Practice at the 2026 the 2026 North West 200 was rescheduled and shortened following a fatal morning incident, with Josh Brookes finishing inside the top seven in all three classes he contested
Following the tragic incident during Thursday morning’s qualifying session, the remaining qualifying at the 2026 Briggs Equipment North West 200 was reduced to 30 minutes per class and moved to the evening.
Qualifying had begun in ideal conditions on Northern Ireland’s north coast after wet weather disrupted Wednesday’s running. The Superbike session got underway shortly after 9:50am local time, but was stopped under red flag at around 10:04am. After extended delays and no further action on the coast road during the morning session, organisers later confirmed the rider had succumbed to injuries sustained in the incident.
The competitor has not been named at the request of the family, who have also given their blessing for the event to continue. In response to the limited dry track time completed so far this week, Thursday evening’s scheduled races were replaced by further qualifying, with each class given a reduced 30-minute session.
Australia’s Josh Brookes featured strongly across the revised program, finishing fourth in Superbike, fifth in Superstock and seventh in Supersport, the latter after completing just one lap before that session was halted.
“Qualifying complete this evening ahead racing on Saturday. Superbike P4. Superstock P5. Supersport P7 (we only got 1 lap before a red flag),” Brookes said.
“A big thanks to my DAO Racing guys they’ve done a mega job and to the guys at Uggly & Co Racing… it’s been a big day! My thoughts are with the family of the fallen competitor.”
Fellow Aussie David Johnson qualified 13th in Superstock and 14th in Superbike onboard the Platinum Club Kawasaki Racing ZX-10RR.
2026 North West 200 Superbike Thursday Practice
| Pos | Rider | Team | Bike | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dean Harrison | Honda Racing UK | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:19.165 |
| 2 | Glenn Irwin | Nitrous Competitions Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R | 4:21.493 |
| 3 | Richard Cooper | SMS Nicholl Oils Racing | BMW M1000 RR | 4:23.308 |
| 4 | Josh Brookes | DAO Racing | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:23.734 |
| 5 | Michael Dunlop | MD Racing/Hawk Racing | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:24.199 |
| 6 | Storm Stacey | Alpha/Bathams AJN Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R | 4:24.300 |
| 7 | Ian Hutchinson | Team RST | BMW M1000 RR | 4:25.359 |
| 8 | Peter Hickman | Monster Energy BMW Motorrad | BMW M1000 RR | 4:25.649 |
| 9 | Erno Kostamo | 4:27.136 | ||
| 10 | John McGuinness | Honda Racing UK | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:27.459 |
| 11 | Mike Browne | MB Racing/Russell Racing | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:29.409 |
| 12 | Paul Jordan | Jackson Racing by Prosper2 | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:29.543 |
| 13 | Michael Sweeney | 4:29.917 | ||
| 14 | David Johnson | Platinum Club Kawasaki Racing | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | 4:29.967 |
| 15 | Dominic Herbertson | KTS Racing | BMW M1000 RR | 4:30.369 |
| 16 | Laurent Hoffmann | 4:32.076 | ||
| 17 | Marcus Simpson | 4:32.697 | ||
| 18 | Phillip Crowe | 4:33.127 | ||
| 19 | Darryl Tweed | JLR by Ability Energy Ltd | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:33.508 |
| 20 | Michael Evans | 4:34.060 |
The Superbikes were first on track, with Honda Racing’s Dean Harrison taking pole position for Saturday’s feature races on the Fireblade. The Bradford rider, still chasing his first North West 200 victory, was 2.32 seconds quicker than 11-time event winner Glenn Irwin on the Nitrous Competitions Ducati.
Richard Cooper put the SMS/Nicholl Oils BMW on the front row in third, almost two seconds slower than Irwin. Brookes was fourth on the DAO Racing Honda, less than half a second behind Cooper, while local favourite Michael Dunlop on the Hawk Racing Honda and Storm Stacey on the AJN Racing Ducati completed the top six. Brookes, Dunlop and Stacey were separated by just 0.101s.
2026 North West 200 Superstock Thursday Practice
| Pos | Rider | Team | Bike | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Dunlop | MD Racing | BMW M1000 RR | 4:23.441 |
| 2 | Richard Cooper | SMS Nicholl Oils Racing | BMW M1000 RR | 4:23.845 |
| 3 | Dean Harrison | Honda Racing UK | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:24.338 |
| 4 | Storm Stacey | Alpha Racing/CD Racing by MSS | BMW M100 RR | 4:27.721 |
| 5 | Josh Brookes | DAO Racing | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:28.612 |
| 6 | Paul Jordan | Jackson Racing by Prosper2 | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:28.785 |
| 7 | Michael Sweeney | 4:29.068 | ||
| 8 | Ian Hutchinson | Team RST | BMW M1000 RR | 4:30.143 |
| 9 | Dominic Herbertson | KTS Raxing | BMW M100 RR | 4:30.283 |
| 10 | John McGuinness | Honda Racing UK | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:30.386 |
| 11 | Carl Phillips | Bell Bikesport B&W Racing | BMW M1000 RR | 4:30.608 |
| 12 | Darryl Tweed | JLR by Ability Energy Ltd | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:32.261 |
| 13 | David Johnson | Platinum Club Kawasaki Racing | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | 4:32.261 |
| 14 | Gary McCoy | MadBros Racing | BMW M1000 RR | 4:33.060 |
| 15 | Mitch Rees | Milenco by Padgett's Motorcycles | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:33.650 |
| 16 | Mike Browne | MB Racing/Russell Racing | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:34.009 |
| 17 | Sam West | 4:34.076 | ||
| 18 | Laurent Hoffmann | 4:35.062 | ||
| 19 | Marcus Simpson | WH Racing | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:35.125 |
| 20 | Maurizio Bottalico | 4:35.835 |
In the combined Supertwin/Sportbike session, Peter Hickman claimed pole on the Swan Racing/PHR Yamaha with a lap of 4:50.266. Last year’s class winner Paul Jordan was second on the Jackson Racing/Prosper 2 Aprilia, just over a second slower, while veteran Jeremy McWilliams completed the front row on the Flitwick/SMV Aprilia, another 0.631s back.
Alastair Seeley impressed in fourth on the Binch Pro/3B Construction Aprilia with a 4:55.041 lap, 2.6 seconds ahead of Michael Sweeney on the MSR Aprilia, with Jamie Coward completing the top six on the Milenco Padgetts Paton.
2026 North West 200 Superstock Thursday Practice
| Pos | Rider | Team | Bike | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Dunlop | MD Racing | BMW M1000 RR | 4:23.441 |
| 2 | Richard Cooper | SMS Nicholl Oils Racing | BMW M1000 RR | 4:23.845 |
| 3 | Dean Harrison | Honda Racing UK | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:24.338 |
| 4 | Storm Stacey | Alpha Racing/CD Racing by MSS | BMW M100 RR | 4:27.721 |
| 5 | Josh Brookes | DAO Racing | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:28.612 |
| 6 | Paul Jordan | Jackson Racing by Prosper2 | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:28.785 |
| 7 | Michael Sweeney | 4:29.068 | ||
| 8 | Ian Hutchinson | Team RST | BMW M1000 RR | 4:30.143 |
| 9 | Dominic Herbertson | KTS Raxing | BMW M100 RR | 4:30.283 |
| 10 | John McGuinness | Honda Racing UK | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:30.386 |
| 11 | Carl Phillips | Bell Bikesport B&W Racing | BMW M1000 RR | 4:30.608 |
| 12 | Darryl Tweed | JLR by Ability Energy Ltd | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:32.261 |
| 13 | David Johnson | Platinum Club Kawasaki Racing | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | 4:32.261 |
| 14 | Gary McCoy | MadBros Racing | BMW M1000 RR | 4:33.060 |
| 15 | Mitch Rees | Milenco by Padgett's Motorcycles | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:33.650 |
| 16 | Mike Browne | MB Racing/Russell Racing | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:34.009 |
| 17 | Sam West | 4:34.076 | ||
| 18 | Laurent Hoffmann | 4:35.062 | ||
| 19 | Marcus Simpson | WH Racing | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 4:35.125 |
| 20 | Maurizio Bottalico | 4:35.835 |
Michael Dunlop thrilled the home crowd by taking pole in the Superstock class on the MD Racing BMW with a lap of 4:23.441. Richard Cooper was second on the SMS Nicholl Oils BMW, a scant 0.404s slower, and less than half a second ahead of Dean Harrison in third for Honda Racing.
Newcomer Storm Stacey continued to impress around the Triangle course on the CD Racing by MSS Performance/Alpha Racing BMW, finishing 3.383 seconds behind Harrison and 0.891s ahead of Brookes, who was fifth on the DAO Racing Honda. Paul Jordan rounded out the top six on the Jackson Racing/Prosper 2 Honda.
2026 North West 200 Supersport Thursday Practice
| Pos | Rider | Team | Bike | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alastair Seeley | Binch Pro Ducati by 3B Const | Ducati Panigale V2 | 4:38.608 |
| 2 | Michael Dunlop | Scars Ducati by MD Racing | Ducati Panigale V2 | 4:38.975 |
| 3 | Dean Harrison | Honda Racing UK | Honda CBR600RR | 4:39.202 |
| 4 | Erno Kostamo | 4:39.540 | ||
| 5 | Ian Hutchinson | Burrows Engineering/RK Racing | Ducati Panigale V2 | 4:40.280 |
| 6 | Paul Jordan | Jackson Racing by Prosper2 | Ducati Panigale V2 | 4:41.455 |
| 7 | Josh Brookes | Carl Cox Motorsport/Uggly&Co | Suzuki GSX-R750 | 4:44.612 |
| 8 | Carl Phillips | Bell Bikesport B&W Racing | Ducati Panigale V2 | 4:46.182 |
| 9 | Mike Browne | BPE by Russell Racing | Yamaha R9 | 4:46.655 |
| 10 | Christian Elkin | Bell Bikesport B&W Racing | Ducati Panigale V2 | 4:46.658 |
| 11 | Darryl Tweed | Stanley Stewart by Novogen | Triumph Street Triple 765 RS | 4:46.799 |
| 12 | Gary McCoy | MadBros Racing | Suzuki GSX-R750 | 4:49.012 |
| 13 | Jeremy McWilliams | CD Racing by MSS Performance | Kawasaki ZX-6R | 4:50.380 |
| 14 | Michael Evans | 4:50.680 | ||
| 15 | Marcus Simpson | 4:51.250 | ||
| 16 | Kevin Keyes | Daracore Racing | Yamaha R9 | 4:51.684 |
| 17 | Mauro Poncini | 4:51.815 | ||
| 18 | Joey Thompson | 4:52.952 | ||
| 19 | Allann Venter | 4:53.296 | ||
| 20 | Mitch Rees | Milenco by Padgett's Motorcycles | Honda CBR600RR | 4:53.428 |
The Supersport session was red-flagged after the first riders on the road had completed three laps. The competitor involved in the incident at the Whins section in Portrush was taken by ambulance to Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital.
Despite the interruption, Alastair Seeley set the fastest time in class on the Binch Pro Racing/3B Ducati with a 4:38.608 lap. Michael Dunlop, on the Scars/MD Racing Ducati, was second and just 0.366s slower, with Dean Harrison third for Honda Racing.
Erno Kostamo was fourth on the Zero Waste Motorsport Ducati, followed by Ian Hutchinson on the Burrows Engineering RK Racing Ducati and Paul Jordan on the Jackson Racing Prosper 2 Ducati, who completed the top six. Brookes was seventh after completing just one lap before the red flag.
