North West 200 08

Introduction

The North West 200 takes place annually in, as the name suggests, the north west of Northern Ireland, with the 9 mile circuit running in the 'Triangle' between Portrush in County Antrim and Coleraine and Portstewart in Londonderry. As with the TT on the Isle of Man, the event takes place on public roads which are shut down for the duration of the competition. The name derives from the original race distance of 200 miles which was later cut down into several shorter races to make it better for spectators.

The NW200 is the biggest sporting event in the whole of the island of Ireland - bigger than anything that takes place at Croke Park - with well over 100,000 people attending the weekend's racing.

The 2008 NW200 opened under a cloud when 15 times winner Robert Dunlop died during the Thursday practice session. To everyone's amazement, two of his sons were ready to take their places on the grid for the first race - the 250cc in which Robert was due to compete. Though the elder son was forced to withdraw due to technical problems, Michael went on to win the race in an incredible three way battle.

The DVD includes highlights of the following races: 250cc, Superbike races 1 & 2, 600cc Supersport races 1 & 2 and the Superstock race.

Video

Very well presented in anamorphic 1.78:1, this has an excellent transfer and the coverage makes full use of the on board cameras, replays and aerial footage.

Audio

The commentary by Keith Huewen is very good and contains contributions from racing legends Phillip McCallen and Steve Parrish and the soundtrack transmits the engine noises very well.

Extra Features

The two complete on-board laps with Steve Plater in the first Supersport race and Conor Cummins in the Superstock race are comprised entirely of shots from the on-board cameras, switching from front to back and giving you an idea of the extraordinary acceleration and speed that the bikes have.

Conclusion

The North West 200 attracts a massive audience from around the World and is generally considered one of the greatest motorcycle racing events on the calendar, rivalling the Isle of Man TT. Like the TT, the main attractions are the speeds the bikes reach (up to 200mph), the close proximity of the riders to the spectators and the heightened danger that comes with racing on public roads.

This DVD features such well known riders as Bruce Anstey, Guy Martin, Ian Lougher, John McGuinness, Michael Rutter, Ryan Farquhar and Steve Plater, all of whom engage in elbow to elbow racing at phenomenally high speeds.

Although a relative newcomer to motorcycle racing, I thoroughly enjoyed this and, whilst it's not as accomplished a package as the Isle of Man TT Review 2008 DVD, it's one that fans of motorcycle racing would enjoy enormously.