The high-speed 8.9 mile 'Triangle' circuit is one of the fastest road races in the world, with riders reaching speeds in excess of 200mph, and for our Kawasaki riders, the 2023 North West 200 proved a great week of racing.
For DAO Racing Kawasaki's Dean Harrison, the event is a chance to dial in his ZX-10RR Superbike and Superstock machines ahead of the legendary Isle of Man TT, which kicks off later this month. With strong pace throughout practice and qualifying, the Bradford-based rider claimed fourth place in the opening Superstock race on Thursday evening in a strong showing on his debut on the bike.
With glorious weather gracing race day on Saturday, and following some changes made since Thursday, Dean and the team were eager to improve their results. The opening Superbike race proved a thriller, with riders swapping places throughout, and Dean was able to claim his first podium of the week with third place.
In the second Superstock race, Dean was able to improve his position from Thursday night by again claiming third place, a feat he would repeat in the final Superbike race, completing a trio of well-earned podiums.
The success did not just come in the big bike categories, though. Despite it being a last-minute entry, Richard Cooper dominated the Supertwin class aboard his KMR Kawasaki. Claiming pole position in qualifying, the diminutive 'Coops' proved to be in a class of his own as he cruised to both race victories, setting a new lap record in the process. To cement a great weekend for Kawasaki, further Supertwin podiums came from Adam McLean and Paul Jordan, who took the maiden podium for the all-new Ninja 650!
Road Racing fans now just have two weeks to wait until the iconic Isle of Man comes alive with the sound of two wheels as the TT kicks off!
Ross Burridge, Head of Marketing & Racing Department at Kawasaki UK:
“Although it looked like it might not go ahead at one point, the 2023 North West 200 was a great success, and it was fantastic to see our Kawasaki riders do so well. With three podiums, Dean and the DAO team have set themselves up perfectly for the TT and we are all really excited to see how they get on later this month.
It was also great to see Richard Cooper claim both Supertwin riders, while the first podium for the Ninja 650 showcases its versatility and performance.”
