NW200 - badly run?

[davidgibson999]

Spent all day at the races - very "stop start" and full of delays, all races red flagged, main race and 600cc race cancelled. I was really disappointed this year - I helped out last year on the grid and got a glimpse into the organisation of it and as a marshal on the grid I received no training - it was obvious today at university corner that the marshalls there hadn't a clue - there was only one flag marshall and when the yellow flag was being waved the other marshalls waved their arms pathetically trying to get the riders to slow down - as if they riders would notice a slight downward motion of the hands... Perhaps if the marshalls were better trained there'd have been less red flags? In fact, the one bad incident we saw coming up the hill out of uni corner wasn't red flagged even though there was a rider lying on the track, eventually stretchered off on a fracture board -- even the other riders going past were raising their arms as if to say "WTF?". If I'd travelled far to the races today and paid the exorbitant sum of £18 for my programme I'd seriously consider before returning next year. Not one race lasted the full number of laps... Really disappointed.
Rant over.

 

[Aidan1150]

There seemed to be very long gaps between races David. Had they done less faffing about we might have had the NW200 race run.

The racing was a great spectacle as always, but it was a poor day's sport.

 

[davidgibson999]

There seemed to be very long gaps between races David. Had they done less faffing about we might have had the NW200 race run.

The racing was a great spectacle as always, but it was a poor day's sport.

Yeah I think that sums it up - the racing that we saw was good but there was too much indecision and faffing about....

 

[JimmyC]

The safety car and the sponsors vehicles and the flying doctors and the bike recovery vehicles and the road marshalls were on the roads more than the racers!!!!

What they were doing at the grid in between races is anybodys guess..........interviews with riders...wet tyres...dry tyres....sticking brake pads....Jeeeeeeeeeze it was never ending.......

But the racing that was taking place....and seemingly second place to all that arseing about, was quick and spectacular.....well it was at Mathers Cross where I was watching anyway.....

 

[GS TRV]

totally agree - dont know if they were being overly cautious/flag happy/libel fearing but i can't remember a N.West like that

Of course the weather didnt help but there def was a LOT of waiting around/interviews without any race action .

Id be interested to hear more from someone who knows what goes on behind the scenes but if id spent a lot of money to come here for the racing spectacle then id be inlined to never return - sorry to say that

 

[Davy F]

It'll all look better when it will be edited for telly........

 

[DrFarkoff]

well it was at Mathers Cross where I was watching anyway.....

A Pity I didn't know you were there Noodles cos I wandered about 300 metres down towards the chicane from the junction about 15 minutes from the start of the 125 race and tied up with the rest of the Quay Vipers at friend of the clubs house.

I wasn't impressed it would appear that they are more interested in screwing the last penny from the people who go that actually caring for the community! I guess the program @£18 was the epitomy of it! I mean folks would reach for a tenner ( I would) but that extra almost double the price £18 made me think before I reached and I decided No, So I wonder how many found thier way into recycling without being sold this year?

Anyone notice the lack of bins and the amount of litter at metropole?
Apart from anything else The Red perils were ticketing cars parked up in Magheraboy rd and using the excuse that they were impeding the ambulance route My Arse each and every car I saw with a ticket was parked off the road with ample room to get a truck by never mind an ambulance

I remember as a kid looking forward to the Northwest and a day out and a wee burger and a wee coke and watching the bikes roar by, I took my daughter for a run up but the magic just doesn't seem to be there anymore!

 

[Mandylicious]

I'm sorry guys but £18.00 is a cheap day out. The riders where here prepared to race their asses off, did you want that for next to nothing?

I have have paid silly money to watch Schummy and Rossi as have a lot of others and it was worth to see those guys doing their thing.

On a dry day there's nothing to beat the sights and sounds of guys racing at over 170 miles an hour on roads people use to go to the shops, school, work on.

2p

 

[davidgibson999]

It'll all look better when it will be edited for telly........

Yeah I was at a BBQ later on in the evening and the TV coverage still showed all the delays in real time right up to the last minute cancellation of NW200 race! Riveting viewing

 

[davidgibson999]

I'm sorry guys but £18.00 is a cheap day out. The riders where here prepared to race their asses off, did you want that for next to nothing?

I have have paid silly money to watch Schummy and Rossi as have a lot of others and it was worth to see those guys doing their thing.

On a dry day there's nothing to beat the sights and sounds of guys racing at over 170 miles an hour on roads people use to go to the shops, school, work on.

2p

I know what you're saying Mandy but when you look at what the programme cost last year and the year before and then you hear the organisers complain that people aren't buying enough programmes it doesn't take a genius to work out why - if the programme was a tenner I bet a lot more people would buy. I love the road racing and attend as many meets as I can but yesterday was a bad day's organising.

 

[DrFarkoff]

I'm sorry guys but £18.00 is a cheap day out. The riders where here prepared to race their asses off, did you want that for next to nothing?

2 points Mandy, I would say that most of the local boys an Girls would feel it an honour to qualify for the NW200, and fair play till them for doing it and as for the big cross the water teams well it's all good "Kudos" and PR to have raced the NW200

But It's not just £18 Mandy, it's £20 or £30 for fuel and £10 or £20 for food depending whether yer on yer own or have the wee un with ya? And whatever extras you buy while you're up there, Then of course there's the Tee shirts and stuff ya need to buy?

As far as I know the NW200 raises a lot of it's money from sponsors and :- IF they realised that it's not just the Hobby rider / Power ranger / dedicated race follower types, with the latest bikes ands Kit "Obviously with a few quid in thier pocket", that go then there would be a wider audience and the NW200 could be what it was a Nostalgic day out for the family?

I'm not being argumentative I'm trying to say I feel the organisers have lost touch with the local population that "Used" to enjoy a day to Portrush for the Bike racing and festivities?

Now I would get the feeling talking to folks that most of the population just say we're being fleeced?

No detraction from the riders or the racing

Apoplogies if thats as clear as mud, but spanners are my thing not words

 

[davidgibson999]

And the focus of the organisers seems to be on the corporate market and keeping them happy - I saw that very clearly last year from the grid. They seem to have forgotten it's the average biker who rolls up for a day's racing that it is crucial to future event success rather than a fat suit who doesn't give a stuff about bikes and just wants to get pished in hospitality...
And no matter what anyone says the crowds were down on last year all week through.... Someone in the motor club needs to ask why.

 

[Aidan1150]

And no matter what anyone says the crowds were down on last year all week through.... Someone in the motor club needs to ask why.

That was my impression too David from the ease with which we arrived at and got away from the course yesterday. The traffic has been much worse in previous years.

I think a lot of that has to do with the weather though, many people would have opened the curtains yesterday morning and thought feck it, I',m away back to my bed. We saw a lot fewer southern bikes yesterday morning between our place and Portrush than usual.

 

[ghost]

four of us went up,weather was crap from dublin,i enjoy walkin round admirin others bikes,but there was only half the numbers there.we still enjoyed whole day.was that your gs parked in a garden under scaffoldin aiden?.

 

[Aidan1150]

That was her Ghost.

 

[blobbs]

That was my impression too David from the ease with which we arrived at and got away from the course yesterday. The traffic has been much worse in previous years.

I think a lot of that has to do with the weather though, many people would have opened the curtains yesterday morning and thought feck it, I',m away back to my bed. We saw a lot fewer southern bikes yesterday morning between our place and Portrush than usual.

I think a lot of people left early which is why the traffic wasn't as bad

 

[Deleted account 220427002]

It's been the most disappointing NW200 for many years... but most of that has been caused by the rain.... plain and simple.

The main officials are trying to make sure the racing is as safe as it can be and while i don't really see why they cancelled the main race they may know more than us.... if things went badly wrong and people were binning bikes getting hurt due to conditions we'd be asking why did they run that race or why wasn't it stopped.. it's a no win situation.

I know i was talking to someone that should know and they said it was very wet on certain parts of the track while at others it was just damp and on the grid tyres were being changed all the time so teams were even in debate over tyre choice for the conditions and that's with sighting laps.

Once a race is stopped/delayed they are trying to play catch up and with changing conditions you need to allow longer for tyre changes on the grid so it all goes pear shaped from then on.

As for attendance i'd agree it was down but only due to the weather forecast.. people that come from other countries will still mostly come because they've booked ferries etc. but locals and ones from down south that come up for the week or the Thursday to Sunday would have vastly been cut down due to the forecast.
Programs... too expensive simple as that...but i asked about the price and was told some sponsors had pulled out and others cut back on the sponsorship so the price was increased to make up the difference... stupid idea IMO £15 is the upper limit of what people will pay and still be OK with it i think.

if the weather had been like the last couple of years we'd be maybe only complaining about the price of the program

 

[Twister]

It's been the most disappointing NW200 for many years...

+1

Weather conditions were pathetic. I think the wind was the worst offender of the day. Many a year we have had half the course wet and half the course dry and I never ever remember so many races red flagged in one day before. To suspend a race for 10 - 20 mins in Portrush to wait and see if the weather changes or the track dries out a bit is pathetic. The way the wind was blowing, rain could have blown in from anywhere in a matter of a couple of minutes let alone 10 - 20.
Ryan Farquar was happy enough to race on in the superstock but then again he is a wet road specialist.

If riders come off and are badly injured, then we need to see them getting unconditional attention to get them off to hospital or where ever. Surely by the time medical teams get their treatments done and marshals get the road cleaned up the grid should have had things sorted to get going again.

I glad I am local as I would have been extremely dissappointed to have traveled from across the water to see half the racing there should have been.

As for the programmes, I too thought that £18 was getting steep however I still was prepared to pay for it as I understand the expense of running the NW. £15 would have been enough for the programme IMO as I too am a member of the NW200 supporters club. It all adds up.

The dearest programme I ever bought at the NW and the least racing I ever watched apart from the Foot & Mouth year


My tuppenceworth

 

[eclectic]

I can sympathise and even agree with many of the comments passed.

BUT I am wary that the less known the more expert we all become!

Having marshalled (not on saturday TG) and been involved in red flag incidents, I know only too well how long it can take dealing with a serious "incident." Priority is , and always should be, to rider (and marshall) safety and initial medical assistance, no matter how long it takes, takes precedence.

I can understand the frustration of constant delays when out round the course with little or no information. However the little I know of the red flag incidents on the day would suggest that difficult calls were made and rider safety was paramount.

The booing of the crowds in the grandstands at start/finish when the big race was called off was sad as it should have been very obvious to everyone that the combination of rain, wind and varying road conditions was lethal for superbikes.

Disappointed? Yes. Brickbats to throw. Yes. But no complaints with the major judgment calls on what was a very difficult day.

And enormous respect for all those who provided much more than £18 worth of entertainment. (Yep I did buy a programme and of course I would have preferred to pay £10 or £15 but I didn't have to pay to get in did I!! I would pay double or more to see the full race run between Farquhar and Seeley!!)


Here's to next year and safe racing until then.

Just my 2p

 

[NA1959]

As others have stated the worst racing for years!

Cost of everything is up and the real hard core bikers / people who have gone and supported the NW for years are now not so important!

More the big boy's corp. event types. But this may be progress for some, but not for me.

I was up at the pit's on Wed / Thur and enjoyed the crac as the smaller guy's (including Guy Martin / Dunlop's were working on theri bikes. All had time to talk and be friendly. (As it happened so did the Relentles Suzuki , HM Plant Guys.)

Sat was crap weather so I expecxted some delays but not what we got.
For many years similar conditions were encountered, Joey and the boy's got on with it and raced despite all the various weather conditions. Possibly speeds cost of bikes etc. are higher but machinery is much safer as is the track. Teams/Riders etc may not want to take the risk


Fan's now seam to be the lesser factor and the cancelation of the NW200 bike race is a shame.

I also feel bad for people who travelled from far away.

BBC now showing the edited version which should look good to those not in the know!

Again just my wee rant!

P.S.

Just look at the MID -Antrim 150 and see how many of the big boys can stay with the hard core road guy's.