘And I’d really like to get one over on the old boys as well.’ he laughed.


Team boss Ryan Farquhar will want to follow on from the success he had in the Supertwin race last year and with two races in May he has two bites at the cherry for new sponsors, Vauxhall.

‘The Twins races will be my main goal at the North West and I think that Lee will be a great addition to the squad.’ Ryan said.

‘He will have raced British championship rounds before the North West so he will be sharp and up to speed come May.’

Nicknamed ‘The General’, Johnston feels that he is now ready to deliver the goods on the Triangle and he is confident that he can go one better than last year’s second place.

‘This is my third North West so it is time to win.’ he says. ‘‘I’ve got good bikes and I will be racing the Panigales on the tracks in the British Superstock championship so I will have them set up and ready to go. I want to get to grips with the Superbike as well but I think that probably my best chance of success will come in the Superstock and Supersport races.’

‘It is great to see Lee back at the North West leading the charge of the young guns in road racing.’ Event Director Mervyn Whyte MBE said.

‘With riders like Lee, Jamie Hamilton, Sam Wilson and Gareth Keys all coming to the North West this year the future of road racing is looking bright.’

Terms have also been agreed with Honda Britain boss Neil Tuxworth to bring the complete Honda TT Legends squad to Portrush with 13 times winner Michael Rutter leading the charge of John McGuinness, Simon Andrews and new local recruit Michael Dunlop on the red, white and blue Fireblades. This will be the only time that the Honda team will race in Ireland in 2013 and it offers a mouth-watering prospect for local fans.

Michael Dunlop will be lining up against his brother William, who has entered on his all-new Milwaukee Yamaha machines in the Superstock and Supersport classes as well as the Superbike races. Lofty Manxman Conor Cummins has recently joined the Ballymoney man in the Milwaukee team and he is expected to be on the grid at Portrush where he will be trying to break his North West duck.

Having jumped ship from Tyco Suzuki to the Gearlink Kawasaki squad during the close season, Alastair Seeley will be seeking to maintain his very impressive North West record. His treble in 2012 will be a hard act to follow but the diminutive Carrickfergus man will be more determined than ever to carry on his winning ways.

One of the biggest cheers of the day in May will be reserved for Scottish rider Stuart Easton who will make his return to the North West following his practice crash in 2011. Now fully recovered from his injuries the Hawick man, will have a brand new ZX10 Kawasaki superbike specially built for him by the local Mar-Train team that he will race for this season in the British Supersport class.

Quattro Kawasaki has announced that they have acquired the services of James Hillier and Steve Heneghan for the new season and both men will compete at the North West in May. Hillier in particular has been quietly building up his roads experience, finishing on the podium in the Supertwin TT last year.

Centurion Racing’s Dan Cooper, making his second trip to Portrush is entered in all classes with a 675 Triumph lined up for the Supersport race and regular BSB racer Jonathan Howarth will return to the North West in both the Superbike and Supersport classes.

Adding an international flavour to the grid will be newcomers Peter Heijmans from Holland who will start in the Supertwin and Superpsort classes, Nuno Caetano from Portugal in the Superbike, Supersport and Superstock classes and Frenchman Xavier Denis who has entries for the Supersport and Superstock categories.

There will be a Vauxhall North West 200 stand at this weekend’s Adelaide Motorcycle Festival at the King’s Hall with tickets on sale for the Carl Fogarty and Jamie Whitham ‘Givin’ it Gas’ chat show which will be held in the hospitality marquee in the paddock on May 15.

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