Statistics, facts and pub argument starters for the 2019 North West 200

•    This year marks the 90th anniversary of the International North West 200 – the first race was held on Saturday 20 April 1929 and was held over exactly 200 miles on an 11-mile course.

•    The meeting has been held every year since with the exception of 1940-1946 (World War II), 1948 (unavailability of fuel supplies), 1963 (lack of finance), 1972 (lack of political stability) and 2001 (foot and mouth epidemic).

•    The course now measures 8.97-miles and has four chicanes to reduce speeds – Juniper Hill (added in 1983), the start and finish (1988), Magherabuoy (1996) and Mathers Cross (2010).

•    The link road from University Corner to Ballysally Roundabout was first used in 1980.

•    Alan and Ernie Lyons were the first brothers to win races at the NW200 in 1955. The only other brothers to win races are Joey and Robert Dunlop and William and Robert Dunlop.

•    The only fathers and sons to win races are Tony and Michael Rutter and Robert and William and Michael Dunlop.

•    Ten riders have recorded three or more wins in a single meeting – John Williams (1974), Joey Dunlop (1987), Steve Cull (1988), Robert Dunlop (1990, 1991, 1993 and 1994), Phillip McCallen (1992), David Jefferies (1999), Michael Rutter (2000), Bruce Anstey (2007), Steve Plater (2008) and Alastair Seeley (2012, 2015, 2017 and 2018).

•    McCallen holds the record for the most wins in a day with five – 400cc, 600cc, 250cc and both Superbike races – set in 1992.

•    Only McCallen and Seeley have won four or more races in a single meeting.

•    Robert Dunlop and Seeley are the only two riders to have taken four hat-tricks.

•    The 2019 North West 200 sees 9 former winners on the grid with 61 wins and 143 podiums between them.

•    Alastair Seeley now holds the record number of wins (24) followed by Robert Dunlop (15), Michael Rutter (14) Joey Dunlop (13), Phillip McCallen (11), Bruce Anstey (10), Tony Rutter (9) and Ian Lougher (8).

•    Seeley has won at least one race every year since 2008.

•    With 12 and eight wins respectively, Seeley has won more Supersport and Superstock races than any other rider.

•    Seeley has won eight of the last nine Supersport races, including four in a row in 2015 and 2016.

•    Seeley also has more podiums than anyone else (36) closely followed by Michael Rutter (32). They’re followed by Phillip McCallen (28), Joey Dunlop and Ian Lougher (26) and Robert Dunlop and Bruce Anstey (25).

•    Bruce Anstey was the last newcomer to win a race when he took victory in the 2002 Production race.

•    Glenn Irwin was the last newcomer to finish on the podium, taking second in the second Supersport race of 2015.

•    Jack Brett set the first 100mph lap in 1957, just a month before the same feat was achieved at the Isle of Man TT by Bob McIntyre.

•    The first 110mph lap was set by Tony Rutter in 1973.

•    The first 120mph lap was set by Mick Grant in 1975 whilst Tom Herron set the fastest ever lap seen at the NW200 with a speed of 127.63mph in 1978.

•    The fastest ever speed recorded through the speed trap was 209.2mph by Honda-mounted Bruce Anstey in 2016.

•    The current outright lap record is held by Michael Dunlop at 123.207mph, set in the 2016 Superbike race.

•    Josh Brookes remains the second quickest rider despite his quickest lap being set in 2014.

•    The other lap records are currently held by Seeley (Superstock and Supersport) and Martin Jessopp (Supertwin).

•    24 riders have now lapped the course at more than 120mph.

•    Honda claimed their first victory in 1964 and have won more NW200 races (92) than any other manufacturer. They’re followed by Yamaha (79), Norton (37), Suzuki (31) and Kawasaki (25).

•    Kawasaki hasn’t won a Superbike race since 1977 when Mick Grant was victorious.

•    Norton hasn’t won a race since 1991 when Robert Dunlop and Trevor Nation shared the two Superbike victories.

•    BMW’s first win wasn’t until 2010 when Keith Amor won the Superstock race.

•    BMW have won six of the last seven Superstock races.

•    Yamaha is the only manufacturer to have a clean sweep of the programme, winning all five races in 1979.

•    Only three non-European riders have won races at the North West 200 and they’re all from New Zealand – Stu Avant, Robert Holden and Bruce Anstey. Avant was the first in 1982.

•    Nigel Beattie is the only rider from the Isle of Man to have won a race at the North West 200, the 2006 250cc.

•    There has only been one dead heat in the history of the event, when Ray McCullough and Tony Rutter couldn’t be separated at the end of the 1977 350cc race.