"Unbelievable": Storm Stacey revels in Michael Dunlop battle in rookie NW200 win

Storm Stacey says his North West 200 Superstock win is “unbelievable” after he beat Michael Dunlop to the win on the final lap.

Road racing rookie Stacey and Dunlop were in the lead group for the whole race, and they were joined only by Josh Brookes by the final lap.

The two traded places on multiple occasions, with Stacey making the decisive move at Metropole on the last lap, which was quickly followed by a mistake from Dunlop, which itself left Stacey clear for the win with only a few corners to go.

“Unbelievable,” Stacey told BBC Sport NI after the Superstock race.

“The goal here was just to come here and have a good, successful North West 200, go home happy and continue with BSB. 

“I did promise Stuart Higgs I would go easy, but you get a bit carried away when you’re racing, unfortunately. 

“I really enjoyed that race, battling with Michael [Dunlop] is– it’s a new thing for me, I’ve never battled with Michael. 

“Obviously, we’ve done test days before on tracks, but the difference on a track to on roads is so different, but it was good having some duals, we were looking at each other down the straights and it was a bit of a ‘who dares wins’ on the brakes.

“I think I won all the battles on the brakes, so it was very fun.”

Dunlop himself was appreciative of the newcomer’s winning performance.

“These boys are so hard on the brakes, even Josh [Brookes] as well, and Storm [Stacey] – both really deep brakers,” Dunlop told BBC Sport NI.

“I just struggled a little bit on the brakes, have done all week, so I knew I was going to get hung out to dry somewhere along the line. 

“Obviously, Storm rode a better race, he was strong, he was really strong on the brakes, and made it work for himself.”

Dunlop also said he was struggling for grip, highlighted by a mistake he made on the last lap at Metropole in which he briefly lost second place to Josh Brookes.

“We’ve struggled with a tyre to suit here all day, with the big bike for some reason, and I think it’s transferred from the big bike to the Superstock now, but we just lose a bit of grip,” he said.

“I knew it was going to be coming down to the Metropole and I just turned it in and opened the throttle, let go again, and sort of struggled a wee bit for edge grip.”

The now nine-time North West 200 winner, after his Supersport victory earlier in the day, added that the North West is a road race that particularly suits short circuit riders like long-time BSB rider Stacey.

“The problem is, that’s what happens when you come here,” he said.

“It’s hard, if you’re a BSB rider at all you can win here because you just go late on the brakes and because you don’t do BSB you sort of get hindered with the BSB boys because they’re used to braking every weekend so late with the BSB, and that’s why the North West has always suited BSB riders, really.”