With the biggest Road Race in the Northern Ireland sporting calendar just around the corner, Mervyn Whyte was on hand at the Ramada, Portrush on Tuesday night to release three more sponsor’s names for this year’s race.

As with the last few years Black Horse Motorcycle Finance will again be sponsoring the NW 200 Superbike Race, which is the main race of the day and will see NW200 Ducati rider Michael Rutter heading the field of quality entries including AIM Yamaha’s Steve Plater who is out to retain his NW200 crown and HM Plant’s John McGuinness, who dearly wants to win this race.

Again CP Hire will be sponsoring the Superstock Race which has as always attracted a top-class entry list which includes Cameron Donald, Ian Lougher and Rutter. Local man Ryan Farquhar will also be out for a win in the Superstocks. Finally a new sponsor for the 400cc race is on board for the first time in the form of McKendry Fabrications Ltd, who are delighted to become sponsors of this prestigious event as they are a local firm.

Also launched at the glamorous press conference in Portrush, close to “the triangle” was this year’s charity, which for 2008 will be the Northern Ireland Hospice Care, which has planned a number of events for the week, including sponsored walk and fun run on Sunday 11th May, the Annual Charity Golf Competition, organised by Adele Kennedy on Wednesday 14th May at 10:30am and the Charity Concert with ‘Super Troopers’ (ABBA tribute band) at 10pm on Wednesday 14th May. There will off course be plenty of volunteers with their collection boxes circulating round the circuit on race day.

With only another four weeks left until the big day work on setting up the course is now well under way and both the Coleraine Motor Club and all the riders who attended Tuesday night’s press conference and were in attendance at a surfing lesson and boat trip arranged by Coleraine Borough Council, are all anticipating the race on May 17.

The riders who were in attendance on Tuesday night was NW200 Ducati rider Michael Rutter, the Black Horse Finance Yamaha team, Ian Lougher and Oli Linsdell, NCT Racing’s Conor Cummins and both William and Robert Dunlop and Paul Robinson. Ryan Farquhar and Cameron Donald were also out on the surf on Tuesday. Some riders had more success at surfing than others, Mr Donald certainly had an advantage, coming from Oz. Whilst a certain Mr Rutter, decided that he would rather stay out of the water; “because it was too cold!” Cluck, cluck, cluck…
Pic: Philip Campbell