Michael Dunlop believes this week’s North West 200 will be “hot and heavy” but 🐻sees “no reason we can’t run at the front” as he looks to add to his five wins at the ev🎃ent.

The 29-time Isle of Man TT winner comes into this week’s North West 200 as onꦑ♓e of the favourites for success, despite the last-minute job to get his machinery ready.

After months of uncertainty, 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Dunlop ended speculation over the bikes he’ll race this year by confirming BMW f💝or the Superbike and Superstock classes, and a Ducati for the Supersport category.

Qualifying for🅠 the 2025 North West 200 began on Wednesday morning with the Superbike class, in which Dunlop was seventh-fastest in a truncated session.

Speaking to BBC Sport on Tuesday prior to qual🃏ifying, Dunlop is expecting a competitive event.

“I think with the weather, even bet🗹ter again, I think ▨it’s going to get hot and heavy,” he said.

“Therꦬe’s going to be a lot of boys looking to shine.

“So, it’ll be interesting. It’s quitജe frust𝐆rating because the last few years we’ve been knocking on the door.

“2023 we were knocking on the door and the red flag in the Superbike after two laps and th🙈en calling the race was quite frustrating because we were in the background of it.

“Last year I struggled with injꦗury, I could do two🅷, three laps and then I fell apart.

“This year hopefully we can get off to a good start, get as much track time as we can, and there’s n𒐪o reason we can’t run at the front.”

Peter Hickman leads first Superbike session at 2025 North West 200

The opening Superbike qualifying session at the North West 200 was delayed in getting underway before being interrꦯupted twice by red flags due to oil leaks.

Fourteen-time TT winner Pet♑er Hickman led the way on his 8TEN Racing BMW with a 4m25.271s fastest lap over Honda’s Dean Harriso🍌n and 29-time event winner Alistair Seeley on the SMS/Nicholl Oils BMW.

Dunlop was seventh quicke🌺st as he put his first ꧑laps on his Superbike-spec BMW.

Davey Todd didn’t fac♋tor on the timesheets having not been able to set a representative lap in the twice-interrupted session.

There wil🐷l be sessions for Supersport, Supertwin and Superstock across the rest of Wednesday before the roads re-open at 3pm.

2025 North West 200 - Wednesday Superbike qualifying times