BRIGGS EQUIPMENT SET TO CONTINUE AS TITLE SPONSOR OF THE NORTH WEST 200 UNTIL CENTENARY ANNIVERSARY IN 2029

Coleraine and District Motor Club , organisers of the North West 200 motorcycle races, are delighted to announce Briggs Equipment as the title sponsors of the north coast event for another three years.
The extension to an agreement which began in 2024 ensures the event will remain titled as the Briggs Equipment North West 200 through to the centenary anniversary in 2029.
‘I’m delighted that we’ve been able to extend our title sponsorship of the North West 200 for another three years.’ Briggs Equipment Divisional Director, Colin McNeely, said as the new agreement was confirmed.
‘It’s been a fantastic experience for Briggs Equipment and Balloo Hire up to this point and I look forward to helping the event grow further in the run-up to its centenary in 2029, which promises to be one of the great sporting occasions of our lifetime. The NW200 has evolved a lot in those 100 years and its list of legends continues to grow, so it’s a real honour to cement our long-term association with such an iconic occasion. We will do everything we can to ensure the anniversary is as memorable as possible and I know there have already been some discussions and exciting ideas put forward. It’s going to be big, I know that for sure, and I’m genuinely thrilled that we’ll be a key part of it.’
‘This is a very important development for the North West 200 as it approaches a landmark juncture in the event’s long and storied history.’ Race Director, Mervyn Whyte, said.
‘The support of Briggs Equipment and Balloo Hire over the last three years has underpinned very significant improvements for the event and we look forward to continuing with that advance as we build towards 2029 and the centenary meeting. We currently have the world’s strongest line-up of road racing talent on the NW200 grid each May. No-one who was there in 2026 will forget the impact that Storm Stacey made during his debut last May and we are committed to recruiting other new talents who will line-up alongside the established stars to entertain the tens of thousands of race fans who flock to the north coast each May.’
It is a sentiment echoed by Colin McNeely of Briggs Equipment.
‘Although we are very much aware of the proximity to the centenary event, we have plenty of work to do for 2027 first.’ the Briggs Equipment Divisional Director said.
‘Every year is a new opportunity to take the event to the next level and make the experience better for fans. I firmly believe the Briggs Equipment North West 200 is in great hands with Mervyn’s team and ourselves. And the name has a nice ring to it as well!
‘Being so actively involved with the NW200 during these last three years has opened my eyes to just what the event means to so many people. From the fans to the organisers, volunteers, race teams, and other sponsors, I’ve seen a passion and love for road racing that’s unlike anything I’ve seen with other sports.
‘As title sponsors, we took on the responsibility to support the event as much as possible and I think we’ve done that well. We’ve built up a good working relationship with the NW200 team and that was a really important consideration when making the commitment to sign a new agreement.
‘We all want to see the NW200 grow year-on-year and that drive for improvement has been evident during race week I believe. We’ve seen record crowds in recent years and my hope is we keep setting new standards. I have no doubt the Briggs Equipment North West 200 will go from strength to strength.’

CHANGES ANNOUNCED TO 2027 BRIGGS EQUIPMENT NORTH WEST 200 RACE WEEK SCHEDULE

2027 will see a change to the qualifying schedule at the Briggs Equipment North West 200. During the last three seasons between 2024 and 2026 the qualifying action took place on Wednesday and Thursday.
In 2027 qualifying will begin on Tuesday 11th May after roads close at 9am. Roads will close at 9am again on Thursday 13th for the second qualifying session followed by the opening three races on Thursday evening.
The event will reach its climax on Saturday 15th May with a six race programme scheduled to commence after roads close at 9am.

Stephen Marshall- Group Strategic Development Manager – Briggs Equipment and Stephen Johnston- Head of Operations- Balloo Hire pictured with Race Director Mervyn Whyte NW200

Picture by Stephen Davison