Alastair Seeley misses North West 200 30th victory despite two Sportbike podiums in 2026
Alastair Seeley left the 2026 North West 200 without the 30th victory he had targeted, despite qualifying strongly in Supersport and taking third place in both Sportbike races on 9 May. The Carrickfergus rider entered the meeting with a record 29 North West wins and a new combination of machines from Binch Racing: a Ducati in Supersport and an Aprilia in Sportbike/Supertwin competition. His two podiums were respectable results against a strong field, but neither was enough to secure the milestone he had publicly identified before the event.
A podium in the morning's narrowest finish
The first Sportbike race finished with Peter Hickman winning on a Yamaha R7 by 0.460 seconds over Jeremy McWilliams. Seeley took third on an Aprilia, only 0.623 seconds behind the winner, with Paul Jordan fourth a further fraction back. All four were covered by under a second. Seeley's position in that remarkably close result shows how near he was to the front, even though Hickman and McWilliams had the decisive advantage in the closing stages.
In the later Sportbike race, McWilliams secured the win ahead of Jordan, while Seeley again finished third. This time McWilliams won by about 5.8 seconds, so it was a different type of race from the opening contest. Seeley accepted the podium but acknowledged to the organiser that he and the team had tried a setup direction that had not produced the required speed. The comment is attributable to the rider and should not be expanded into an imagined mechanical fault or blame directed at an engineer.
Supersport pace did not become a race win
Seeley had qualified fastest in the Supersport category on his Ducati, increasing expectations that he might reach 30. The race, however, was won by Michael Dunlop, who beat Dean Harrison by 0.292 seconds after two red-flag stoppages. Josh Brookes finished third and Seeley fourth. Qualifying speed and race result therefore told different stories. Seeley had shown he could be quickest over one lap, but the interrupted race's final classification did not give him a podium in that category.
The 2026 plan had been a deliberate attempt to exploit opportunities in smaller-capacity classes rather than rely on a Superbike programme. Seeley had 29 wins, including thirteen in Supersport, and his previous two North West victories came in Superstock during 2023. He had missed the 2024 meeting after failing to secure competitive machinery and returned in 2025 without adding another win. For 2026, the Supertwin machinery represented a new challenge and more chances of hitting the landmark.
The record still belongs to Seeley
Failing to reach 30 did not remove his status as the North West 200's most successful competitor. The career tally remained 29, with the 2026 third places adding podium finishes rather than victories. At the same meeting, Glenn Irwin extended his Superbike record to twelve wins, and Michael Dunlop took his ninth North West career win. Seeley's 29 North West 200 victories across classes and Irwin's twelve wins in the Superbike class are different records.
