Seeley to dedicate a NW win to Martin

Motorsport

Monday, May 12, 2008

By Jimmy Walker

If Carrickfergus 'cheeky chappy' Alistair Seeley scores a win at this weekend's North West 200 he intends to dedicate it to the memory of his team mate Martin Finnegan, tragically killed at the Tandragee 100 10 days ago.

Seeley, who has a marvellous chance in the North West Superstock race told me: "I didn't know Martin all that well but he was my team mate with JMF Millsport of Ballymoney and the other members of the outfit are still broken up about what happened.

"Martin was a great guy and would have been one of the favourites for the North West but for that tragedy."

Seeley goes into this weekend's race as one of the favourites for the Superstock Class after finishing second in the race last year to Bruce Amstey and fourth at the weekend in the British Championship race at Brands Hatch.

Seeley said: "I can't wait to begin practice on Tuesday. I have my best chance ever of winning the North West because the Yamaha is really flying. I think I might have done better than fourth at Brands because the race was red-flagged and the restarted and this upsets your rhythm.

"In fact I rode better in the rerun race as it turned out but I couldn't catch Marshall Neill who was third. Take it from me, however, Steve Brogan who had yet another win in the class will be hard to beat at the North West."

Seeley will be accompanied to Portstewart by his fiancee Helen and his two-year-old son Lewis. "The young lad looks like a motorbike rider already." said Seeley. "He can twist the throttle and with my guidance he'll soon be able to do the full works."

Seeley added: "I only do the North West 200 because I don't like the rest of the road races. They are not my scene. I concentrate on the short circuits and I'll be riding in the Supersport as well as the Superstock next weekend.

"It would be ideal for local fans if I can put one across the English. Bruce Amstey and Michael Rutter are going to be my main opponents.

"Amstey is a strange sort of fish for he disappears off the menu for a number of weeks and then turns up again and without seeming to have any practice he wins races. I can't understand it because he even sleeps in before a meeting and has a kip in between races. If that's not laid back I don't know what is."

Seeley added that Rutter was entirely different and was always on the ball and ready for action. "But then, it takes all sorts," said Seeley. "I have learned that a lot of riders have their own paths which they hope will take them to the top."

The last Irish winner of the Superstock class was Adrian Archibald in 2003. Richard Britton won it two years earlier but there was no race in between because of the foot-and-mouth outbreak so in recent years we have Amstey has won it four times with Ian Lougher victorious in 2005 and the inevitable Amstey for the last two years.

For the record he also holds the fastest lap at 121.90 miles per hour.