The dust has now settled on this year's North-West 200, the first event of 2025 for Team ILR with Frog Vehicle Developments and the team arrived on the North Coast with a two-rider line-up.
Italian Maurizio Bottalico was returning to Supertwin action with the team after his third place ride in the 2023 Junior Manx GP on the S1-R Paton, with Craig Kennelly competing in the Supersport races on the team's CBR600RR Honda.
The North-West 200 however was always going to be tough for Kennelly, coming as it did just six weeks after he was high-sided from his bike at 100mph in Portimão.
The Londoner sustained multiple complex fractures of his pelvis and was facing a 3-6 months recovery, and he took his place in the team awning with no pressure or expectations on him whatsoever from team boss Ian Lougher.
Subsequently, Craig's results were not a true reflection of his ability, and everyone in the team wishes him well in his recovery, and we look forward to For Maurizio things weren't looking good early in the week when frustratingly the Paton developed an electrical problem which ruled him out of any time on the bike.
Being a newcomer it also meant that he could only ride in three races on Saturday, and with other race commitments he was limited to one of the two Supertwin races on the programme.
His tenth place ride in that race was testament to Bottalico's talent and the team's hard work, and at the close of racing he had become the fastest ever Italian at the event and he also lifted the Best Newcomer Award for his efforts.
The team is now preparing for the Isle of Man TT races where Bottalico will be joined by Victor Lopez and our Island regular Masayuki Yamanaka, with all three having previously competed for the team over the Mountain Course.
Team ILR principal Ian Lougher:
"That’s another North-West 200 meeting over….phew…!!
Absolutely shattered, for some strange reason this meeting stands out as the most demanding for the teams.
The logistics of the place being JUST ONE reason, and it's nobody’s fault with the long haul across through the tunnel over to the grid not making life easy.
The sun was shining so that was nice.
Maurizio did a phenomenal job as a newcomer, coming from the back of the grid to finish 10th on our Paton with virtually no practice.
We had to plead to even get him on the grid at all.
It was only his strong results on his big bike that swung the decision.
Craig was only just fit in time to ride from his previous injury so was always on the back foot, so to speak, so he did well to even finish his races.
Now we regather ourselves ready for the main event of the year, the TT, and although a very tiring meeting of course, (lasting 3 weeks for us ) it somehow seems to rejuvenate us after our time recently.
Big thanks to all our team and sponsors, Mark, Keiko, Jacko, Willy, Asa, Ross and Bryan.
I promise I’ll book you in for new trainers and knees after all the walking.
Cheers Ian x "