Motorbike rider demise confirmed after horror incident throughout Superbike qualifying session
A rider has died at the North West 200 after an incident during Thursday morning’s Superbike qualifying session, race organisers have confirmed, with emergency services attending the scene
The motorcyclist died after the incident at the North West 200
A motorcyclist has died at the North West 200 following a crash during Thursday morning’s qualifying session.
Race organisers have now confirmed that one competitor lost their life after the incident at the Station Corner section of the Triangle Circuit. Emergency services rushed to the scene of the accident ‘but unfortunately the rider succumbed to his injuries’.
The rider’s family have requested that his identity remains private at this time, though they have granted permission for the North West 200 to proceed. It marks the first death at the NW200 in 10 years. English rider Malachi Mitchell-Thomas was the previous fatality at the event. He crashed on the third lap of the Supertwins race on 14 May 2016, reports Belfast Live.
In total, 20 people have now died at the North West 200 since 1939.
The 2026 event is scheduled to restart on Thursday evening with roads closing again between 4.45pm and 9pm for three races. These will now be substituted with qualifying sessions after this morning’s qualification was halted.
A statement from the Coleraine and District Motor Club, the race organisers, said: “A competitor at the 2026 Briggs Equipment North West 200 has died following an incident at Station corner on the NW200 course during this morning’s Superbike qualifying session.
“The session was immediately red flagged and emergency services attended the scene but unfortunately the rider succumbed to his injuries.
“The family have given their approval for the event to continue but have requested that the rider not be named at this time.
“Coleraine and District Motor Club, the organisers of the races, offer our sincere condolences to the family and team.”
The North West 200 is held on public roads around the ‘Triangle’ circuit between Portrush, Portstewart, and Coleraine and is Ireland’s biggest outdoor sporting event, drawing in enormous crowds of well over 100,000 spectators each year to the Causeway Coast in May.
It comes after a spectator was killed after a rally car barrel-rolled into the crowd in a horrifying crash.
Footage showed the moment a Volkswagen Polo R5 somersaulted several times before careering off the track and smashing into a group of fans positioned in a spectator area.
A 25-year-old man, identified as Brahian Zárate González, was taken to hospital but subsequently died from his injuries. A 40-year-old woman suffered a fractured ankle while a young girl sustained minor bruising. The tragic incident happened during the Rally Sudamericano Mina Clavero, which forms part of the FIA CODASUR South American Rally Championship, on April 19.
The collision occurred during the ‘Giulio Cesare’ timed section of the competition in Mina Clavero, northern Argentina.
Paraguayan driver Didier Arias and co-driver Hector Nunez lost control of their machine after striking a dirt bank.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.
