Gary McCoy's participation in the 2025 North West 200 has come to an abrupt end following a serious crash during the Supersport Qualifying session on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. The Cookstown rider confirmed via social media that he will miss the remainder of the event and his highly anticipated debut at the Isle of Man TT due to injuries sustained in the incident.
McCoy, who was involved in a collision at the Mill Road Roundabout, stated, "Just thought I'd give a quick update to everyone as I have had a lot of kind messages and well wishers. Yesterday afternoon, I was involved in a crash which was totally out of my control when a rider behind me lost control of his machine and rear-ended me on the approach to Mill Road Roundabout." He expressed gratitude for the support he received and also wished for a speedy recovery for the other rider involved.
The opening day of qualifying was marred by delays, with three red flags disrupting the sessions. Two stoppages occurred during the Superbike Qualifying session due to separate oil spillages, and another lengthy delay was caused by the on-track incident involving McCoy and another rider, later identified as Craig Neve. Neve, riding for Bathams Racing, was airlifted to the hospital while McCoy was transported via ambulance.
In an official statement, the North West 200 organizers confirmed that the incident occurred just six minutes into the Supersport qualifying session and that both riders received immediate medical attention on-site. The organizers reported, "Both riders were injured in the incident and the on-course medical team attended the scene. The riders were subsequently transferred to hospital, one by road ambulance and the other by air ambulance." While Neve is believed to have sustained serious injuries, they are not considered life-threatening.
The incident added to an already disrupted opening day of qualifying, which saw the Superstock and Supertwin sessions canceled due to the delays. The Supersport session was restarted after the incident with about 18 minutes remaining on the road closing order, but the damage was done. Peter Hickman was the fastest rider on the day, clocking impressive times on his 8TEN Racing BMW.
Looking ahead, North West 200 qualifying is set to continue on Thursday morning, May 8, 2025, with a revised schedule in place. The Supertwin machines will kick off the sessions, followed by Superstock, Supersport, and Superbike classes. Roads will close at 09:00 BST and reopen at 15:00 BST. The first races of the event are scheduled for Thursday evening, with the Superbike, Supersport, and Superstock races all set to run over four laps.
The main six-race schedule will take place on Saturday, May 10, 2025, featuring two Superbike and Supertwin races, along with the second Supersport and Superstock events. As the situation unfolds, McCoy's absence will surely be felt in the paddock, especially as he had been looking forward to making his debut at the Isle of Man TT.
In conclusion, the North West 200 continues to face challenges as it navigates through this unfortunate incident. Fans and fellow competitors alike will be hoping for a swift recovery for both McCoy and Neve as the event progresses over the coming days.
