How do you beat Michael Dunlop on the roads of the North West 200? Ask Storm Stacey

He arrived as an unknown quantity and left as the star of the show. Storm Stacey lined up the road racing elite at the 2026 North West 200, and has now confirmed he will return to the roads of Northern Ireland in 2027. The 23-year-old Englishman from Staffordshire, back at the scene of his achievement, recalled the pivotal moment in his battle with Michael Dunlop and delivered the news the race director had been waiting for.

At his first North West 200, Stacey claimed the Superstock race, setting a new lap record and finishing ahead of none other than Dunlop. And he wasn't done there: in the final race of the programme, he beat all the favourites in the Superbike race too, in front of tens of thousands of spectators. No newcomer had achieved anything like it since 2007. Stacey himself puts the feat in an even broader historical context: "If I'm not mistaken, no one had won two North West 200 races as a rookie since 1955."

His most vivid memory is the decisive braking move in the Superstock race. "I really wish I'd had a camera in my helmet," Stacey explained. On the straight leading to the first chicane, he turned to look at his rival: "I looked over at Michael Dunlop. I saw his gaze flick towards me and then back to the track, and all I thought was: you'll brake, then I'll brake. And that's exactly what happened."

There was no arrogance towards the Northern Irishman—quite the opposite. "Michael is an incredible rider. Coming here and beating him is really special: usually, it's something you can only dream of, and I don't think I've woken up from that dream yet."

The confirmation of Stacey's return delighted race director Mervyn White, who was awarded an MBE for his services to motorcycling. "Storm's performance in 2026 was one of the biggest surprises we've seen at the North West in many, many years," he said. "What the young Englishman did was extraordinary. He arrived as a newcomer and gave the whole event a real jolt. Things like that are good for the sport."

Next year, Stacey will race with Michael Laverty's GRYD BMW team, which will also field Glenn Irwin. White gives the pairing his full approval: "His team manager knows how to run a team. Storm and Glenn make an excellent combination." At the 2027 North West 200, the sensational newcomer won't have the element of surprise on his side any more: this time, the others will have to study his braking moves.

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