How the North West Was Won

The North West 200 is the fastest track in the world.

It's not just a motorcycle race.

We were always trying to make money to keep the race going.

It's everything, really. I just couldn't imagine not being there.

Complete and utter devastating shock.

Should we carry on? Should we pull the plug and leave it?

The race wasn't run and it looked as if it would never be run again.

The North West 200 is now Ireland's largest outdoor sporting event,

attracting thousands of race fans and families to the north coast.

Roads are closed on the triangle between Portrush, Portstewart

and Coleraine for the thrills and spills of pure road racing.

But the story of the North West began nearly a century ago.

The young men of the 1920s were the first generation who could afford

to own motorbikes and wanted to go fast, but where?

With such poor roads, the only place was on the beach.

And so the City of Derry Motor Club organised speed trials on Magilligan Strand.

They used to put a set

of posts down to keep the riders from running onto the other.

All that might run out in front of you would

be a seagull or a wave come in. There's nothing to crash against.

Up to the 1920s, the only place where you could road-race

was the Isle of Man, but the passing of the 1922 Road Races Act gave the

Derry Motor Club the shrewd idea of holding an international event weeks before the well-established TT.

Every top rider that you could mention,

they all regard the North West

as being very, very important because it was just before the TT,

so they could use the North West to get their bikes fettled and get themselves ready to go road-racing.

So, on Saturday 20th April, 1929, the first North West was held

as thousands of race fans came to the north coast.

One of the many spectators was a then 12-year-old John McKay.

We heard the noise of the motorbikes and we headed for the direction

where the bikes were.

They were just ordinary bikes and then

they'd fix them up for racing and then they had a spot

or something on the side of their boot for changing the plugs.

After 200 miles and over three gruelling hours, the fans who'd

turned out to see the big names compete cheered on the eight riders who'd managed to finish,

including two local winners, Malcolm McQuigg and Billy McCracken,

seen here in 1979 at the 50th anniversary of that famous first race.

We were getting way up to the 90s and we were flying in those days at that speed.

In 1930, a new club was formed

and the start/finish was moved to Portstewart.

Throughout the '30s, two of the big names were Dubliner Stanley Woods and Scotland's Jimmie Guthrie,

who had raced against Englishman Graham Walker, a winner of the event in 1931.

My father was in the Norton works team in the early days,

and they were great personal friends.

They got on very well together off the track and they raced

fairly and very quickly against each other on the track.

The 500cc event of 1930 was won by Ernie Nott, who was awarded the impressive sum of £10.

Stanley Woods came third and got £3.

In 1935, the year Jimmie Guthrie had his second win,

King George V's Silver Jubilee was celebrated in Coleraine.

By 1939, with the Second World War looming,

Ernie Lyons, AKA the Flying Farmer, travelled up from County Kildare

and won the last race before the war.

We should never lose sight of the fact that, although motorcycle racing is hazardous now,

it was infinitely more hazardous then.

They not only had to be very good riders,

they had to be very brave riders as well.

But tragedy struck when English rider Norman Wainwright

was the first man to be killed at the North West.

Racing didn't resume after the war until 1947.

Winner Belfast rider Artie Bell was congratulated by Lord Brookeborough,

the then prime minister of Northern Ireland.

# Unforgettable That's what you are... #

The North West of 1951 managed to attract the world-famous Geoff Duke, who won the 500cc event.

Geoff Duke in them days was the rider to have,

and for them to pull the likes of Geoff Duke back in the '50s gave the meeting a complete boost.

Thousands more spectators poured into the holiday towns

of Portrush and Portstewart to see these international stars.

I worked the local Woolworths store. We were so busy.

The ladies and the children, a lot have stopped in the town.

And I was in charge of the toy counter, and you had to go back and restock up.

It was really, really busy and it brought a lot to the town even then, so it did.

By the 1950s, the North West had come a long way from that first race in 1929.

But despite the appearance of world-famous competitors,

the fans continued to have unrivalled access to riders and their machines.

In those days, the pits were all in the middle of the town,

at a place called High Road,

and you could have stood at the pits, which was on a grass embankment,

and you could have watched the race the whole way down there, and it was a great atmosphere.

Belfast 1953, and a month after her coronation the Queen visited Stormont.

At the North West, English visitor Arthur Wheeler won that year,

and returned in 1989 for the 60th anniversary parade.

I'm extremely pleased to be here, and the reception of my many friends is absolutely overwhelming.

The flag's up.

By the late '50s, the bikes were now capable of lapping at over 100mph,

and the honour of being the first to achieve this went to Jack Brett,

who in 1958 beat Scotland's hero Bob McIntyre in the 500cc race.

Through Henry's Corner for this tricky exit, and a lamp-post in your way if you overdo it.

McIntyre and Brett are quickly leaving the field far behind them.

Also in '58, a young Belfast man, Sammy Miller,

takes on rising English star and future world champion Mike Hailwood.

And in the 250s, Mike Hailwood is just holding off Sammy Miller.

On the last lap, coming down into Portrush, I made my move and,

luckily, got past him and then it was

flat out along the coast road, head down, and I managed to get over the line just in front of him.

And Sammy Miller is the 250cc verdict after a photo-finish with Mike Hailwood.

After nearly 30 years, the North West had grown into a truly international event,

and so the dedicated supporters had to raise more funds to keep it going,

as they've continued to do ever since.

They ran an entertainment committee and we ran a dance every month.

We had the old-fashioned jumble sale and things like that. We were always

trying to make money to keep the race going.

In 1959, Belfast man Tommy Robb became the first rider to win two races on the same day.

Tommy recalls a near-fatal incident from the following year.

We were probably seven or eight abreast across the road, and as I looked ahead of me.

I could see a car driving towards us on the road.

And I started to move to the left and I leaned against,

I think, Bob McIntyre.

Bob leaned against Alistair King. Alistair leaned against another.

By the time we got level with the car, I could see the fella's eyes

pulling out of their sockets as we went thundering past.

Billy Hutton was the travelling marshal who follows the bikes round.

He went over to the car driver, who was now sitting at 45 degrees up the

bank, and the chap in the car leaned out the window, he said, "Excuse me."

Billy stopped the bike, looked round.

He said, "When you're coming round on the next lap, could you bring me a packet of fags?"

# We're all going on a summer holiday

# No more working for a week or two... #

The holidaymakers of 1963 had to do without racing at the North West,

the organisers blaming a clash with the live televised FA Cup final.

I think there was something more to it than blaming the coverage for the football.

They mightn't have had the money at that time to run it.

The race wasn't run and it looked as if it would never be run again.

After 34 years of unstinting effort by organisers and loyal supporters,

it looked like the North West would be consigned to sporting history.

But after a meeting of the Motorcycle Union of Ireland, one man stood up.

"We'll run the North West 200."

And everybody stared and said, "Who is this?"

and it was a man called Jubilee Maxwell, who was the

head of the Coleraine Motor Club,

and that they would hopefully keep it back on track again, as they did.

# Calling out around the world

# Are you ready for a brand new beat...? #

Thanks to the dedication of the Coleraine Club members,

the North West was brought back from the brink, and in 1964, a huge crowd

was treated to an Irish clean sweep, including two wins by a Belfast man Ralph Bryans.

I'd just signed a contract with Honda, and that was the first I'd seen the machines.

So we managed to get them running and I was fortunate enough

to be able to win both races.

And Bushmills farmer Dick Creith was the first Ulster winner in

the premiere event since Artie Bell won in 1950.

Couldn't believe it when I won the race,

and still find it hard to believe.

Dick returned the following year and, despite marshals having to contend with several incidents,

including a South African rider's bike catching fire in Portstewart,

Dick went on to repeat his success.

For winning the race I got £50,

and for the fastest lap I got £10, and for second handicap I got £5.

I think came home with £65.

The Miss North West competition started in the '50s and soon became a regular feature of the event.

# I believe in miracles

# Where you from, you sexy thing?

# Sexy thing you... #

The circus rolls into town when the North West 200 happens,

so the Miss North West 200 is synonymous with

that whole circus atmosphere.

It was stopped for a few years because one of the sponsors thought it wasn't politically correct.

But let's face it, we're talking bikers here and bikers like to look at females,

and all the glamour, I think that's all come back again

and it's just gone from strength to strength.

# Where you from? You sexy thing

# Sexy thing you... #

It's good for the girls and, for sure, it's good for the riders.

Miss North West 200, 2007.

Please give her a big round of applause. It's Kirsty Weir.

It was a fabulous experience.

It was the first year that Miss North West had come back,

so there was a real buzz.

The following year, Laura McNally, daughter of former race winner,

the late Owen McNally, was crowned Miss North West.

Everyone was so nice and just chatting and telling me all

about Dad's memories and stuff, so it was very nice to be there.

As the Troubles here made headlines worldwide, the organisers were

struggling to attract big-name riders from across the water.

We used to read in the paper about the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

We only ever saw bad stuff coming out of Northern Ireland.

And to be honest, we went there with a lot of trepidation,

and we arrived there and of course we had an absolutely brilliant time.

During the '70s, Sammy Patton was one of the many volunteers who helped to build the course.

He was stopped one night on the old bridge by the army,

and the army was just about to pull the car off the road because he had

special-length pieces of wire, he had staples, he had hammers, he had all this stuff.

Luckily, a local policeman came along and he explained he's just getting ready

for a motorbike race and that's what all the equipment's for.

I think they thought he was heading off somewhere.

And the Troubles were to give the organisers even more headaches.

'72, unfortunately, we didn't get going because the Government

decided that it wouldn't be safe,

Portstewart especially would be cut off

and if there was a problem, bomb scare or something like that, then the army couldn't get in.

So we gave in that year and we didn't run the North West.

Racing was allowed again in 1973 when the organisers agreed to avoid

the town of Portstewart, reducing the course by two miles.

The following year, the first treble at the North West

was won by Englishmen John Williams.

# I'll get the blanket from the bedroom... #

During the '70s, fans of the North West began forming rival clubs

to support their local heroes like Joey Dunlop from the Armoy Armada

and Ray McCullough from the Dromara Destroyers.

We just felt that they were just people like ourselves

and they just had a passion

and they were playing out their passion on the road circuits.

It was just great.

Although it was very intense rivalries on the track,

we would all chip in to sort each others' bikes out

and it was a great time to be involved.

In 1976, like many years at the North West 200,

the weather was less than clement.

Rain, the incessant, unyielding kind which only Ireland can produce,

puts paid to any hopes of a new lap record for the opening 350cc event.

In '76, I remember the water ran down the road

and they had to sweep it off the road, it was such heavy rain.

We got into the station and the first place we went was straight

down to the shops to buy woolly hats for the children

because it was so cold when we got there.

But whatever the weather, there's always been a hardcore

of North West supporters who've worked tirelessly to raise money to try to keep the event going.

1977, we produced the first badge.

The badge changes every year.

We have hats, T-shirts, polo shirts and the usual goodies

that people like to buy.

It gives you a great feeling whenever you're able to go and hand over a lot of money to the race.

In 1977, as moviegoers were treated to the first instalment of Star Wars,

fans at the North West were

treated to stunt man Dave Taylor wheelying round the entire course,

as well as the famous battle between local man Ray McCullough, number 1,

and English rider Tony Rutter, number 6.

Most of the local for fans were wanting their local rider to win,

but Tony had fantastic skill, too.

We were together the whole race and it was just a matter

of slipstreaming each other.

I thought at the time I'd won, but you know...

Ray was my hero in those days and all the locals wanted it to have been Ray who had won.

I think everyone enjoyed it, didn't they?

The day of heat of Ray McCullough and Tony Rutter was one that will always be remembered.

You just couldn't split them, it was amazing.

1978 saw the fastest lap time at the North West.

County Down man Tom Herron averages a speed of over 127mph.

Subsequent safety improvements to the course

mean that in, over 30 years, this record still hasn't been broken.

By the late '70s, crowds in excess of 100,000

were regularly coming to the event to see their local heroes compete with the international stars.

Those really were fantastic times.

Then, of course, the English riders coming over.

Roger Marshall.

Charlie Williams.

Steve Parrish.

It was lovely to see the big wagons coming into the paddock.

Accessibility was something that we hadn't been used to.

You weren't locked away behind any fences.

Everybody could walk in your awning and come and see what was going on.

Bring your burgers and cups of tea.

It was just a fantastic atmosphere.

In 1979, the sun shone on the 50th anniversary meeting.

And rising star, Joey Dunlop, got his first two North West wins.

1979 is a race that nobody will ever forget because that was the blackest day for the North West.

It will be the day that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

Lap record-holder Tom Herron and Scottish rider Bryan Hamilton were killed that day.

Frank Kennedy later died in hospital.

Complete and utter devastating shock.

That was the last motorcycle race I went to.

It certainly made us all think about what we were doing.

Is this really worth carrying on?

We sort of decided then that we would stick at it

and try and make it safer and try and improve things.

Despite course changes in the early '80s,

the event claimed the lives of Suzuki Works rider John Newbold

and local Armoy Armada man, Mervyn Robinson, Joey Dunlop's brother-in-law.

Since his first race at the North West, Mervyn's son, Paul,

has been trying to win the event in memory of his father.

I made a vow to myself that I would never leave a wreath

on my dad's grave, I would never do it until I won the North West.

And there is the chequered flag for Paul Robinson.

For it actually to become a reality was quite a thing.

Such an emotional moment for him and the whole family, of course.

Over the next two years, the council and the local DoE people were absolutely brilliant.

They helped us to get the chicanes in, they helped us to move telegraph poles.

Everybody was so enthusiastic about the whole thing.

That is what kept the thing going.

As well as the teams of volunteer marshals, who continue to police the course right up to today.

We built up a very strong team of guys who were experienced and knew what to do.

And warn other riders rather than going to the assistance

of the guy who came off.

In 1985, while Princess Diana visited Northern Ireland,

Joey Dunlop notched up his eighth North West win.

By the end of the decade, he would bring his total to a staggering 13.

He said to me one time, he said, once the North West 200 week is over,

both you and the bike are ready for the skip.

Do you feel the TT is a more relaxed course?

-Oh, it is. By a long way.

-The North West wasn't Joey's favourite circuit.

He much preferred the TT and the Ulster.

But, oh, it was a close one because a dog ran out

on the road in front of him going down from Coleraine to Portrush.

You think, oh dear! And he won that year.

One of Joey's most exciting races was in 1988, when he was up against Steve Cull from Bangor.

I was leading that race from start to finish

and on the last lap I fell off.

And Joey went past me.

I knew it was the last lap, I knew me and Steven were way ahead.

And I says to myself, just take it easy.

Joey saw that Steven was down and it was all over. But Steven had other ideas.

I remember Joey looking behind him going underneath the railway bridge.

And he nearly fell off because I was right up his backside.

I looked back and Steven was sitting on my back wheel.

I couldn't believe it!

I passed him before the start-finish to win the race.

But it was his day. And he won the race.

It meant a lot to me because falling off and remounting again, to win the race was superb for me.

CHEERING

Joey's brother, Robert, was also disappointed at the North West 200 that year.

He was interviewed the day after with young son William on his knee.

In the second race I was trying to go a bit harder.

And I went into Metropole and the fella just hit me from behind.

And that was it, down.

# Come on, baby do the locomotion... #

Every year, after the excitement on the course, the race fans partied the night away.

# Come on, come on do the locomotion with me

# The locomotion

# Come on, come on the locomotion... #

I heard someone say yesterday that it's a pity

we had the motorcycle racing here, it spoils the social life!

The social life here is brilliant.

It really is.

I can't remember any time in my career where I have had a better

time socially than in the North West 200.

The actual craic there is memorable.

The North West managed to survive the recessionary '80s

with the help of several loyal local sponsors.

Jimmy Moran, who had the amusements in Portrush, he really helped to

get the local businesses and things involved. That was really good.

Without their help, there would definitely have been no North West.

# I am the one and only... #

It's going to be Robbie Dunlop grabbing his first win of the weekend.

Just as Joey Dunlop dominated the '80s, Robert dominated the early '90s.

With four hat-tricks in the space of five years.

He was the king of the treble. And he, in my opinion, was

the biggest and most popular name at the North West 200.

He rode at the North West in 1994 and then he had a terrible crash on the Isle of Man.

Which should have knocked him out for good. But Robert persisted.

He was amazing character, very much amazing.

1990 was the year Mary Robinson became the first female President of Ireland.

Liz Skinner from Chester became the first female rider to take part in the North West.

The only place I found it a bit iffy was the bumps,

after you come out of the roundabout. I didn't like those at all!

Tandragee man Phillip McCallen arrived in 1992, hoping to do well.

I started off that morning really thinking,

if we got on the rostrum or maybe got a win,

it would have been good.

Number nine, McCallen, leads from Robert Dunlop.

Somewhere behind them is Alan Irwin in third place.

I couldn't believe it, I was just getting excited

and realising I got my first win

when it was time to get off the rostrum and get on the bike for the next race.

And McCallen is going to take his second race of the day.

The opening Superbike race. There it is.

I was competing in six races that day so there was no breathing space,

no time even to think.

McCallen is going to get his record third win.

He now equals the record along with Robert Dunlop from last year.

Twice I lost it completely sideways and I thought, this is it.

I don't know how I held on! But I got it.

I was exhausted, mentally and physically.

Here we are at the start-finish. Yes, McCallen still gets it from Jonny Rea in second place.

Third place is Steve Lindell.

To compete in five, six races on four different machines,

the mental torture of that is really, really hard.

Can McCallen... Well, he can't!

He loses a front wheel. McCallen is not going to make it five in a row.

But I remember thinking, this is a rest!

Let me rest for as long as I can.

I had to get back faster if I was going to be out in the next race.

Into the start-finish chicane to take the win of the North West 200.

And really, any man that can win five races almost on the trot

around here is a superb effort indeed.

That's the first time I met Miss North West.

So, I got to meet him quite often on the podium and we just became firm friends, then.

And then it just blossomed into more of a serious relationship.

Then after that, the rest is history.

The happy couple was married four years later.

Guest of honour was Joey Dunlop.

# No you're never gonna get it

# Never, never gonna get it No, not this time... #

English rider, soon-to-be-crowned world Superbike champion, Carl Fogarty,

had been coming to the North West for six years.

But hadn't been lucky enough to make it to the top of the podium.

I was a bit negative about the whole thing.

The usual thing will happen tomorrow.

I will be leading and I will break down or something like that.

One of the Irish officials said, "You wear something green tomorrow."

I thought, straight away, I am going to do that.

The only thing I could find was Michaela's green vest.

She was pregnant. So I put a her green vest on under my leathers.

And, as they say, the rest is history.

I won both races and set a new lap record.

The green vest stayed with me for the rest of my career.

# Crossing that bridge with lessons I've learned... #

1994 was the year of the IRA ceasefire.

And the year Robert Dunlop got his fourth treble in five years.

Five years later, as we celebrated the opening of the power-sharing Executive,

there wasn't much to celebrate at the North West.

For the first time in 24 years, there was no Irish winner,

with Englishman David Jefferies winning three of the six races.

The year 2000 was sadly Joey Dunlop's last appearance at the North West.

And the 30th year in charge for Billy Nutt.

In 2000 we had a real good day's racing.

Everything had gone great and Mervyn Whyte and George Harrigan were standing as usual

and I went up to them and shook their hand and said, "Right, that's it, I'm finished."

And away I went. And that was it.

After three decades working for the North West,

Billy Nutt was awarded the MBE for services to motorsport.

The man who took over was Mervyn Whyte.

We have an excellent management team

who have a massive amount of ownership of the North West 200.

As well as all the people who come along to the event,

from your marshals to your medical people to your scrutineers.

I can be the figurehead, if you like, of the North West 200.

But unless I have all those various management team personnel, then the event just wouldn't go.

The Executive's current foot and mouth guidelines said that

while sporting events are allowed,

large gatherings of people close to farmland should not take place.

For the first time since 1972, racing was cancelled in 2001.

Michael Rutter has done it!

He has cracked the 200mph barrier.

201.

Absolutely incredible!

It was the most amazing kind of feeling.

So hard to explain.

If you put your head up above the screen, it blew your head off.

I was in the signal area, just past the start-finish.

And I just couldn't believe it.

Marvellous, fantastic.

To steer a machine at 200 mph with the wind pressure, I don't know how they do it.

# Just have a little patience... #

In the heatwave of 2006, after a wait of 12 years,

Robert Dunlop finally got his record-breaking 15th win.

45 years old. Well, I don't think we could do it!

A year later, the BBC took over televising the North West

and, for the first time, made live racing available over the internet to a worldwide audience.

We are now looking at the number six bike of William Dunlop.

There is his father, Robert Dunlop, on the number 40 bike.

2008 was set to be a magnificent year for the Dunlops.

With father Robert and sons William and Michael entering the event.

But fate intervened.

Moments after these pictures were taken,

the 47 year-old was flung off his bike at around 150mph.

He was then taken to Coleraine's Causeway Hospital

before being pronounced dead at approximately 10:15am.

William and Michael also took part in last night's practice.

At this stage it's unclear whether or not they will compete tomorrow.

I spoke to William on the Friday evening.

I said to William, what do you want to do?

He was adamant that he was going to go racing.

And I said, well, I'll go with him.

It was something I had to do.

It might sound selfish, but it was nothing to do with my father.

I wasn't going out to try to win for him.

To be honest, I really wanted to win the 250 race before it had gone.

I would never forgive myself if I had never got it.

So I was going to do it anyway.

It just sort of fell into place and we all went with it.

Robert was a wonderful ambassador for the North West 200 and for Northern Ireland.

And we believe he would have wished the event to go ahead.

They obviously heard I was coming so they had a committee meeting

and it was three to two that I wasn't allowed to race.

I says, William, get on the grid. So the next thing, the two of us landed on the grid.

Less than 48 hours after their father lost his life on the circuit,

Michael and William Dunlop were back on the grid.

There was people grabbing for interviews. I just wanted to

get my head down because it was always the same question.

How do you feel? Why are you doing it?

What I feel, you don't know unless it's happened to you. There's no point in explaining that to you.

And why I am doing it, you'll find out now in about 10 minutes' time.

As Michael Dunlop tries to overcome his emotions,

it's hard to believe this race could become any more dramatic.

William Dunlop is out of the race.

Michael's older brother has broken down on the warm-up lap and he is out of the race.

I was absolutely gutted. So much effort and I knew that had happened. That was it.

Everything hangs on Michael Dunlop in the middle of the front row.

And a good start from Michael Dunlop, there.

What is going on in this young man's head as he leaves the grid for the first time?

I just got my head down and just went for it.

There was a number of occasions where I just couldn't watch it at all.

I had to look away, particularly on the Coast Road.

Oh! The back wheel off the ground for Michael Dunlop.

-It was just hard to take in.

-There is no opportunity given to Dunlop.

Oh, yes, there is!

And the crowd have gone berserk!

All I heard was screaming. I couldn't even hear the bike at all. I could hear people roaring.

The race was mine, I had it won.

As he comes to the line.

How emotional will this be?

Over 100,000 fans at trackside.

And all of them, heart and soul, are with this young man.

I thought it was unbelievable.

Because I could see how much it even meant to the people watching.

It was a big deal, like.

-What a hero.

-The people were screaming.

The reception I got was unbelievable.

And I remember John McGuinness coming over to me and a thing I'll never forget...

He said to me, "No one was going to beat you that day.

"You're in a class of your own."

That was meant to be, that day. To see Michael win.

The hairs are standing on the back of my head just thinking about it.

To see Michael win for Robert, that was a pretty special moment.

The North West 200 has meant everything to the generations of

riders and fans who have made the event what it is today.

My grandchildren have grown up with the race.

My grandson works at it.

My son-in-law works at it.

I think the region as a whole has done brilliantly to enhance the thing,

where everything is going on in the whole of the area, the whole region.

There is a willingness among the people who live in the area

to put up with inconvenience just for the sake of having the race there.

You've got the old boys and your diehard North West supporters.

And the new generation of spectators coming as well.

Everybody has a real good time.

But there would have been no good times were it not

for the men and women who have kept this event going for over 80 years.

Following the dreams of those few daring racers all those years ago on the sands of Magilligan Strand.

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