Vauxhall North West 200 Event Director Mervyn Whyte, MBE, recently travelled to the Macau Grand Prix in China on a successful recruiting mission for the North Coast event.

Top American star Jeremy Toye, who finished on the Macau podium in 2010 behind Stuart Easton and Michael Rutter, has been signed up to be on the grid at Portstewart in May aboard one of Rico Penskofer’s immaculate BMW S1000RRs.

The 42 year old Californian finished sixth in China behind winner Ian Hutchinson this year and he is sure to make an impact at the North West on the superfast German superbike.


Toye will be joined by German ace Didier Grams on a Frankie Heidger’s BMW S1000RR. Grams finished eighth in Macau this year, ahead of Lee Johnston and just behind Martin Jessopp. He is the current International Road Racing series champion, a title he has won four out of the last five seasons run over circuits in Holland, Germany and the Czech Republic.

Grams is famous for his showmanship both on and off the bike and he is the paddock joker at Macau. But when it comes down to business he is no fool as will be obvious to anyone who clicks on to You Tube to watch his terrifying Macau onboard lap in 2013.

Belgian racer Marc Fissette, who will always be remembered by Irish fans for his photo finish battle with Joey Dunlop in a 250cc race at the 1997 Ulster Grand Prix, will make a return to the Triangle course in 2014.

Fissette, who will also ride for Heidger’s German squad, will be hoping for better luck than he had in Macau this year where he crashed after getting tangled up with Horst Saiger at Lisboa Bend on the opening lap.

Austrian Saiger will also return to the North West on his ZX10 Kawasakis in 2014.

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