2026 North West 200 Qualifying Session 1 : Wednesday 6th May 2026 :
Cooper and McWilliams Master the “Triangle” in Rain-Hit NW200 Opener
The North Coast of Northern Ireland welcomed the road racing elite today for the opening practice sessions of the 2026 North West 200. While the atmosphere in the paddock was electric, the weather proved a temperamental host. Heavy rain spells and shifting winds across the 8.9-mile “Triangle” course forced riders to contend with a stop-start schedule and a rapidly evolving track surface.
Despite the tricky conditions, two names dominated the conversation: Richard Cooper and the ageless Jeremy McWilliams.
Superbike: Cooper’s BMW Masterclass
The premier class hit the tarmac under a grey, damp sky that tested both courage and tire choice. Richard Cooper proved he is the man to beat this week, navigating the BMW to a blistering 4m 51.332s lap. He finished a comfortable 2.6 seconds ahead of Honda’s Paul Jordan.
The battle for the final podium spots in this session was tight, with Dean Harrison and Glenn Irwin separated by just a tenth of a second. Notably, Irwin—the man with a historic win streak at this event—seemed to be playing a calculated game, keeping the Ducati within striking distance of the leaders.
| Pos | Rider | Machine | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richard Cooper | BMW | 4m 51.332s | 110.843mph |
| 2 | Paul Jordan | Honda | 4m 53.940s | 109.859mph |
| 3 | Dean Harrison | Honda | 4m 54.566s | 109.626mph |
| 4 | Glenn Irwin | Ducati | 4m 54.689s | 109.580mph |
| 5 | Peter Hickman | BMW | 4m 55.322s | 109.345mph |
Supersport & Superstock: The Battle Intensifies
Cooper’s dominance extended into the Supersport class, where he topped the charts on his Yamaha. However, the story of the session was 62-year-old Jeremy McWilliams, who defied physics to put his Kawasaki into second place, just 2.5 seconds off Cooper’s pace.
In the Superstock category, the momentum shifted toward Josh Brookes. Riding the Honda, Brookes looked exceptionally stable through the high-speed sections, posting a 4m 55.143s to lead Dean Harrison. A standout performance came from Storm Stacey, the BSB regular who looked immediately at home on the roads, claiming 3rd.
Supertwin/Sportbike: McWilliams’ Revenge
If Cooper owned the morning, McWilliams owned the afternoon. In the Supertwin/Sportbike session, McWilliams put on a clinic, gapping the field by a massive 7.7 seconds. Paul Jordan and Alastair Seeley rounded out the top three, but they were essentially racing in a different postal code than the veteran on the Yamaha.
Official Qualifying Times – Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Superbike Q1
- 1. Richard Cooper (BMW) – 4m 51.332s (110.843mph)
- 2. Paul Jordan (Honda) – +2.608s (109.859mph)
- 3. Dean Harrison (Honda) – +3.234s (109.626mph)
- 4. Glenn Irwin (Ducati) – +3.357s (109.580mph)
- 5. Peter Hickman (BMW) – +3.990s (109.345mph)
- 6. Mike Browne (Honda) – +6.374s (108.469mph)
- 7. Darryl Tweed (Honda) – +6.844s (108.298mph)
- 8. Storm Stacey (Ducati) – +9.775s (107.244mph)
- 9. Gary McCoy (BMW) – +15.334s (105.300mph)
- 10. John McGuinness (Honda) – +15.499s (105.206mph)
Supersport Q1
- 1. Richard Cooper (Yamaha) – 4m 51.11s (111.016mph)
- 2. Jeremy McWilliams (Kawasaki) – +2.542s (110.054mph)
- 3. Dean Harrison (Honda) – +2.257 (109.214mph)
- 4. Peter Hickman (Triumph) – +4.799s (109.026mph)
- 5. Alastair Seeley (Ducati) – +5.310s (108.997mph)
- 6. Ian Hutchinson (Ducati) – +5.388s (108.194mph)
- 7. Josh Brookes (Suzuki) – +7.587s (107.549mph)
- 8. Paul Jordan (Ducati) – +9.721s (107.426mph)
- 9. Darryl Tweed (Triumph) – +10.559s (107.127mph)
- 10. Mitch Rees (Honda) – +12.390s (106.480mph)
Superstock Q1
- 1. Josh Brookes (Honda) – 4m 55.143s (109.411mph)
- 2. Dean Harrison (Honda) – +1.621s (108.814mph)
- 3. Storm Stacey (BMW) – +4.218s (107.870mph)
- 4. John McGuinness (Honda) – +6.566s (107.030mph)
- 5. Dominic Herbertson (BMW) – +6.595s (107.020mph)
- 6. Carl Phillips (BMW) – +9.050s (106.156mph)
- 7. Ian Hutchinson (BMW) – +9.378s (106.042mph)
- 8. Mitch Rees (Honda) – +9.759s (105.909mph)
- 9. Paul Jordan (Honda) – +12.178s (105.076mph)
- 10. Mike Browne (Honda) – +13.818s (104.518mph)
Supertwin/Sportbike Q1
- 1. Jeremy McWilliams (Yamaha) – 5m 07.065s (105.163mph)
- 2. Paul Jordan (Aprilia) – +7.702s (102.590mph)
- 3. Alastair Seeley (Aprilia) – +11.076s (101.502mph)
- 4. Christian Elkin (Aprilia) – +13.490s (100.738mph)
- 5. Jamie Coward (Paton) – +15.110s (100.231mph)
- 6. Mauro Poncini (Aprilia) – +15.950s (99.971mph)
- 7. Neil Kernohan (Aprilia) – +17.545s (99.479mph)
- 8. Joey Thompson (Aprilia) – +19.054s (99.019mph)
- 9. Sean Brolly (Aprilia) – +19.837s (98.782mph)
- 10. Barry Graham (Aprilia) – +22.298s (98.044mph)
With the first qualifying session written into the books, the paddock now turns its gaze toward Thursday. If the rain clears, which it is meant to do, expect these lap times to tumble as the riders search for that perfect dry-line.
Stay tuned, the 2026 North West 200 has just got started.
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