NW200 rider dies after accident during Superbike qualifying session
A rider has tragically lost his life at the North West 200 following an incident during Thursday morning's qualifying session.Race organisers have confirmed that one competitor passed away after the crash at the Station Corner section of the Triangle Circuit, with emergency services rushing to the scene but sadly being unable to save the rider.The family of the deceased have requested that his identity remains undisclosed for the time being, however they have given their blessing for the North West 200 to press ahead.This marks the first fatality at the NW200 in a decade. English rider Malachi Mitchell-Thomas was the last person to perish at the event, having crashed on the third lap of the Supertwins race on 14 May 2016.In total, 20 people have now lost their lives at the North West 200 since 1939, reports Belfast Live.The 2026 event is set to resume on Thursday evening, with roads closing between 4.45pm and 9pm for three races. These will now be replaced by qualifying sessions following the disruption to this morning's qualification.A statement from the Coleraine and District Motor Club, the race organisers, read: "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 unfolds on public roads forming the 'Triangle' circuit linking Portrush, Portstewart, and Coleraine, standing as Ireland's largest outdoor sporting occasion, drawing enormous crowds exceeding 100,000 spectators each year to the Causeway Coast every May.Click here to sign up to our sport newsletter, bringing you the top stories and biggest headlines from Ireland and beyond
