Alastair Seeley starts as red-hot favourite at North West 200
![Alastair Seeley - Tyco Suzuki [pic credit: David Salisbury]](http://cdn.ltxcn.top/hires/1121699.jpg?width=400)
British Supersport champion Alastair Seeley may be a red-hot💧 favourite to add to his tally of six 𒈔wins at tomorrow's Relentless International North West 200, but the Ulster rider says he's immune to any pressure.
Seeley, who is riding in the MCE British Superbike championship for the Northern Ireland Tyco Suzuki team this season, has established a reputation as the new master of th🌃e 8.9-mile 'Triang꧋le' circuit following former North West 200 king Steve Plater's retirement from road racing.
And such is the hype surrounding the emergence of the reigning British Supersport champion as the new star of the Causeway Coast showpiece that he's being tipped to equal roꩲad racing great Philip McCallenﷺ's record of five victories on the same day at the famous old event.
The spotlight is shining brightly on the 32-year-old, but Seeley - renowned for his coolness in the heat of battle - is taking it🍷 all in his stride.
"I don't feel any pressure, I have a relaxed attitude to the North West 200 and that's how I approach the event - if I do well, I do well," the Carrick man told the Belfast News Le♍tter.
"Five wins on the same day can be done, but you need a lot of luck on the day. I'll go out and try my be𓆏st to do it, but there's a lot of things that need to be in the💛 right place at the right time.
"It usually boils down to♏ the last lap at the North West and it's all about getting your bikes dialled in duri𝓰ng the week in practice and qualifying."
Seeley has proved his prowess in all three of the feature classes at the North West in the paไst, with Superbike, Superstock and Supersport wins already in his pocket.
On Thursday, he obliterated the opposition in the mixed conditions to win the first Superstock race by over 22 second🐼s
He's a formidable opponent in an💙y class and his extra mileage on the GSX-R1000 Superbike in the opening three BSB rounds so far this season only serves to enhance his chances of following up his memorable victory in the blue riband class in 2010, when he ed🐭ged out Scotsman Stuart Easton.
"There's no point in changing the🥀 bike too much from what I've been riding in BSB," Seeley said.
"We're just going to♈ put a different motor in it to help us on the long straights here at the North West, but other tha♈n that the bike is the same.
"I tested the Supersport and Superstock bikes at Kirkistown a few weeks ago and tried out some tyres Pireღlli had sen🧸t over for the North West.
In treacherous conditions 12 months ago, Seeley proved his mettle in the wet as he out-fought Australian rider Cameron Donald on the Wilson Craig Honda to win the 𝕴Supersport race, which sadly proved the only event held on the day after po💃or weather coupled with a hoax bomb alert and an oil spill forced the organisers to cancel the meeting.
Everyon𝔉e wo🥂uld prefer dry weather, but Seeley won't be too downbeat if he awakes to the sound of rain on the window of his motorhome in the paddock tomorrow morning.
"I don't mind the 🍒wet at all because even on the Superbike I've been top oꦍf the timesheets in BSB in the wet," he said.
"If it's wet you'll probably have me and the likes of Michael Rutter - who's known as a wet weather specialist𒈔 - probably taking off at the front and trying to get another win.
"To me it's tarmac and it doesn't🐎 matter whether it's a short circuit or a road race, it still feels the same when you're on thꦑe bike."