Storm Stacey to return to North West 200 after stunning debut
Storm Stacey will return to the Briggs Equipment North West 200 from 10 to 15 May 2027, aiming to build on a remarkable debut in which he won two races and set a new lap record on the north coast.
The 23-year-old Staffordshire rider will join Glenn Irwin in Michael Laverty’s GRYD BMW team. At this year’s event, Stacey won the CP Hire Superstock race ahead of local favourite Michael Dunlop, then claimed victory in the feature Superbike race to end Irwin’s run of 12 consecutive wins in the class.
“It was always going to be hard to keep me away,” Stacey said during a visit to Portrush. “Just look at it, it is gorgeous here. Where else in the world do you get a race that is also a holiday spot all in one? I love it here.”
Stacey said he had been looking through the record books and believed no newcomer had won two North West 200 races in a single year since 1955. He acknowledged the pressure of returning as a leading contender, but said: “You can’t be a motorbike racer if you can’t handle pressure.”
The rider said he was confident in the BMW machinery, which he raced at the event in 2026. He described the bike as reliable and said it had responded to everything he asked of it.
Stacey said he expected to learn from teammate Irwin, who has greater experience on the circuit, while recognising that they would compete against one another once racing began. “I think we will be able to help each other,” he said.
He also recalled his duel with Dunlop, describing the chance to beat the celebrated rider as “something special”. Stacey said he admired Dunlop and the significance of the family name in road racing.
North West 200 race boss Mervyn Whyte said Stacey’s 2026 performance had been one of the event’s greatest revelations in many years. He said the rider’s return with a Northern Ireland team, alongside Irwin, would strengthen the 2027 line-up.