Jeremy McWilliams wins North West 200 Sportbike race at 62 after first-race heartbreak
Jeremy McWilliams turned frustration into victory on 9 May 2026 when he won the second Sportbike/Supertwin race at the North West 200 on a Flitwick Motorcycles/SMV Yamaha R7. The Newtownabbey rider was 62 and had finished a mere 0.460 seconds behind Peter Hickman in the opening race. Hours later, McWilliams took the lead early and built a winning margin of approximately 5.8 seconds. It was a result built on two substantially different races: a last-lap defeat decided by tenths and a more assured follow-up performance.
What happened in the first race
The opening race brought McWilliams against Hickman, another Yamaha rider, in a direct contest at the front. McWilliams had been fastest in qualifying and led much of the race, but Hickman took advantage on the final circuit and passed at Juniper chicane. The official classification gives Hickman a total of 19 minutes 23.691 seconds and McWilliams 19 minutes 24.151 seconds. Alastair Seeley followed them home in third, just 0.623 seconds behind the winner, with Paul Jordan fourth. The top four were covered by less than one second after four laps, an unusually close outcome for a public-road contest of this length.
McWilliams subsequently explained to the organisers that he had not been shown the last-lap flag and believed another lap remained. It is important to attribute that point to his account, rather than present an unverified procedural failing as fact. Whatever the explanation, Hickman made the successful pass and was correctly recorded as the winner. For McWilliams, the result created a specific sporting challenge: take the pace he already possessed and turn it into a victory when the class was sent out for a second contest.
The rematch was different
McWilliams moved ahead of Hickman at University on the opening lap of the later race. From there he stayed in control on the Yamaha R7. Paul Jordan secured second on his Jackson Racing Aprilia, recording another strong performance after the morning contest, and Seeley completed the podium on the Binch Racing Aprilia. Hickman, the earlier winner, did not feature in that podium order. Jamie Coward was fourth on a Paton, newcomer Franco Bourne fifth on another Paton and Christian Elkin sixth on an Aprilia.
The composition of the leading six is worth reporting because it demonstrates that the Sportbike/Supertwin races were not one-make contests, even though Yamaha took both wins. The class contained Aprilias and Patons in contention behind the Yamaha. In the first race Jordan was quickest on a single lap at 112.231mph, despite finishing fourth after overshooting at University Corner. In the second he advanced to the runner-up spot. Those changes underline why the results of two races held on the same day cannot be collapsed into a single general narrative.
Why this win matters in McWilliams’ career
McWilliams has a long history in international motorcycle racing, but the news here is specific to the North West. At 62, he was still competing for race wins rather than making a ceremonial appearance. The official Saturday report records him saying that the victory had been coming for some time and that refinements to the Yamaha between races made the machine better. The important comparison is not the age of an average road racer; it is the tangible difference between a narrow defeat earlier in the day and a convincing victory later in the same programme.
The 2026 North West schedule was difficult for everyone. Strong winds, stoppages and an extended programme required competitors to remain ready across an unpredictable Saturday. McWilliams’ success came amid those practical disruptions, not during an idealised event run to a clockwork timetable. The victory was also highly relevant to local fans: a Newtownabbey competitor beat a field containing internationally experienced names and converted strong qualifying speed into an actual race result.
