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N W 200 2008

 and the

 search for the vanishing lake

Hi all - We`ve just got back from a full week of sunshine at the North West 200 races. We chose to take the 8 hour crossing from Fleetwood to Larne with two gigantic meals included and at £75 return it was a bargain. Six of us had hired a four bedroom house in Portstewart so we were near to the course and the pubs. The atmosphere in race week is brilliant, as are the roads and sights.The course is nine miles of road in a triangle linking the seaside towns of  Portrush, Portstewart and the Ballysally roundabout on the outskirts of Coleraine.

 Monday

Visited the pits which are sat on the coast road half way between Portrush and Portstewart, where the race teams were arriving and setting up their bikes, then on to Ballymoney for a drink at Joey`s bar and a trip to his memorial and a walk round the display of bikes and trophies in the Legends of road racing display.

 Tuesday

The towns, and pits, are now getting busy for the first practice day so we head out to the Causeway coast for sightseeing. First stop is Giants Causeway then Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge which links a small island to the mainland with a rickety rope bridge over a long drop to the sea, of course we walked across it, scared ? us?  just don`t look down. On the map of sights in the area we had seen a lake pictured with the caption `The Vanishing Lake ` . Now we had heard of this before but had never seen it, so on the way back to town for first practice we kept our eyes open but didn`t see a lake. The roads shut at 5pm so we took up position at York corner and watched the bikes flying down the hill and breaking hard for the tight hairpin bend and then accelerating like mad up to the next roundabout. After the practice it`s time to hit the pubs.

 Wednesday

After yet another enormous breakfast [I`ve put on half a stone this week] we battle our way through the traffic for another pit walkabout where we get a picture of John McGuiness strolling around with his Padgetts leathers over his shoulder and another one of Steve Parrish also doing a walkabout. Four of us then go on to Limavardy along the coast road while the other two [former club member Graham, now living in the Isle of man, and his friend] go to Ballycastle with instructions to watch out for the lake, no luck.

 Thursday

Rode along the scenic route and down into Cushendall bay where we asked the locals about this lake marked on the nearby board. We were told  "one hour its there and the next it is gone"  we asked if it was subject to tides and rainfall but in typical Irish fashion were told  " it`s a mystery and no-one knows why it appears and disappears" .Oh well !  back to town for the second practice session which we watched from Ballysally roundabout.

 It was on our way up to the hospitality building [ in the paddock area next to the pits ] in a taxi when the driver told us about Robert Dunlop`s accident and said he had heard it was fatal. This was confirmed an hour later to a shocked audience, and in respect to the family the group stopped playing and the bar was closed.

 Friday

A press release in the paddock said that after consultation with the family the racing would go ahead but all planned celebrations would be cancelled. The crowds are now arriving with 140 thousand people expected for race day and the bikes are on display in the awnings of the pit garages. We get a picture of McGuiness`s race bikes and also find him, along with fellow Honda riders Guy Martin and Steve Brogan, signing autographs so we asked for one to WMCC and he remembered us and Pete and Dennis.

 Saturday

Race day dawns and it`s damp and cloudy but luckily by the first race the roads are dry and the sun is trying to get through.

The day starts with a tribute to Robert and a short silence in his memory and after the National anthem is played the grid line up for the 250 race is announced. There on the grid are both of Robert Dunlop`s racing sons, Michael and William [the third is in the army and on his way home]. William retires on the warm up lap but Michael races on,  leading the first two laps but being beaten to second place in the third of the four laps. Last lap and probably being willed on by 140 thousand people he battles back and crosses the line in first place for a very emotional and popular result. Legends in the making.

Michael Rutter won the first super bike race on the BSB NW 200 Ducati, another popular win, but dropped the superstock bike on York corner right in front of us. As it wouldn`t restart he decided, to the amusement of the spectators, to jog back to the pits in full leathers  waving and signing autographs as he went, classic.Steve Plater had three podiums with local rider Alastair Seely taking another. Feeling drained we went back to the house to eat up what was left in the fridge [quite a lot] pack and load up the bikes ready for next day.

 Sunday

Time to go home and wondering where the week had gone, and with more luggage than we came with [can`t resist the clothing stalls] and each at least half a stone heavier, we set of early to ride the magnificent coastal road to Larne harbour.The NW 200 event is a great experience and, even with the commercial side now pushing up prices everywhere, is well worth attending, this years was helped of course, by the brilliant weather .