Ryan Farquhar - Back on the Road

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0:00:03 > 0:00:05Trevor, he threw his leg over the bike and,

0:00:05 > 0:00:09you know, he just says, "Good luck, keep her steady."

0:00:09 > 0:00:12And he just turned round and gave me this strange look.

0:00:12 > 0:00:13Away he went and...

0:00:13 > 0:00:17You know, we waited and waited and there was no sign of Trevor.

0:00:17 > 0:00:19There was maybe four or five bikes.

0:00:19 > 0:00:22I heard the helicopter. I went down to the awning and looked across

0:00:22 > 0:00:24and I could see the helicopter hovering

0:00:24 > 0:00:26and I thought, "Something not right, here."

0:00:26 > 0:00:30And the next thing, Johnny Barton came down.

0:00:30 > 0:00:33He is the rider liaison officer

0:00:33 > 0:00:35and he says, "You need to come with me."

0:00:35 > 0:00:42This programme contains strong language.

0:00:42 > 0:00:46We start with news that Dungannon's Ryan Farquhar...

0:00:46 > 0:00:47He was quitting the sport

0:00:47 > 0:00:50following the death of his uncle and fellow racer Trevor Ferguson...

0:00:56 > 0:00:59One of our most successful ever road racers

0:00:59 > 0:01:00has decided to come out of retirement.

0:01:00 > 0:01:02Ryan Farquhar is one of Northern Island's

0:01:02 > 0:01:05most successful ever road racers.

0:01:05 > 0:01:07He has won more than 200 times...

0:01:07 > 0:01:10This is what I want to do. My wife is 100% behind me.

0:01:22 > 0:01:24Get you sorted out for breakfast.

0:01:29 > 0:01:31- I hate school. - Did you get your homework done?

0:01:31 > 0:01:35- Didn't have any.- I didn't have any.

0:01:36 > 0:01:39I was stuck on the Isle of Man, you know,

0:01:39 > 0:01:42after the shock of what happened.

0:01:42 > 0:01:44You know, my mind was doing 500mph.

0:01:44 > 0:01:48I started to think to myself, "I've got two young girls and, you know,

0:01:48 > 0:01:50"there is more to life than just, you know, racing.

0:01:50 > 0:01:53"I think I need to do other things with them."

0:01:53 > 0:01:56I had a really stressful 2013,

0:01:56 > 0:02:00you know, just running the team, had quite a few riders

0:02:00 > 0:02:03and between bikes getting wrecked and, you know,

0:02:03 > 0:02:07the pressure of dealing with a title sponsor and that,

0:02:07 > 0:02:11I just lost control and I was in deeper than ever.

0:02:11 > 0:02:16So once I got 2013 out of the way, I thought to myself,

0:02:16 > 0:02:21"Well, the first thing I have to do, I have to...I have to make a living."

0:02:21 > 0:02:26I thought the easiest thing for me to do is probably get back on a bike.

0:02:26 > 0:02:30It was like a weight lifted off my shoulders when Ryan said,

0:02:30 > 0:02:32"That's it, I'm not racing."

0:02:32 > 0:02:36And then it was just about...about over a year later

0:02:36 > 0:02:38and Ryan sat me down and said,

0:02:38 > 0:02:40"Now, I've got something to ask you."

0:02:40 > 0:02:44Was it, "Something I want to ask you" or, "Something I want tell you"?

0:02:44 > 0:02:45Aye. Well, you made out...

0:02:45 > 0:02:48I think you made out that it was something you wanted to ask me.

0:02:48 > 0:02:50But then, it's like everything -

0:02:50 > 0:02:52you know, what do I do in that situation?

0:02:52 > 0:02:53Say, "Right, don't"?

0:02:53 > 0:02:55At the end of the day, he is my husband

0:02:55 > 0:02:58and whatever he decides to do, you know, I have to be there

0:02:58 > 0:03:00to support his decision.

0:03:00 > 0:03:01And that is our way of life,

0:03:01 > 0:03:04that is the way that money comes into our household

0:03:04 > 0:03:06and you have all these things to think of.

0:03:06 > 0:03:08You know, I decided that I'm going to get back on a bike.

0:03:08 > 0:03:11I'll only do six or eight meetings, sort of, still...

0:03:11 > 0:03:16I can have a life outside of racing

0:03:20 > 0:03:21We'll get the guns sorted.

0:03:23 > 0:03:26You'll not get rid of that down here in Dungannon, will you?

0:03:26 > 0:03:28Look at your man, his eyes are cut out from him,

0:03:28 > 0:03:30it's that long since he's seen daylight.

0:03:30 > 0:03:34The first time I met Jeremy would have been when the two of us

0:03:34 > 0:03:38went to ride Roger Winfield's bikes at Phillip Island.

0:03:38 > 0:03:40You know, he has been great for me and my sponsors

0:03:40 > 0:03:42and, you know, a bit of craic.

0:03:42 > 0:03:45I've took him shooting, he's took me playing golf,

0:03:45 > 0:03:47you know - we've done loads of things together.

0:03:47 > 0:03:48Pull!

0:03:48 > 0:03:50GUNSHOTS

0:03:50 > 0:03:52He is very competitive in everything he does -

0:03:52 > 0:03:57whether it's shooting or playing pool or playing golf.

0:03:57 > 0:03:59He - Jeremy - is very competitive.

0:03:59 > 0:04:00I wouldn't say I'm not competitive, but...

0:04:00 > 0:04:02HE LAUGHS

0:04:02 > 0:04:05McWilliams has competed at the top level

0:04:05 > 0:04:06as a short-circuit rider.

0:04:06 > 0:04:10With almost 50 years of racing experience between them,

0:04:10 > 0:04:15Ryan Farquhar and Jeremy McWilliams still have the hunger to compete.

0:04:15 > 0:04:17Our whole careers, our careers were completely different.

0:04:17 > 0:04:20We were running side by side - he was roads and I was circuits.

0:04:20 > 0:04:21We didn't really...

0:04:21 > 0:04:24Didn't mix at all, you know, well, at the beginning.

0:04:24 > 0:04:27Racers aren't the easiest to get on with.

0:04:27 > 0:04:30They are always thinking about number one, they're alpha males,

0:04:30 > 0:04:33and alpha males don't normally mix very well with other alpha males.

0:04:33 > 0:04:36It's not often you are up this time of the morning, Jeremy,

0:04:36 > 0:04:38to go dirt riding.

0:04:43 > 0:04:46LAUGHTER

0:04:46 > 0:04:48It doesn't matter if Jeremy hurts himself

0:04:48 > 0:04:50cos he does fuck all all week.

0:04:50 > 0:04:52He just lies in the house, watches TV and tweets.

0:04:55 > 0:04:58Everything we do is reaction time and...

0:04:58 > 0:05:00I can't slow my reaction time down.

0:05:00 > 0:05:03As soon as I see it, I want to hit it.

0:05:03 > 0:05:05Whenever it comes to buying drink, he isn't as fast!

0:05:05 > 0:05:07THEY LAUGH

0:05:07 > 0:05:10He'll always try to weigh things up to suit himself.

0:05:10 > 0:05:12He is very good at shooting.

0:05:12 > 0:05:15He is very good at golf cos he gives himself maximum handicap.

0:05:15 > 0:05:18He is very good at pool, particularly on his own pool table,

0:05:18 > 0:05:21because he plays by Ryan's rules and nobody else's rules.

0:05:21 > 0:05:24People watching this programme say we don't get on,

0:05:24 > 0:05:25but it's all a bit of banter.

0:05:25 > 0:05:29He enjoys the craic. I really enjoy it, you know?

0:05:29 > 0:05:31That's just the way we are.

0:05:35 > 0:05:38Whenever I go to build a complete new bike, you know,

0:05:38 > 0:05:41I just wheel in a bog-standard road bike,

0:05:41 > 0:05:42it's a commuting bike.

0:05:42 > 0:05:45First thing to do is just pull the bike to bits.

0:05:45 > 0:05:46I'm just left with a bare frame.

0:05:46 > 0:05:48There is a lot of stuff on that frame -

0:05:48 > 0:05:52there's brackets that we don't need, cutting and grinding, welding,

0:05:52 > 0:05:55starting to bolt on the parts that, you know,

0:05:55 > 0:05:59I have either had made or I buy from Kawasaki.

0:05:59 > 0:06:02And eventually, we end up with a bike

0:06:02 > 0:06:06that is sitting ready to be wheeled on to the grit

0:06:06 > 0:06:09at the North West 200 or the Isle of Man TT or wherever.

0:06:11 > 0:06:13I get a buzz from taking on,

0:06:13 > 0:06:16you know, the factory-supported teams and that,

0:06:16 > 0:06:21you know, on what I used to call "garden shed tuning".

0:06:21 > 0:06:24He is like a nutty professor, up in his garage, there.

0:06:24 > 0:06:29No education at all, really, ever. I never liked school.

0:06:29 > 0:06:31I didn't get on very well at school.

0:06:31 > 0:06:35I was looking to do motor vehicle studies, you know, and work on...

0:06:37 > 0:06:39..like, cars and things.

0:06:39 > 0:06:40But the teacher that took that, you know,

0:06:40 > 0:06:44I tortured him for a few years and he wouldn't let me into the class,

0:06:44 > 0:06:46so I had to go and do cookery instead.

0:06:48 > 0:06:52I enjoy this side of it, you know?

0:06:52 > 0:06:53It's whenever you have too much,

0:06:53 > 0:06:57when you have a massive workload, and, you know...a...

0:06:58 > 0:07:00..a very short space of time, that's when it gets stressful.

0:07:00 > 0:07:05The bikes weren't the best in 2014.

0:07:05 > 0:07:08We have some issues. We did discuss it.

0:07:08 > 0:07:09I told him they were shit.

0:07:09 > 0:07:11I think we lost out a bit last year,

0:07:11 > 0:07:13with no testing on it prior to the North West.

0:07:13 > 0:07:16Aye, there's no doubt about that, but...but you know yourself,

0:07:16 > 0:07:20I'm just a one-man band, trying to put five bikes together.

0:07:20 > 0:07:22But we are well ahead of the game this year.

0:07:22 > 0:07:25- Are you going to take the quickest one again?- Uh-huh.

0:07:39 > 0:07:41- The noise.- The noise!

0:07:41 > 0:07:43It comes from God.

0:07:47 > 0:07:49ENGINE REVS

0:07:49 > 0:07:52I need track time prior to the road race season,

0:07:52 > 0:07:56it's pretty important, you know - it's very important for me

0:07:56 > 0:07:59because John McGuinness and Conor Cummins going,

0:07:59 > 0:08:01they're two competitors of mine.

0:08:01 > 0:08:03We've come here to try and win the team event

0:08:03 > 0:08:05and not the individual, and that is...

0:08:05 > 0:08:07That is going to be a real struggle.

0:08:07 > 0:08:09I'm not a short-circuit racer.

0:08:09 > 0:08:12I am a road racer and there is no pressure on me here.

0:08:12 > 0:08:16I am just here, really, to just get a few points.

0:08:16 > 0:08:18The top five riders in the team score points.

0:08:18 > 0:08:20You can say it's half-work, half-holiday,

0:08:20 > 0:08:23where, for Jeremy, it's nearly all work for him,

0:08:23 > 0:08:26cos the pressure is on him to score maximum points for the British team.

0:08:38 > 0:08:40ENGINES REV

0:08:40 > 0:08:41ANNOUNCEMENT OVER TANNOY

0:08:56 > 0:08:59We had a massive problem with the bikes blowing oil

0:08:59 > 0:09:01out of the overflow, and the Aussies,

0:09:01 > 0:09:02they complained the officials

0:09:02 > 0:09:05so that the scrutineers came, looked at the problem and that,

0:09:05 > 0:09:11so they put a stop on the bikes that were blowing oil out.

0:09:11 > 0:09:13Having a frigging nightmare.

0:09:13 > 0:09:16It was getting on to the other riders' visors

0:09:16 > 0:09:18so they couldn't see where they were doing,

0:09:18 > 0:09:20so we are just improvising.

0:09:20 > 0:09:23Just like a couple of old Castrol GTX bottles underneath

0:09:23 > 0:09:25as a secondary catch tank

0:09:25 > 0:09:27and hopefully, they will do the job for a race.

0:09:29 > 0:09:30This might cure it.

0:09:38 > 0:09:40- COMMENTATOR:- McWilliams versus Cameron Donald -

0:09:40 > 0:09:41two legends, head to head.

0:09:41 > 0:09:43ENGINES REV

0:09:53 > 0:09:55It's McWilliams and Metcher now,

0:09:55 > 0:09:58master and pupil from their World Super Sport days.

0:10:08 > 0:10:13McWilliams wins race two. What a turnaround.

0:10:13 > 0:10:14CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

0:10:14 > 0:10:16Yes!

0:10:16 > 0:10:19I'm a bit happier now, as you can tell.

0:10:19 > 0:10:22We took a bit of a hammering in the first one, but we're coming back.

0:10:22 > 0:10:24They have machine issues, like we all have,

0:10:24 > 0:10:26so...it could be anybody's yet.

0:10:32 > 0:10:34Yeah...you always bring it down, don't you, Farquhar?

0:10:34 > 0:10:36- It's always my fault.- It is, yeah.

0:10:36 > 0:10:37Are you up for it tomorrow?

0:10:37 > 0:10:40The overall team score is only taken

0:10:40 > 0:10:42from the top-ten-scoring riders, cumulatively.

0:10:42 > 0:10:46- Right.- Is that understandable? - I didn't realise it was like that.

0:10:46 > 0:10:48- Want me to write it down for you? - At least now we know.

0:10:48 > 0:10:50We are not all as bright as you, Jeremy.

0:10:50 > 0:10:52I'm just a bricklayer from Morecambe.

0:10:52 > 0:10:54So we have a better chance.

0:10:54 > 0:10:57We had our best chance today, because going into tomorrow,

0:10:57 > 0:11:00we've got more top-ten... more top-ten UK riders

0:11:00 > 0:11:02than they have got Aussie riders.

0:11:02 > 0:11:04Just run them off into the gravel.

0:11:04 > 0:11:06Not like you were trying to do to me this morning!

0:11:06 > 0:11:08- Who?- You.- Fuck off!

0:11:08 > 0:11:10LAUGHTER

0:11:10 > 0:11:12Cheeky bastard, ye.

0:11:12 > 0:11:15Next thing, up the inside of me. Lifted me across...

0:11:15 > 0:11:18- You want me to fucking ride over the top of him?- On top of me.

0:11:18 > 0:11:20THEY CHAT

0:11:20 > 0:11:22- Is that what you're talking about? - Yeah, yeah.

0:11:56 > 0:11:58ENGINES REV

0:12:06 > 0:12:09CRASHING AND REVVING

0:12:09 > 0:12:11All I know, there is oil on the circuit

0:12:11 > 0:12:14and Jeremy and some other lad went down - I almost went down.

0:12:14 > 0:12:16Lost the front, you know, but...

0:12:16 > 0:12:18All hot and heavy at the front.

0:12:26 > 0:12:29- COMMENTATOR:- More drama for McWilliams. Has he stalled?

0:12:39 > 0:12:42- Try it one more time, just one more time.- All right.

0:12:59 > 0:13:03Ryan Farquhar has been one of the most-consistent performers so far.

0:13:05 > 0:13:07I was riding, as well,

0:13:07 > 0:13:10on as short a circuit as I've probably ever rode.

0:13:10 > 0:13:11I just kept chipping away.

0:13:13 > 0:13:18And that is a 1-2-3 from Australia, but if the UK all make it home,

0:13:18 > 0:13:21they should still be leading on points overall.

0:13:23 > 0:13:25APPLAUSE

0:13:27 > 0:13:28Have you managed to score points again?

0:13:28 > 0:13:32It all just turns to shit, at the drop of a clutch.

0:13:32 > 0:13:35Just...the clutches are crap in them,

0:13:35 > 0:13:37and we haven't been able to fix it,

0:13:37 > 0:13:39because we didn't test them before we came here.

0:13:42 > 0:13:44When you get into the last round,

0:13:44 > 0:13:48one, that we are in a position to win the overall award, you know,

0:13:48 > 0:13:50we've never done that.

0:13:50 > 0:13:52The Aussies have never been beat before.

0:13:52 > 0:13:55And two, there is a realistic chance

0:13:55 > 0:14:00of winning the Island Classic overall, on points.

0:14:02 > 0:14:06Even if they have their best result, we can still win the overall,

0:14:06 > 0:14:08as long as we get five bikes to the finish.

0:14:08 > 0:14:11If we don't win this, guys, don't come back to the garage.

0:14:11 > 0:14:14LAUGHTER

0:14:14 > 0:14:18And it is Team UK in pole position - 23 points ahead.

0:14:18 > 0:14:21TANNOY ANNOUNCEMENT

0:14:24 > 0:14:27Oh, McWilliams makes a terrible start!

0:14:27 > 0:14:29Really struggling with his clutch.

0:14:32 > 0:14:36The Australians absolutely dominating this race.

0:14:36 > 0:14:39The UK just need to get their top scorers home

0:14:39 > 0:14:41and they've got the team win wrapped up.

0:14:45 > 0:14:49In the individual competition, it's between Cummins and Farquhar.

0:14:49 > 0:14:50They are neck and neck here.

0:14:59 > 0:15:00And here come the British trio.

0:15:00 > 0:15:04Ryan Farquhar leads Conor Cummins and Jeremy McWilliams.

0:15:24 > 0:15:28- Jeremy is absolutely fucking gutted, isn't he?- Well, no, I reckon...

0:15:28 > 0:15:30you know, if anybody deserved to win it,

0:15:30 > 0:15:33it had to be one of ours, and no better man than you, so...

0:15:33 > 0:15:36You know, it's been a fantastic experience,

0:15:36 > 0:15:39getting involved with all you guys, coming out here,

0:15:39 > 0:15:40you showing us the ropes, you know,

0:15:40 > 0:15:43you've been doing this here for, what, about 40 years now?

0:15:43 > 0:15:46- 50, probably. - Probably 50 years, you know,

0:15:46 > 0:15:50I'm just an old retired road racer that would come and kick your asses.

0:15:50 > 0:15:52THEY LAUGH

0:15:52 > 0:15:53Cheers!

0:16:01 > 0:16:04It's great going out there at that time in the year

0:16:04 > 0:16:07but because, you know, I run my own team,

0:16:07 > 0:16:11it puts a massive pressure on me to get back, you know,

0:16:11 > 0:16:14to get stuck into the bikes in the workshop again.

0:16:14 > 0:16:16When things are at their peak,

0:16:16 > 0:16:19say I'm building two or three new Supertwins, maybe a Superstock bike,

0:16:19 > 0:16:22hundreds of times it's been after midnight

0:16:22 > 0:16:24whenever I'm getting into bed.

0:16:24 > 0:16:26I'm very lucky I have Karen because I haven't...

0:16:26 > 0:16:30I'm not very good at sending e-mails and things like that

0:16:30 > 0:16:33and every sponsor you deal with, you have to e-mail them

0:16:33 > 0:16:36asking for the sponsorship, and then, if it's a trade sponsor,

0:16:36 > 0:16:38you have to put in detail what you need from them.

0:16:38 > 0:16:41I suppose, at the end of the day, it's really our business,

0:16:41 > 0:16:43you know, I'm here to help him through the day

0:16:43 > 0:16:45with whatever bits and pieces he needs done.

0:16:45 > 0:16:48It's between the two of us and anybody else that helps Ryan

0:16:48 > 0:16:50when he's at the race meetings, you know,

0:16:50 > 0:16:52you're dependent on those folk,

0:16:52 > 0:16:55whereas other big race teams employ guys to help,

0:16:55 > 0:16:57whereas we just don't have the money to do that.

0:16:57 > 0:17:00Whenever we are out at the likes of the TT and North West

0:17:00 > 0:17:04competing against all these big teams, you know,

0:17:04 > 0:17:08we are so proud that Ryan has done so well competing against them

0:17:08 > 0:17:11and that's what it's been like for years.

0:17:11 > 0:17:14He always said, like, we're sort of fur coat and no knickers,

0:17:14 > 0:17:17and that's true, you know, it's not all about the money

0:17:17 > 0:17:20and the big teams and the budget that they have.

0:17:20 > 0:17:23At the end of the day, the business is all done on the track.

0:17:23 > 0:17:26It's hard running a team to that extent,

0:17:26 > 0:17:29you know, on a limited budget.

0:17:29 > 0:17:33Every year, going back ten years, maybe more,

0:17:33 > 0:17:35once the last sticker is put onto the last bike,

0:17:35 > 0:17:39- it's like somebody lifts a massive weight off your shoulders.- Yeah.

0:17:39 > 0:17:42It's unreal. It's a weird feeling and once that happens,

0:17:42 > 0:17:45well, the bikes, they're either good enough to win or they're not.

0:17:45 > 0:17:49It's just, get on the bikes now and see how we go, you know,

0:17:49 > 0:17:50and it's as simple as that.

0:17:56 > 0:18:00Welcome to the Vauxhall International North West 200 for 2015.

0:18:00 > 0:18:02It's event one of the North West 200,

0:18:02 > 0:18:05the Vauxhall International North West 200.

0:18:05 > 0:18:09The North West 200, you know, it's always a...

0:18:09 > 0:18:11It's always a goal, you know,

0:18:11 > 0:18:14to get on the podium, to get a win,

0:18:14 > 0:18:16it's something really special.

0:18:16 > 0:18:21So it's wide open but if you were betting, you'd put your money on Ryan Farquhar, would you not?

0:18:21 > 0:18:24You most certainly would, or certainly a KMR machine.

0:18:24 > 0:18:26And there is Jeremy McWilliams.

0:18:27 > 0:18:30For me it's kind of a no-win situation, you know,

0:18:30 > 0:18:33you're an ex-GP racer, you should be able to come to the North West

0:18:33 > 0:18:34and win, and when I don't,

0:18:34 > 0:18:37they go, "Those road racers are better than you!"

0:18:37 > 0:18:40When the lights go out, this race is underway.

0:18:41 > 0:18:44Ryan Farquhar is in no mood to be messed about here today.

0:18:44 > 0:18:45Look at him.

0:18:45 > 0:18:47Ryan always goes from the beginning

0:18:47 > 0:18:50and he's very quick off the grid, he gets away.

0:18:50 > 0:18:53It is still Ryan Farquhar out in front,

0:18:53 > 0:18:55reasonably comfortably in front.

0:18:55 > 0:18:57When I started really putting my mind to it,

0:18:57 > 0:19:00I realised I could catch him a wee bit in some places.

0:19:00 > 0:19:03Now McWilliams is closing in, that is the closest we've seen,

0:19:03 > 0:19:06charging down the inside, surely he's not going to get his spot.

0:19:06 > 0:19:08I knew that if I was to beat him,

0:19:08 > 0:19:11I had to be in front of him on the coast road.

0:19:11 > 0:19:13It must be Farquhar's race now.

0:19:13 > 0:19:16He wasn't having any of that, was he, into Metropole?

0:19:16 > 0:19:19And now he takes the chequered flag and McWilliams is second.

0:19:19 > 0:19:22Ryan Farquhar takes his fifth win here at the North West 200.

0:19:22 > 0:19:24He's been coming here for 19 years.

0:19:24 > 0:19:25That has to be one of my best ever.

0:19:25 > 0:19:28Couple of years ago, I never dreamt I'd even be on the grid again,

0:19:28 > 0:19:31never mind sitting in the front row at the North West 200

0:19:31 > 0:19:33and another one-two for KMR Kawasaki,

0:19:33 > 0:19:35you know, it's just a fairy tale, really.

0:19:37 > 0:19:39The second race, then, on the Saturday, I knew

0:19:39 > 0:19:41Jeremy was up for it even more.

0:19:42 > 0:19:45You know, you can get close to the win in the first race,

0:19:45 > 0:19:47the pressure's on for race two.

0:19:47 > 0:19:50MUSIC: Dogs Run In Packs by Rams' Pocket Radio

0:19:50 > 0:19:53And when the lights go out, this race is underway.

0:19:53 > 0:19:56# I was concerned, but taciturn

0:19:56 > 0:19:58# And moving too slow

0:19:59 > 0:20:03# So let me tell you about distance and why you gotta go... #

0:20:03 > 0:20:05And number 77, Ryan Farquhar,

0:20:05 > 0:20:07but right in his wheel tracks is Jamie Hamilton,

0:20:07 > 0:20:09but look at the slipstream, these two again,

0:20:09 > 0:20:11Jeremy McWilliams and Christian Elkin,

0:20:11 > 0:20:13towing right up on the back of Hamilton,

0:20:13 > 0:20:16looking for a way to get past him, that would put them forward wide.

0:20:16 > 0:20:18It has put them...

0:20:18 > 0:20:20That was so close!

0:20:22 > 0:20:25# ..They got me at the back Making tracks... #

0:20:25 > 0:20:27Trying to keep up with this man,

0:20:27 > 0:20:30he's trying to keep up with Jeremy McWilliams, but he's going for...

0:20:30 > 0:20:34- What was that?- It was all over the place, sliding into the corner.

0:20:39 > 0:20:41The two bikes, they were that evenly matched,

0:20:41 > 0:20:44whenever Jeremy was in my slipstream, he was fit to...

0:20:44 > 0:20:47Then he passed me on the brakes and I had to do the same.

0:20:47 > 0:20:50And these two are pulling away together, aren't they?

0:20:50 > 0:20:51It's McWilliams and Farquhar.

0:20:51 > 0:20:54We were that close to each other, I'd look over at him

0:20:54 > 0:20:56and he was giving me the fingers.

0:20:56 > 0:20:58Oh, my goodness!

0:20:58 > 0:21:01I reckon that's last one home buys the beers, isn't it?

0:21:01 > 0:21:03You know, in the next straight or whatever,

0:21:03 > 0:21:05I'd come out of his slipstream

0:21:05 > 0:21:08and I'd go to the right-hand side of him and I'd give him the fingers

0:21:08 > 0:21:10and we were just looking over and laughing.

0:21:10 > 0:21:11I tried to wind him up a wee bit

0:21:11 > 0:21:14when we got all that time in the slipstream,

0:21:14 > 0:21:16to break his concentration a wee bit.

0:21:16 > 0:21:20Whenever it come the last lap, he ran onto the dirty part of the track

0:21:20 > 0:21:24over the camber of the road and gave it a handful and it went side-roads.

0:21:24 > 0:21:26Oh! He nearly threw himself out of the seat.

0:21:26 > 0:21:29I saw this and I thought, "Bloody hell, Jeremy,

0:21:29 > 0:21:34"don't be crashing that bike, I need that for the TT for Lee Johnson!"

0:21:34 > 0:21:37And Jeremy McWilliams, absolutely on the limit.

0:21:37 > 0:21:40Ryan Farquhar has got a lot to do and it's not going to happen.

0:21:40 > 0:21:43Jeremy McWilliams takes his second win here at the North West 200.

0:21:45 > 0:21:50I enjoy the banter that you get from the road racing fraternity here

0:21:50 > 0:21:52over that, so it's kind of nice

0:21:52 > 0:21:55to stamp your authority on it and get a win, aye.

0:22:02 > 0:22:04HE BREATHES DEEPLY

0:22:07 > 0:22:09Like, even...

0:22:09 > 0:22:13Even after this length of time, it still...

0:22:13 > 0:22:16You know, when I think of that day, it just annoys me so much.

0:22:24 > 0:22:27I started to think, you know, "Has something happened to the bike?"

0:22:27 > 0:22:31That's why I kept beating myself up so much about it, but...

0:22:32 > 0:22:36The police, they took the bike and...

0:22:37 > 0:22:41You know, they bring scrutineers, or whatever, in to make sure

0:22:41 > 0:22:46but the bike was 100%, you know, there was no mechanical failure.

0:22:46 > 0:22:49It's one of those things, we can't turn the clock back

0:22:49 > 0:22:51and we just have to move on with it.

0:22:53 > 0:22:57It's not that you don't care, really, you just try

0:22:57 > 0:23:00because that's what you do, you just try to blank it out,

0:23:00 > 0:23:05and, you know, there is a time comes whenever you start thinking yourself,

0:23:05 > 0:23:09you know, "Maybe I shouldn't be doing this."

0:23:09 > 0:23:12Every rider thinks it's never going to happen to them, you know,

0:23:12 > 0:23:14but like I say, it's like a...

0:23:14 > 0:23:16It's like an addiction.

0:23:20 > 0:23:22It must be the adrenaline rush, you know,

0:23:22 > 0:23:27and the buzz you get from speed, you know, you get addicted to it,

0:23:27 > 0:23:30just the same way a smoker gets addicted to nicotine.

0:23:32 > 0:23:37It would be great at times if you could get, like a tablet,

0:23:37 > 0:23:41you know, to counteract that... whatever it is in your system,

0:23:41 > 0:23:44to get it away completely, but...

0:23:44 > 0:23:46To be fair, like...

0:23:46 > 0:23:50I do love racing and that's how I make my few quid,

0:23:50 > 0:23:54to try and put bread and butter on the table.

0:23:54 > 0:23:57So many times you could go out and meet people

0:23:57 > 0:24:00and they'd say, "Will you get that man of yours off them bikes?

0:24:00 > 0:24:03"He's going to get himself killed."

0:24:03 > 0:24:06And see, people don't think about what they're actually saying to you.

0:24:06 > 0:24:08If I was speaking to someone

0:24:08 > 0:24:12and their son was in the Army or their husband was a policeman,

0:24:12 > 0:24:14I would never say anything like that to them,

0:24:14 > 0:24:18so as for saying that the riders are selfish,

0:24:18 > 0:24:22you know, at the end of the day, Ryan is providing for me

0:24:22 > 0:24:24and the girls and myself.

0:24:24 > 0:24:28It's a dangerous sport that he does

0:24:28 > 0:24:31but there are so many worse things. There's men out there

0:24:31 > 0:24:34that don't attempt to provide for their family at all.

0:24:39 > 0:24:42I just can't wait until the race was over and he comes back in,

0:24:42 > 0:24:44and it's always been the same

0:24:44 > 0:24:46and it's never going to be any different.

0:24:48 > 0:24:53He's been so successful, he's not a rider that crashes, you know,

0:24:53 > 0:24:56sometimes I just fear, will our luck run out?

0:25:12 > 0:25:15Hard on the brakes into the Armoy village for the first time.

0:25:16 > 0:25:18Looks like Farquhar is lining up...

0:25:18 > 0:25:21Yeah, there he is, pulling out around the outside.

0:25:21 > 0:25:23I've broken a few bones.

0:25:23 > 0:25:27I broke my ankle and a couple of bones in my hand but apart from that

0:25:27 > 0:25:30I've been very, very, very lucky for the mileage that I've done.

0:25:30 > 0:25:33Farquhar, he's lining up McGee here,

0:25:33 > 0:25:36by gum, he isn't half quick through there onto the Lagge Dam.

0:25:36 > 0:25:40Exactly the same move. He's got the power there.

0:25:44 > 0:25:48Lap record for Ryan. One minute 50.379.

0:25:53 > 0:25:56There's people out there probably think we're all mad, but

0:25:56 > 0:26:00when you ride a bike that's capable of doing 200-plus mile an hour

0:26:00 > 0:26:02down a small country road

0:26:02 > 0:26:06with no speed limit, you can go as quick as you want,

0:26:06 > 0:26:09it doesn't really get much better than that

0:26:09 > 0:26:11as far as a bonus goes, does it?

0:26:12 > 0:26:14No such problem for Ryan Farquhar.

0:26:14 > 0:26:16He exits the Balaney Cross for the final time.

0:26:16 > 0:26:18A little look over the left shoulder.

0:26:18 > 0:26:20Win number 12 around Armoy.

0:26:20 > 0:26:22He's going to take the chequered cloth any moment now

0:26:22 > 0:26:24to take that win and that new lap record.

0:26:39 > 0:26:42MUSIC: My Number by Foals

0:26:46 > 0:26:49I've asked all my sponsors along today, just for a day's craic,

0:26:49 > 0:26:52you know, come, shoot a few clays,

0:26:52 > 0:26:55then tonight we'll go back to my bar, we'll have a bite to eat.

0:26:55 > 0:26:58# We don't need each other now... #

0:27:00 > 0:27:02He told me he can't hit straight in front of the camera,

0:27:02 > 0:27:05so let's get the camera back out again!

0:27:06 > 0:27:10# Cos I feel, I feel alive

0:27:10 > 0:27:12# I feel... #

0:27:12 > 0:27:15- I think you just lost one.- Aye.

0:27:16 > 0:27:18Couldn't let him get away with a straight today, could we?

0:27:18 > 0:27:20Not on his own day.

0:27:22 > 0:27:25The best gun in the world and the best shells in the world,

0:27:25 > 0:27:28it's the driver's the problem. Just have to keep practising.

0:27:29 > 0:27:32# ..And you don't have my lover's touch.. #

0:27:32 > 0:27:36For me, if you get to the end of the year and Ryan has got all the racing

0:27:36 > 0:27:40over him and he's well, that's a successful year in my eyes.

0:27:40 > 0:27:42Couldn't have done it without all my sponsors,

0:27:42 > 0:27:45and everybody knows, and all my helpers and that there.

0:27:45 > 0:27:48Probably the biggest one needs the biggest thanks of all,

0:27:48 > 0:27:51is my wife Karen, how she puts up with me and everything she does.

0:27:51 > 0:27:53- Hear! Hear! - You're really not that bad!

0:27:53 > 0:27:54APPLAUSE AND LAUGHTER

0:27:54 > 0:27:57You know, and Jeremy as well, even though he's a pain in the ass

0:27:57 > 0:28:00at times and he's took prize money off me at the North West again.

0:28:00 > 0:28:02Just want to say a big thank you

0:28:02 > 0:28:04and hopefully we can do it all again next year.

0:28:04 > 0:28:06CHEERING

0:28:09 > 0:28:11# I don't need your counsel

0:28:13 > 0:28:17# And I don't need these city streets

0:28:17 > 0:28:20# And I don't need that good advice

0:28:20 > 0:28:24# Cos we can move beyond it now

0:28:24 > 0:28:26# You don't have my number

0:28:28 > 0:28:30# We don't need each other now

0:28:32 > 0:28:34# The creed or the culture

0:28:35 > 0:28:38# You don't have my lover's touch. #