GLENN IRWIN: The 11-time winner reflects on decision to retire at the North West 200

Glenn Irwin has announced that he will return to racing the North West 200 in May as he reverses his decision to retire from road racing.

Irwin has won 11 races in the international road race held on the north coast of Northern Ireland.

He announced his decision to retire from road racing in October 2024, citing his family’s interests as the “absolute reason”, and missed last year’s Northwest 200.

“I’ve had a really tough season in the British Superbike Championship, it started very well but we ended up with what felt like the end of the year. [hip] “She got injured in June and it changed things for me,” Irwin told Stephen Watson on The Nolan Show.

“Yes, we came back much earlier, but I had a bad fracture in my pelvis and had surgery and from behind I lost my flight with my previous one.

“I was approached by Nitrous Competitions Ducati, as it is now, with an offer for a bike and package to win the Superbike championship and come back and win the North West 200 again.”

The 35-year-old will return to road racing in May with the Ducati-powered Nitrous Competitions Racing team, with whom he competes in the British Superbike Championship.

Irwin made his North West 200 debut in 2015 and became the most successful Superbike class rider in the event’s history.

He made it a hat-trick of wins in the 2024 event as he took 11 consecutive wins in the Superbike class.

He added: “After I was at the lowest level where I was last year and moments in the hospital I realized that, I went from a wonderful sporting career to not being able to do anything at that moment.”

“If I have to win the NW200 again to give me the best chance of winning British Superbike, that is a credit to this event and I am more than willing to do it.

“Laura [Glenn’s fiancee] “He understands, because as a family we dream of winning British Superbike and my dream has changed a little bit by winning 14 North West races.”

While he missed last year’s event, Davey Todd and Michael Dunlop won the Superbike races.

Irwin made a lone appearance at the Isle of Man TT in 2022, where he was the fastest newcomer to the event, and competed in the Ulster Grand Prix early in his career.